Eumundi Voice - Issue 98, 25 July 2024

ART ABOUT

Future is ‘set in stone’

For 21yo local fashion designer Teddy McRitchie, 2023 was an incredibly exciting year!

Born to Noosa Arts Theatre popular performers Cristina and Brandt McRitchie, Teddy’s artistic talents blossomed on Norfolk Island where his family resided, prior to moving to Weyba Downs where he completed school at Sunshine Beach State High School.

In 2019 he won the youth section of the National Wearable Art Festival in Mandurah. Despite many setbacks such as a car accident, struggling financially to support his design dreams, and health problems, Teddy joined Mind Your Fashion – a not-for-profit Brisbane organisation which raises awareness and supports those working in fashion and creative industries who experience mental health issues.

After winning numerous awards and a highly acclaimed showing of his first ever collection at Brisbane Fashion Week in 2023, he was invited to show the collection at New York’s Fashion Week.

His wearable art designs have been shown at many festivals and runways in Qld, Sydney, Perth, Tasmania and Bali. They have also been shown in international fashion and art magazines with one gown featuring in the grand finale of Australia’s Next Top Model.

GoFundMe donations and a Noosa Council Regional Arts Development Fund grant of $7,000 helped Teddy with the huge cost of flights, accommodation, transporting his collection and himself between the Sunshine Coast, Auckland, Vancouver and New York.

On 12 September his unique collection showed in the middle of Times Square, to fashion

insiders, retailers, media, celebrities, models, and special guests. He experienced press/influencer networking events, double decker bus tours and a wrap-up party for designers and media. He had meetings with international buyers, sellers, wholesalers and retailers.

Recently moving into a ‘proper’ workshop space, after the loss of designs to flooding, Teddy is excitedly creating new designs including Set in Stone, which will be revealed at the Australian Wearable Art Festival 2024 on 9&10 August at Venue 114, Bokarina.

Teddy said, “I see creative excitement with trial and error: hours of measuring, cutting, gluing, shaping, sculpting, refining minor achievements to create something remarkable and incredible to the eye. The garments you see on the runway are really just the tip of the iceberg.”

Like all his designs, Set in Stone emphasises sustainability and resourceful use of materials. It looks like Teddy’s professional career in fashion is already ‘set in stone’. Eileen Walder