Top Essendon designer celebrates local culture to a T

Top Essendon designer celebrates local culture to a T

Anna Prytz

14Jul08

Christos Harisopoulos of clothing line Sumthink with some of his T-shirts.

LOCAL pride is paying off for Essendon designer Christos Harisopoulos.

Inspired by the rich history of Moonee Valley, Harisopoulos' clothing label Sumthink boasts faux university T-shirts bearing Moonee Ponds and Essendon crests and motto's.

Business is booming for Harisopoulos, who said he had sold "several thousand" men's and women's T-shirts since the launch of his website and stall at South Melbourne market in September last year.

He is delighted with the brand's success and said he had hit a nerve with the public.

"Fortunately, I seem to have tapped into something with people. They want to celebrate their own culture," Harisopoulos said.

"I love my local history and this was a real attempt at preserving it and just embracing our culture."

One of the most popular designs is the University of Moonee Ponds T-shirt that bears the words Courage, Tradition, History and Kaleno.

The name Moonee Ponds was changed to Kaleno in 1879 for just three months but was changed back after a public backlash.

A registered business, Sumthink is keeping Harisopoulos in a full-time job with profits increasing every quarter.

To view the full range go to http://www.sumthink.com.au/

http://www.leadernews.com.au/article/2008/07/14/38919_mvv_news.html

Cheers,

Christos Harisopoulos

Get Shirty

Get Shirty

STEVE WALDON swaldon@theage.com.au

THE Australian Catholic University is about to announce an entry scheme that looks beyond year 12 scores and assesses potential students' character and attitude to community service.

Fine, but if you just want tertiary cred without all the fuss, you might consider Christos Harisopoulos' range of faux uni T-shirts. Try his Broadmeadows University top, with the slogan "Nothing soft comes out of Broady", or the Coburg Uni top with an image of the old Pentridge prison and this guarantee: "We can put you in any bank". Harisopoulos sells his wares at the South Melbourne market and reckons customers are happy to reject international brands in favour of something intrinsically Aussie.

The Essendon man, 39, is an alumnus of Aberfeldie Primary School, which puts him in the same company as Joan Kirner and Temporary Diary. (Keep your thoughts to yourselves, please.)

In Melbourne's north-west he has something of a reputation as a campaigner for his beloved Bombers, particularly last year's loud objections to Essendon agreeing to change its jumper to avoid a "clash" with St Kilda (there was no clash for 80 years, then suddenly people couldn't distinguish vertical stripes from a diagonal sash, apparently).

Harisopoulos' red-and black "Save Our Sash" T-shirts (that's him in one below) are being worn around Australia and overseas. The website for his company, Sumthink, says "the vibe" of its casual, retro and sports clobber is about fun, compassion, tolerance, global harmony and historical significance — the latter explaining Harisopoulos' exhaustive research into Essendon's early days.

He told Diary his tops are now being worn in Finland, Dublin and America. How about University of Sheeds?

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/warney-set-to-spin-some-magic-in-vegas-20080630-2zf0.html?page=-1

Cheers,

Christos Harisopoulos