Boy wonder: cute kids’ clothing and prints from Welly’s Wonders
At htf. HQ, we love supporting Australian designers, and with Australia Day just around the corner we thought it was the perfect time to celebrate some local talent.
One of our newest sellers, Welly’s Wonders, is made up of dynamic husband-and-wife duo Adam Murphy and Demelza Haines. Their super-cute organic cotton tees, onesies and bibs are inspired by their son, Llewellyn (aka the eponymous ‘Welly’). The range is 100% Australian made and features unique characters hand-illustrated by Adam, who spent 25 years working abroad as a lead artist for film studios including Disney and Lucasfilm.
We caught up with Demelza to find out a bit more about their commitment to Australian made products and how actor Richard Burton has influenced the brand.
Why is it important that your products are Australian made and use organic cotton?
We see so many industries slowly dying in this country, so I think it’s important we all do what we can to help as many local businesses survive. As a mum, I really dislike seeing so many cotton blends in children’s clothing. I found an organic cotton that’s so wonderfully soft and pure for such new, little bodies.
Can you tell us a bit more about how the characters came about?
My father’s family lived next door to Richard Burton’s family in South Wales. My father tells fabulous stories of when Richard used to come home from America. To my dad, who was a young boy at the time, he seemed so exciting and flashy, taking Dad out for a drive in his red MG convertible or getting him to caddy for him at the golf course. Burton the Brave seemed like a fitting name for such a flashy flying fox! Also, Jenkins was Richard Burton’s actual surname. The real Richard Jenkins and his family were far more humble and therefore Jenkins the Hare is a far more mild mannered character. My parents received a telegram on their wedding day from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor congratulating them. Who knows where that telegram is now?!
Who’s your favourite character?
I have a soft spot for Jenkins. He was our first creation. Adam loves Burton and The Mumbles Twins as his sidekicks.
Any new characters on the horizon?
We definitely have plans to expand our characters already. Our customers will see both new characters and our original characters in all new adventures later in 2014!
What’s it like working with your husband?
The best thing is that we’re on the same wavelength. When you’re married to someone, you tend to know what each other is thinking and where we’re headed with something. I guess the worst thing is that it’s harder to switch off. Many business discussions have been had whilst trying to get to sleep!
Shop the Welly’s Wonders collection here.
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