Cass graduate enjoys competition SUCKcess

CASS Graduate wins Runner up in New Designers Designer of The Year Award 2014

Date: 03 July 2014

BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing graduate Ellie Corp has won the Runner Up Award in the respected New Designers Designer of The Year competition.

Ellie, who studied in The Cass at London Met, completed her Project SUCK : A BA Taster, while studying in the Assorted Jewels studio led by Simone ten Hompel, Mah Rana and Silvia Weidenbach.

The project, which was a collaboration with Chef Peter Gordon, explores aspects of culinary art, food and drink, investigating the purpose of every day instruments and rituals of eating together with more metaphorical aspects.

Peter planned a three course meal and Ellie designed the implements to eat each course with. For her course and the competition, however, she only introduced the award winning tools for the starter.

The collection comprises of 12 different implements all of which are used to consume a soup.

“I looked at how different industries approach liquids with the different tools they use, and how these could be applied to a culinary experience to enhance it.

“Our first physical interaction with food is cutlery, yet these are always the same no matter what is being consumed,” Ellie said.

The panel of judges complimented Ellie’s commitment to develop entrepreneurial design to engage others in communal dining and that her work demonstrates “fine craftsmanship and sensitive use of materials”.

“Ellie’s passion and commitment for her work is evident and her infectious personality draws you in to her ambitious, intriguing and innovative ideas,” a spokesman for the panel said.

A delighted Ellie said: “It was such a fantastic honour to receive this prize, it is not something I for one moment thought I would receive, so it was a lovely surprise.”  

The aspiring designer-maker is currently setting up her own business and in the coming months will design and make the cutlery for the last two courses of the succesfull collaboration.

“Having won this award gives me the confidence to go ahead with my plans to set up by myself.

“My course, and more specifically the tutors I encountered along the way, encouraged me in every aspect of practice and opened many doors of opportunity and experience for me. Without which this achievement would not have been possible,” she said.

Top British jewellery designer Alex Monroe , who unveiled the graduate winners of the coveted awards, is also an alumna of The Cass.

Find out more about studying Jewellery and Silversmithing at the Cass.