Surf Coast student joins creative minds with global surf brand

Rip Curl graphic designer Alex Reid standing with Geordie Pitcher at Rip Curl's Torquay base.

A SURF Coast Secondary student’s dream has been fulfilled after getting the opportunity to collaborate with a home-town brand.

Surf Coast Secondary College’s Geordie Pitcher will begin Year 10 next month, but Year 9 will be a year that will hold significant memories for the young artist over the course of his life, after designing a line of clothing alongside Torquay-based Rip Curl.

Geordie, 15, had been uploading his artwork and drawings to Instagram since the end of 2019, which is where Rip Curl’s product manager Adam Leslie first reached out to the youngster.

Adam also knew Geordie as a member of the Torquay Boardriders Club.

15-year-old Geordie Pitcher standing with a pair of garments he helped design.

“The Rip Curl team gave me a brief and I went away and came up with a heap of drawings and they picked the ones that they thought would be suitable for their brand and appealed to their market,” Geordie said.

“I also spent a couple of days with the design team at the Rip Curl Art Camp.”

Geordie was then involved in every step of the process in designing his clothing line, where he also learnt about design software and all the steps from concept to production.

Some of Geordie’s designs including a sketch of Rip Curl’s name.

He enjoyed every moment of the process from start to finish, however, seeing the children’s clothes start to take form was a pretty remarkable moment for Geordie.

“Getting to meet the team and making new friends was the best part of the experience,” he said.

“Also seeing the garments in the stores was pretty special. It is a bit surreal for me.”

Geordie thanked the entire Rip Curl team for the experience but made particular mention of head of design Cassie Egan, Adam Leslie who originally reached out to Geordie, art director Luke Taaffe and graphic designer Alex Reid.

Mr Reid hopes Geordie was “stoked” with the final result of the product and highlighted the fact that it’s “pretty epic to have a little Rip Curl capsule under your belt by 15.”

Rip Curl’s global surfwear team is hopeful of seeing Geordie back in the office next year.

If you would like to see more of Geordie’s artwork head to @pitch.art on Instagram or head to Rip Curl’s website to have a look at the garments he designed.