Designer never short of ideas

‘It was a bit weird seeing someone I’d never met wearing my designs, but now I’m stoked whenever it happens,’ the Cottesloe artist said.

‘Our online store recently launched, so it’s crazy to think I have people from all over the world wearing my shorts.

‘I’ve got a lot of boxes to ship off in time for Christmas.

‘I started designing in Year 10 high school as part of a class project and have been doing it ever since. It’s made up of everything I love the most, like the beach, summer, surfing and art.’

Mr Myers said he launched the OZ Art Competition a few months ago to expand the scope of his ‘fun and original’ designs.

‘A lot of surf brands go to China to find prints, but I think it’s so much better to use something unique and exclusive to Perth,’ he said.

Mr Myers said his Youth OZ category winner was Christ Church Grammar School student Curtin Cox for his banana design and the Little Oz winner was John XXIII College nine-year-old Ed Drake.

Both boys won $300 worth of OceanZone gear and will have their art printed on board shorts in 2014.

The University of WA commerce student finished his exams last month and said he planned to spend his holidays designing the new range and ‘getting over to Rottnest Island as much as possible’.

He said the Rotto boardshorts that he designed a few years ago (featuring quokkas, seagulls, meat pies and the island’s iconic lighthouse) were by far the most popular.

‘Half my designs are based around Australia, so the inspiration of Rotto was a perfect fit,’ he said.

‘People will come up to me all the time and say: ‘Are you the guy who does the quokka shorts?’

Indianic Rottnest Island buyer Leigh MacKinnon said the boutique had exclusively stocked the quokka boardshorts for five years.

‘They are extremely popular with customers of all ages, especially kids who love the cute quokka designs,’ Ms MacKinnon said.

‘They have a strong following and customers will come back year after year to buy a new pair.’