This kid's costumes are next level — because 'who wouldn't want to be a cute fluffy stuffed thing?'
Winnipeg teenager Tyler Ritchot loves making art — and creating elaborate costumes is their biggest passion
Halloween is usually when most people struggle with making costumes — but for 13-year-old Tyler Malissa Ritchot, it's an absolute joy year-round.
Tyler first got hooked on costume-making when they saw tutorials on YouTube. Then, they attended a mascot-making workshop at Winnipeg's Art City studios, a community art space that gives young people access to the tools and resources they need to make their creative ideas into real stuff — like the kind of oversized costumes they now specialize in. "[It] just caught my attention instantly and I was like, 'I want one, so I'm going to make one.'"
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To begin making a costume, Tyler explains that you need to have a character to base the suit off of. Then, you use a variety of materials, like foam, to start constructing the head and other parts of the suit.
Tyler's first character was Toxie, an anime-inspired cross between a bunny and a dog. They'd been developing the character since the beginning of Grade 6, constantly drawing in their schoolbooks — so they decided to turn Toxie into a full costume.
Out and about in Winnipeg, Tyler isn't shy about dressing up — the Toxie outfit attracts lots of positive attention. "I feel like anybody should be who they are," says Tyler. "I feel like everybody should be accepted."
Art Kids is a CBC Arts series that travels the country to find the next generation of groundbreaking creators in arts from painting, to dance, to poetry. Their accomplishments will amaze you — and might make you feel a little bad about yourself. But that's okay.
Watch CBC Arts: Exhibitionists on Friday nights at 11:30pm (12am NT) and Sundays at 3:30pm (4pm NT) on CBC Television.
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