Teenagers Oak Tupman and Stirling Bidwell launch Colosseum streetwear brand from Margaret River

Two young Margaret River men have launched their own streetwear brand with an intent to export the savvy but laidback Margaret River vibe to the world.

Year 12 students Stirling Bidwell and Oak Tupman’s brand Colosseum launched earlier this month with an eye on future expansion.

Colosseum items had already featured in a pop-up capacity at the 1Off Store in Perth’s prestigious fashion district which has the youngbloods crossing their fingers for continued success.

The pair met and bonded during sessions at the Margaret River skate park and wanted to produce outfits that went beyond the standard image of the region as a surf Mecca.

While the pair met in Margaret River before either of their families moved to the region, the dynamic duo had another early link.

Both were born at Bridgetown Hospital just a month apart.

Now they have their eyes on a grind to get Colosseum to spread its wings.

“We’ve got huge respect for each other,” Stirling told the Times.

“And we feel nothing’s going to stop us, and that’s what makes us bulletproof.”

Oak said the Colosseum brand was focused on friendship and the experiences of the young creatives.

“It’s all about shaking things up, being yourself, and pushing others to go after their dreams too and show everyone that we can do things our way,” he said.

“Me and my buddies, we’ve got each other’s backs, and we’re all about making our dreams come true.

“So we’ve been pulling all-nighters, coming up with ideas, and hitting the streets to get our brand out there.”

Stirling said since he and Oak went public with their venture, they discovered many of their peer group were also getting in on the entrepreneurial spirit.

“It’s crazy how we found out so many of our friends and people we know from school also were getting creative at home,” he said.

“That just fired us up even more, knowing that we’re part of something bigger.

“Now we want to create a whole movement.”

The 17-year-olds see Colosseum as an inclusive label.

Neither of the boys surf, and saw many of their friends had interests beyond the stereotypical vision of Margaret River.

Eventually the pair hope to base production of their clothes close to home, though for now were firmly focused on how to grow Colosseum in the competitive streetwear scene.

That means long hours spent on market research, business development and networking as well as the creative process.

Colosseum items are available locally at Artful Ink Tattoo Studio with more stock coming soon, and the pair can be found at @colosseumclothing2024 on Instagram.