eleg-ants: designs from dalí’s animal kingdom
In the Fall semester of 2023, 24 up-and-coming student designers from 14 schools across Tampa Bay completed the free program Fashion Design at The Dalí. Program participants learned the fundamentals of design, construction and runway presentation from program instructor and PCCA Design Technology Theatre Department Chair, Trish Donnelly. With visits to The Dalí Museum, students explored the work of Salvador Dalí and his collaborations with fashion designers Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel.
In this year’s program, students explored the theme “Eleg-ants: Designs from Dalí’s Animal Kingdom” and created designs based on the animal symbols in Dalí’s artwork. Animals have long held individual meaning in art historical canon, and Dalí successfully ascribed his own meaning to several mammals, insects and sea creatures. Students selected an animal represented in the Museum collection and learned how Dalí found or fabricated personal meaning with each. Whether through an ant that means death, a grasshopper that signals fear or an octopus that helped paint the coronation of Pope John XXIII, students connected with Dalí in their designs.
At the end of the semester, community leaders from the industry came together to judge the students’ designs and award prizes in several categories related to sustainability, wearability and more. Student work is showcased in this online exhibit and winning designs are honored in a special exhibition at Florida CraftArt from February 28 through March 17, 2024.
Thank you to our program sponsors:
Alphabetical order by student last name
(Click images to enlarge)
Dana Alkhouli
The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, 1958-59
H.B. Plant High School
Grade 12
About me..
I like to say that change is the best gift life can give you. I lived in Qatar for most of my life and have now moved to the U.S. for my senior year at Plant High School. Now I know this may sound like another tragic immigrant story, but my experience is nothing like that. My dad secured a job in Florida and my mom still works in Qatar. And interestingly enough, my parents gave me the choice to move or stay.
Ryan Bishop
Dinner in the Desert Lit by Burning Giraffes, 1937
St. Petersburg High School
Grade 12
About me… I’m a senior at St. Pete High School and have lived here in St. Pete for the last 2 years. I’m very passionate about fashion design, automotive design, and watch collecting. I’m hoping to attend school for finance and eventually go into the business management side of fashion such as trend analysis and collection curation.
I chose this animal because… I chose the giraffe because I liked the Dali piece behind it. In Dinner in the Desert Lit by Burning Giraffes there are elements of formal wear that I believed could be well represented by my design style.
Sophia Conley
Hannibal Crossing the Alps, 1970
Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
Grade 10
About me… I am a sophomore at Gibbs high school, as well as a tech major in PCCA. I have been sewing for around three years, however, this is my first year being a part of Fashion Design at The Dalí.
I chose this animal because… I chose elephant for my animal because I’ve always loved how majestic and strong they appear. Another reason is that I love working with different textures and I believe choosing the elephant would allow me creative freedom in that area.
Emily DeLucia
The Ram, 1928
Lakewood High School
Grade 12
About me..
I’m 17 years old, enjoy 2D and 3D art and am excited about learning fashion and costume-making. I aspire to be a marine biologist. However, designing my own outfits is a hobby I would love to pick up.
I chose this animal because…
I enjoyed the diverse ways rams can be interpreted besides just the face value of the animal.
Sam DeLucia
Head of Donkey, 1936
Lakewood High School
Grade 12
About me..
I’m a 17-year-old interested in nature, 2D and 3D artwork and costume design. I plan to attend UNCC to study marine biology.
I chose this animal because…
I chose the donkey because of its connection to mythology. One of the myths of King Minos references a donkey.
Melina DiGiorgio
Telephone in a Dish with Three Grilled Sardines at the End of September, 1939
Howard W. Blake High School
Grade 11
About me…
I love making art, including painting murals and doing collages. I also really love decorating my bedroom. In my spare time, I usually listen to music and enjoy going to concerts. My favorite music is grunge, alternative, metal and punk, but I really love anything a little “out there.” If I’m not doing that, I enjoy seeing my friends. We run a Soup Enthusiast club at school.
Kate Evans
Seven Flies (and a Model), 1954
Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
Grade 12
About me..
I’m a senior at Gibbs High School in the PCCA technical theater program.
I chose this animal because…
I chose the fly as my animal because of its symbolism between life and death. Sometimes when I think of flies I imagine them feasting on lush bowls of fruit or flying through gardens with beautiful flowers and crisp vegetables.
Angelica Genetiano
The Sheep, 1942
Boca Ciega High School
Grade 12
About me…
I’m a senior at Boca Ciega High School. I hold leadership positions in my school such as Publicity Manager for Theatre and Treasurer for Student Government Association. I was also the Treasurer for Junior Class Council last year, and Vice President for Associ-Asian. I was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to America when I was 12 years old.
Gracie Haas
The Font, 1930
H.B. Plant High School
Grade 10
About me…
My name is Gracie Haas and I am a sophomore artist at Plant High School. I have been devoted to art since I was little and I always try to incorporate art into my everyday life, whether that means the style of my clothes, makeup, or daily activities.
Lucy Haura
Apparatus and Hand, 1927
Tampa Preparatory School
Grade 11
About me…
My name is Lucy Haura. I’m 16 years old and a junior at Tampa Prep School, and this is my second year in the Fashion Design at The Dalí program. I am in the biomedical concentration at my school and really enjoy science, chemistry and human biology. I also love sewing and being creative on my own time, including going to a Parsons Paris fashion intensive this summer and putting on my first runway show in August.
Chau Huynh
The Language of the Bird, 1950
Hollins High School
Grade 12
About me…
I’m a senior at Hollins High School. I’m involved with many different extracurricular activities, holding leadership positions as Senior Class President, Art Club President and Founder, and NHS Online Liaison. I hope to pursue fashion design professionally after graduation, whilst dabbling in UI design.
Delaney Kelly
The Ants, c. 1936
Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
Grade 11
About me…
I’m a 17-year-old junior at Gibbs High School and I learned to sew as a freshman. Since then, my skills have evolved, and I’m thrilled to showcase my progress during my second year of Fashion Design at The Dalí. While both fashion design and makeup artistry intrigue me, it’s the transformative power of makeup that I discovered in middle school that has become my greatest passion—I aim to infuse both aspects into my piece.
Elsa Kusek
Illustration for “Tres Picos,” 1955
Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
Grade 11
About me…
My name is Elsa Kusek and I am currently a junior in the PCCA Technical Theater program at Gibbs High School. This is my second year participating in the Fashion at The Dalí program and I am so excited to be a part this year, as it has allowed me to combine my passion for fashion and animals into something wonderful.
Libby Lewis
Portrait of My Dead Brother, 1963
H.B. Plant High School
Grade 11
About me…
My name is Libby Lewis and I am a junior at Plant High School. I am very passionate about spreading inspiration and awareness about sustainability and storytelling through painting, animations, and fashion. This is my third year in the Fashion Design at The Dalí program and I am so excited about learning new techniques and experimenting with new materials.
Texys Mahaffey
The Ecumenical Council, 1960
Shorecrest Preparatory School
Grade 12
About me…
I am a senior at Shorecrest High School. I am deeply passionate about the arts, particularly oil painting and fashion design. I am an active member of the Art Club at my high school and volunteer at Creative Clay.
I chose this animal because…
I chose the octopus as my animal because I had instant inspiration due to their tentacles and the overall fluidity I could connect to my design. Octopuses have an elegance within the water that I wanted to express through fashion.
Ayaa Mouzahem
Daddy Longlegs of the Evening–Hope!, 1940
Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
Grade 11
About me…
Hello, I’m Ayaa Mouzahem. I am a Junior at Gibbs High School (PCCA) and I have been sewing since my freshmen year.
l chose this animal…
Because I’ve always thought that spiders are very beautiful and at the same time very terrifying, which I think is the basis of the femininity that I wanted to incorporate in some way.
Elle Orchard
Lobster Telephone, 1936-38
St. Petersburg High School
Grade 12
About Me…
I am a senior at St. Pete High School, prioritizing well-roundedness. Not only am I creative, but I am also academically and athletically driven. I work overtime to balance my International Baccalaureate workload with various artistic endeavors. I utilize my creativity to problem-solve and innovate, demonstrated when I teach dance to young children, lead my lacrosse team as a captain, choreograph for cheerleading, and engage in various other activities.
Isabel Powers
Paranonia, 1935
Palm Harbor University
Grade 11
About me…
I am a chemistry girl; my special interest is in skincare and my dream career is to be a dermatologist, both of which are very much not in the realm of fashion whatsoever. However, I grew up watching Project Runway with my grandma, a woman who has inspired creativity within me, and have always wanted to try designing or sewing an outfit or costume.
Isolde Rayman-Moore
The Average Bureaucrat, 1930
Hillsborough High School
Grade 12
I chose this animal because…
I had the very second choice for animal in the program, yet I chose one of the most unpopular. I decided to do a snail for my animal because even though they are often considered to be gross, their shells are actually very pretty.
Despite being found less frequently in art, snails have a lot of recognizable features I could pull from.
Rainna Rodgers Spaights
Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man, 1943
Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
Grade 10
About me…
I am a 16-year-old sophomore at Gibbs High school. I am an aspiring designer who hopes to attend Florida State University and then Fashion Institute of Technology for my Master’s Degree. I have one year of experience with making garments and a few years of making fashion renderings.
Ellen Russell
Nature Morte Vivante, 1956
H.B. Plant High School
Grade 11
About me…
I’m a junior at Plant High School. I have been pursuing fashion since second grade when I started classes, up until the eighth grade. In ninth grade, I joined tech theatre and became my theatre company’s costume manager/designer. Since then, my love for all things design has grown and widened.
Kaylee Schauer
Archeological Reminiscence of Millet’s Angelus, 1934
Palmetto Charter School
Grade 8
About me…
I’m in 8th grade at Palmetto Charter School. I am the youngest person in this program which has taught me many values and brought me a new perspective on my creativity.
I chose this animal because…
The animal I chose was the praying mantis. I chose this animal so I can show people how Dalí interpreted it differently than most people would.
Violet Schuele
Profanation of the Host, 1930
Osceola Fundamental High School
Grade 11
About me…
My name is Violet Willow Schuele and I’m an 11th grader at Osceola Fundamental! I’ve been competitive swimming since 6th grade, yet on the high school team since 10th. I love fashion, specifically designing it and wearing it. I’ve stayed away from creating it until last year when I realized how hard it truly is to create piece, but I’m determined to get through this program and make something up to par with my expectations.
Lauren Shadrick
The Hallucinogenic Toreador, 1969-70
Homeschool
Grade 10
About me…
I’m a 15-year-old homeschooler who is passionate about sewing and art. Since the age of 7, I started to learn how to sew by attending classes once a week and adored creating my own plushies and bags. As I grew older, I strived to create my own clothing, which resulted in me designing my homecoming dress this year. When I was a toddler, I was engrossed in being able to transfigure a blank sheet of paper into something captivating.