Hello,
Wellington Zoo Gets A Little Yellow Bird
Two New Zealand companies revolutionising their respective industries have teamed up to create a work uniform like no
other.
Wellington Zoo has unveiled new uniforms made by ethical workwear supplier Little Yellow Bird today.
The collaboration is part of a bigger objective for both organisations to do better business, and make serious positive
impacts in their respective industries.
Wellington Zoo is the world’s first carboNZero certified zoo and is a global leader in its conservation efforts.
“We care deeply about our planet and its inhabitants and work hard to be one of the world’s most sustainable and ethical
zoos,” says Wellington Zoo Chief Executive Karen Fifield.
“When it came time to revamp our uniforms, we wanted a company that shared our vision to make them. Of the companies
that submitted a proposal, Little Yellow Bird was the one that resonated with us the most.”
Little Yellow Bird was founded in 2015 by 27-year-old Samantha Jones, following a 6-year stint in the Royal New Zealand
Air Force.
“In the Air Force I was told what to wear and had no free choice in which brands I could support. The fashion industry
has a lot to answer for when it comes to social and environmental responsibility, so when I left the Air Force, I wanted
to wear more ethical clothing,” she says.
“The options were virtually non-existent in the corporate workwear space, so we founded Little Yellow Bird to fill the
gap.”
Little Yellow Bird products are all made with highly transparent production methods, and a highly traceable supply chain
right back to the cotton farming level.
“The majority of our products are made from cotton and we choose to work exclusively with organic. The cotton supply
chain is very complicated but we’re passionate about ensuring everyone in ours is treated and paid fairly for the work
that they do,” says Jones.
Environmental responsibility is also at the heart of Little Yellow Bird’s business. The team collaborated with fellow
Kiwi company Offcut to turn the offcuts from Wellington Zoo’s shirts - which would otherwise be wasted - into caps as part of their
uniform.
Jones and co-founder Hannah Duder have recently returned from their latest trip to India. They visited each stage of
their supply chain and some of the impact projects they have been supporting.
The company has grown rapidly this year after participating in Lightning Lab XX, New Zealand’s first accelerator program
for companies founded by women. Little Yellow Bird has already expanded into Australia and has just landed their first
big customer in the United States.
ENDS