22 March 2018

Genazzano FCJ College, Kew, Year 12 student, Megan Grimshaw, has been chosen for the 2018 VCE Season of Excellence – Top Designs. Megan, who completed Product Design & Technology – Textiles as a Unit 3 & 4 subject in Year 11, will have her work on display at the Melbourne Museum, as well as her VCE folio being used for Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) Teacher’s Seminars.

Megan’s inspiration was to create an outfit that raised awareness of the issue of plastics in the ocean and waterways, and aligned her project with the ‘Plastic Free Seas’ campaign – a Hong Kong based non-profit organisation dedicated to advocating change in the way we view and use plastics in society today, through education and action campaigns. Throughout the design process, Megan sought feedback from the campaign organiser and created an outfit targeted to young inner city hipsters who are socially and environmentally aware. The work is titled, ‘Reinventing Plastic Waste’ and incorporates a number of innovative plastic materials and processes, including melted down milk bottle tops as buttons encased in a 3D printed button mould.

‘I’ve always been interested and passionate about the environment and when given the opportunity in this Unit 3&4 subject to integrate that with textiles in a way that may not have been done previously, really excited me’, stated Megan.

Megan is honoured and delighted to have her work displayed at Melbourne Museum alongside other Product Design students across Victoria. She is glad that she undertook a Unit 3 & 4 subject in Year 11, especially something creative that also managed to take social issues she is passionate about.

‘I loved completing a Unit 3&4 folio subject where I learnt lots about design, creativity and folio presentation. It was nice to do a creative subject amongst my other subjects and I loved the environment in the Textiles and Art Department. Through researching and creating an outfit which I felt passionate about, it further developed my interest and passions for social issues and the environment. Next year after finishing VCE, I would like to build on these passions and potentially study International Relations at university’, Megan said.

The TOP DESIGNS exhibition will run from Saturday 18 March – Sunday 16 July 2017 at the Melbourne Museum, Carlton.

This article was originally published on the Genazzano FCJ College website 7 March 2018.