Cue the clichés, but one of the coolest things to come out of the Gold Coast has to be the bikini – way back in the 1940’s fashion designer Paula Stafford introduced her ‘daring’ designs.
While the first two-piece actually originated in France, a young Paula made the bikini synonymous with Surfers Paradise.
The designs gradually got skimpier, and in 1952 a top model was asked to leave the beach because her bikini was too revealing – the fifties prudes had no inkling of what was to come in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s.
The city’s innovation has continued way beyond bikinis (although local designers remain at the cutting edge of swimwear fashion) and the city has spawned such iconic surf wear brands as Billabong.
In food, fashion, design and advanced manufacturing, local companies and innovators are producing some seriously cool stuff for big-name brands and exciting projects.
1. John Cox, Swell Sculpture Festival
2. Gold Coast Titans wearing a BLK jersey
4. World's best beer by Burleigh Brewing Co
5. Yellow Goat Designs produces WOW factor
1. Monsters, creatures and all things animatronic
John Cox has been busy bringing a Noah’s ark of animals and assorted fantasy creatures to life since even before he won an Oscar for visual effects in the hit movie Babe, back in 1995. He and his creature workshop team have a host of film and TV credits, conceive and create works for theme park attractions and public art, and have also developed a highly successful ‘How to Make a Monster’ internationally-touring science exhibition. John was also awarded the 2006 Kinetone Award for ‘significant contributions to the Queensland Film and Television Industry’ and was the 2007 Australian Film Industry (AFI) Awards winner for Visual Effects.
2. The Wallabies jersey
The KooGa brand, developed by Gold Coast company the WRS Group, is synonymous with the jerseys of some of Australia’s iconic sporting teams, including the Qantas Wallabies Australian Rugby Union team. KooGa is transitioning under the international BLK brand, and this year is kitting out elite teams such as the Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels, Connacht Rugby, Samoa Rugby Football Union, Fiji Rugby Union, Richmond Tigers, Brisbane Lions, Melbourne Storm and the Gold Coast Titans to name a few. Fans can purchase a range of replica team gear and other sporting apparel.
the ease of doing business on the Gold Coast has provided the perfect environment for our extremely successful expansion strategy
Jason Sintome - WRS Group
3. Cooling systems for Formula 1 and V8 race-cars and a range of prestige performance vehicles
PWR Performance Products may not be a motoring brand people know, but motor-racing fans and car lovers will appreciate the importance of what’s under the bonnet. Winning race teams around the world, from Formula 1 to NASCAR and Indy Cars to V8 Supercars, use PWR cooling solutions. Redbull Racing has won Formula 1 championships three years running using PWR products. At their advanced facility on the Gold Coast (which even includes a wind tunnel) they research, develop and manufacture high performance aluminium radiators, intercoolers and oil coolers that literally make some of the fasted cars in the world cool.
Now that’s cool.
4. The world’s best beer
No joke! Burleigh Brewing has been quietly (and not so quietly now they’ve won a string of awards) making some of the world’s best naturally-brewed craft beers. Varieties include HEF, a German-style, unfiltered wheat beer that won gold at the Brewers Association World Beer Cup in San Diego, beating the Germans at their own game, and Black Giraffe flavoured brew, which won its category for the third year running at the World Beer championships in Chicago. All up they’ve won global gold for 4 different brews. We’ll drink to that.
the Gold Coast is absolutely the best place to run our business because it’s a place where you can really lead a village lifestyle and yet run a big city business
Peta Fielding - Burleigh Brewing Co.
5. Some seriously WOW factor lighting
Lights that do more than illuminate – jaw-droppingly-beautiful sculptural lighting installations that make major statements in the foyers of leading hotels and prestige commercial buildings, and in clubs, casinos and shopping centres in Australia and overseas. There’s no limit to the imagination of the creative crew at Yellow Goat Designs (even the business name jumps right out-of-the-box) and there are few limits to the materials they use to craft their amazing creations.
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