Studio Favourites. Dungeness

The next in our Coastlines Inspirations series, we look at Dungeness – a headland on the coast of Kent and a source of inspiration for the Alice Made This team during the design and research stages of our latest collections.

One of the largest areas of vegetated shingle in Europe, Dungeness is internationally important and of scientific interest. The landscape is both unique and easily damaged, with over 600 different types of plant and many uncommon insects and spiders. Many of these specimens are rare and can’t be found anywhere else in Britain.

Not only were we drawn to Dungeness for its biodiversity and beautiful formations, but we were intrigued by the way the landscape boldly contrasts the man-made with the natural. Dungeness has been home to five lighthouses and two power stations, standing tall against the backdrop of the beach. The nuclear power stations actually sit within a wildlife sanctuary and birds enjoy the warm water created by the station’s outputs – showing how nature and industry can interact and create unexpected benefits for each other.

For our Coastlines collections, we have looked carefully at the process of Attrition and how water interacts and wears away rock samples. We have mimicked the power and impact of water through an industrial process called barrelling, producing a collection of cuff bracelets and cufflinks that offer textures and precise profiles. Dungeness and the ecosystem that thrives there, combined with its juxtaposition of the manufactured with the natural, has been a wonderful reference point throughout our design process and the ideal photo shoot location – also providing a scenic place to walk, think and clear the head!