When it comes to camp, there’s something magical about the mix of nostalgia, nature, and creativity that defines every summer. For Camp Kawartha’s latest apparel design, that spirit comes alive through a vibrant collage that feels both timeless and new. To bring this vision to life, Genumark’s Graphic Designer Ashton Elliott collaborated closely with Camp Director Emma and Assistant Camp Director Sadie, drawing inspiration from Sadie’s vintage magazine collages. The result is a design that captures the heart of camp — from classic photos to hidden gems like Abby’s Garden — all woven together with a handmade, storybook feel.

We chatted with Ashton to get the scoop on his design process and how he collaborated with the Camp Kawartha team to make this year’s design exceptionally memorable.

What was the inspiration for this year's Camp Kawartha design?

The inspiration came from old magazine collages that Sadie, the assistant camp director, used to create. It was a unique way to showcase the many aspects of camp in one design, and it was fun to pull sources from various generations of camp.

Who did you collaborate with on this (whether at Genumark or Camp Kawartha), and what is that process like when you are designing?

The original idea was proposed by Camp Director Emma and Assistant Camp Director Sadie. They showed me examples of Sadie’s past collages and provided Icon Camp Kawartha photos to work with.

Can you walk us through your process - from idea to final product?

This was my first attempt at creating a digital collage, and it was quite different from how I usually design. I skipped the sketching step and went straight to collecting pictures and illustrations to use. I sourced most of the photos from Camp Kawartha itself, as well as a couple of vintage images of people at the camp. I also incorporated some illustrations of animals you’d likely find at camp, which I sourced from the public domain. I complied and cut these up in Photoshop, ensuring they still retain an imperfect, handmade look. Once I was happy with the placement of everything, I made the text using a variety of fonts and gave it the appearance of being pasted over the top.

What's your favourite part of this year's design?

My favourite part is the inclusion of Abby’s Garden. I’ve visited the camp a couple of times and spent a good amount of time in that garden. It’s an area that would typically be overlooked when designing a camp tee, overshadowed by the more exciting camp activities, but I’m glad we were able to include it in this collage along with the other iconic camp locations.

Learn more about how we work with camps to make every summer special: Genumark Camp Co.