Young Wellingtonians are making cool sh*t happen.
Eight young designers have come together to create a pop-up store for only $120 a week .

Eight up and coming 19-26 year old designers are coming together to launch “Cool Sh*t Happens” an experimental pop-up shop running for 8 weeks, from the 18th of September until November 11th on Vivian Street.The tagline of the pop up ‘Cool Sh*t Happens’ “*when you make it happen”, is directed at Wellington Millennials, tempting them to ‘go for it’ and put their skills and talents out into the community, something they might have been too scared to do before seeing these designers. Collaborating as a group has made it possible for them to get their work and names out into the real world, selling their creations in a beautiful store on Cuba Street for only $120 rent each a week. Inside Cool Sh*t Happens you will find handcrafted pots, plants, beautiful things that move in the wind, art pieces, meticulously crafted jewellery, gorgeous clothing from a massey designer with a spot at NZFW and much more. The store is located at 134 Vivian street, the old Beverage locksmith building, opposite Victoria school of Design & Architecture .

Together the group aim to prove that young Wellingtonians are doing more than what is expected of them, and even more can be achieved when you work collaboratively. The store organiser and designer Dani Forde stated “we want to prove that you aren’t too young to do something great, and your dreams aren’t something you fulfill later; you can do cool sh*t right now!” The group will be running workshops throughout the duration of the pop-up store where anyone is welcome to come learn a new artistic skill. Whether it be jewellery making, painting or making a hanging mobile the aim is to show that we are all creative and to give people a sense of pride for creating something they didn’t know they could!

The designers formed Cool Sh*t Happens over Facebook before they ever met. The majority of the shop has been built over social media with everyone pooling their strengths to get everything ready for the launch. Many of the designers are really stepping outside of their comfort zones; some selling things for the first time, others using their creativity as a way to manage depression and anxiety, with all of the designers fully committed to supporting each other and sharing their creations with the Wellington community! The hope is that this store will inevitably inspire other young people in the community and show them that an affordable, alternative to a traditional brick and mortar is possible.

Cool Sh*t Happens is an eight week pop-up shop opening at 134 Vivian street on September 18th till November 11th. The store is run by eight young designers selling handmade creative treasures. Cool Sh*t Happens is aiming to prove that young people can achieve great things.

BIOS OF DESIGNERS:

Zoe Flesher, 23.
Lunar Blue Designs
@lunarbluedesigns

Hi, I’m Zoe! I’m a 23-year-old cat lady, just trying to navigate my way through life in the windy city. I have always had a passion for creativity and in more recent years it has been an important way for me to cope with my ongoing struggles with depression, anxiety and insomnia. Being quite a shy person, I have always kept my creations to myself, however after some encouragement from friends and family I decided to start sharing my creative projects with others. I began playing around with polymer clay in February this year and fell in love with the medium – I adore using texture and colour in my work so it seemed the perfect fit, and thus Lunar Blue Designs was born. You’ll often find me up all hours of the night rolling out new designs while binging on chocolate and shitty reality TV (my two other loves besides cats). Running Lunar Blue Designs has made me step out of my comfort zone and opened up more doors than I could ever have imagined. I’ve met some amazing people along the way and am so excited to be a part of Cool Shit Happens. Making colourful earrings, silly pins, and haphazard wall hangings has now become my job and I couldn’t be happier. My hope now is that I can pass on a bit of that happiness through my work. Sometimes adding a little colour to your outfit can make your day just that little bit more bearable. Other times you just want to let the world know how you feel so you can slap a grumpy face pin on your shirt and call it a day. Either way I hope my creations will bring you joy and inspire you to make sh*t happen!

Dani Forde, 24.
My Friend Dani
@my.friend.dani

My name is Dani. I am an awesome human being. firstly because i put happiness as my priority and always aim to bring excitment into my life, but also because im great at bringing people together and leading a team. My latest adventure is My Friend Dani, a business I started which involves hand-making beautiful pots for even more gorgeous people . I also love sculpture and making music, and I'm currently in a band called 'We are Home'. At the moment I am really looking at what I want to built in my life, and I'm putting myself outside of my usual comfort zone, because I know this is where the magic happens. Starting this project is one of those things! I'm stoked to be in charge of Cool Sh*t Happens because I think this is the start of an evolution of doing things differently and helping people find their power to achieve the things they want!

Havilah Arendse, 19.
Havilah Label
@Havilah_label

My names Havilah. I'm an emerging designer studying at Massey University. I've just launched my own label called 'Havilah', and am debuting my collection titled 'Unapologetic' at the City Gallery and NZFW. I love creating my own textiles and beading in my spare time and creating weird and wonderful things. I'm currently getting ready to showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week and am looking forward to sharing my new collection with you all. I'm stoked to be a part of Cool Sh*t Happens because I think this is the start of something incredible and I cannot wait see it unfold!

Jean Chua, 21.
Jean Chua Art & Illustration
@jeanbeeaan

I created my Instagram in November 2016 with the simple goal of drawing more. Since then, my art has spiralled out of control (in the best way possible!), and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My artworks focus on the human form and dynamic and unusual lines of action. I love incorporating florals that either compliment or contrast a certain pose, and I tend toward themes of melancholy and rebellion. I make sh*t happen in my life by doing what I love and not settling for anything less. Sh*t happened because I focused on doing what made me excited to get out of bed in the morning – all of which has led me to work on Sh*t Happens today. Aside from being a fulltime artist, I also work and study parttime. In my free time, I enjoy painting, eating cake with friends, and annoying the flat cat.

Bonnie Howland 22 & Todd Selak 23.
Beauty and the Wind
@beautyandthewind

We are Todd and Bonnie, a couple living in Wellington, New Zealand. We're both 22 years old and we make beautiful kinetic art that moves in the wind. There's something special about being hypnotised for a moment in time as you admire the sheer beauty of a piece of art.

Bonnie brings her full creativity to the table while Todd brings his technical skills. As a couple we can communicate and bond over Beauty and the Wind in a way that's different from traditional 'business partners'. We are doing this purely because it adds beauty to our life and makes us happy. We know that even if Beauty and the Wind doesn't boom, at least we will have a bunch of cool shit and be happy. Come visit us in the pop up shop for a yarn and to share some awesomeness because hey… you're awesome too!

Bridget Feierabend 24 & Catherine Eden 26.
Qualms
@qualmsdesigns

Late last year Bridget was yearning a pair of bright bold earrings and a friend suggested that she simply make a pair, that way they would be exactly what she wanted. She soon became obsessed - making herself a new pair of earrings each night for the next day. It didn't take long before people started saying how much they liked them and that she should sell them. So she thought why not and within a week she was selling the earrings online. After 6 months Catherine came to her side to help her with the growing demand and now they are an epic team, bonded by their love of sparkling water. They are currently both working full time as well as running Qualms, so sometimes life is a bit stressful, but they say it is all worth it to see someone wearing their designs. When Bridget and Catherine aren’t working or creating you will find them drinking cocktails and singing karaoke or binging Netflix with an assortment of chocolate related snack foods.

Gloria Reid-Parisan, 22.
Wild Flower Print
@wildflowerprint

My name is Gloria Reid Parisian. I’m a digital illustrator and photographer based in Wellington, and am currently a student. Presently I am working on some digital illustration commissions which are very rewarding. Mostly working in Adobe Illustrator, I dedicate many hours to these works. What really excites me is that these commissions end up in people’s living rooms, becoming part of the threads that make up their lives. A few years ago I studied at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in Auckland, where I learnt some of the skills that I now utilise in my art. I had a Rudolf Steiner education, which encouraged creativity. Some of my extra-curricular activities in the past have included ballet, piano, speech and drama, and piloting a light aircraft.

When I illustrate, I throw on Coldplay (not ashamed!) and drift away into a world of my imaginings, where bookish women sit with legs tucked neatly to the side, cacti grow wild amongst rambling roses, adventure is always an option, cats run rampant, and being inspired is mandatory. I have always said I’d like to live inside a Frankie magazine, and maybe someday I will (just need to develop the technology). Being part of Sh*t Happens is such a neat thing, it really is rad to be contributing to this project, and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

Charlotte Upton, 24.
Good Boy
@goodboy.store

Hi, I'm Charlotte. I took my dog obsession too far and put them on clothes. Everything you see here is designed by me with the help of my four legged pals.
15% of all proceeds are donated to local dog shelters and rescues centres.
The garments used are ethically sourced and the designs are printed with eco-friendly inks right here in Wellington, New Zealand
Made with love and slobber.

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