Celebrated Aotearoa Creatives Design T-shirt Range To Raise Funds For Families In Need

AUCKLAND, NZ: To spread kindness to Kiwis in need, five celebrated artists and designers have created a range of limited-edition t-shirts to support New Zealand charity Kindness Collective during the Christmas period.

The ‘Wear Kindness’ campaign features new designs by designers and artists Juliette Hogan, FLOX, Ruby Alice Rose, LucidLuca and Kiri Nathan’s bestselling design returning again this year. The campaign is fronted by Hollie Smith, Anna Coddington, Dick Johnson and Tāne Tomoana, with the full range available for purchase from 4 September. Proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts go towards The Christmas Joy Store, New Zealand’s first social toy store, run by the Kindness Collective which is back for its fourth year in 2024.

The Christmas Joy Store gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to shop and choose gifts that they know their children will love, off the shelves for free. The Joy Store gives families the gift of kindness and the dignity of choice, which everyone deserves.

Kindness Collective Founder and CEO Sarah Page says, “The ‘Wear Kindness’ campaign offers Kiwis the opportunity to wear kindness on the outside, as well as in the inside, by donating to families in need. The t-shirts feature stunning designs, and we hope people across the country will wear them proudly and consider buying a few as Christmas gifts for friends or loved ones.

“For families living in poverty or who are rebuilding their lives from illness or family violence, Christmas isn’t always a time of joy. Every child deserves a magical Christmas, and everyone deserves the dignity of choice, so we are pleased to be bringing the Christmas Joy Store back for its fourth year.

“The Joy Store is a big operation which requires thousands of hours, donations and over 1,200 volunteers. Last year's Joy Store saw over 44,000 presents delivered to 16,225 kids in need, and this year, with the help of these incredible artists and designers who share our mission, we hope to provide joy to even more kids this year.

About the artists:

Juliette Hogan

Since opening her first store in Ponsonby in 2007, Juliette Hogan has become one of New Zealand’s most successful boutique designers, with five stores and multiple stockists throughout the country. She lives with her husband Dion and daughters Myra & Daisie in Mt Albert.

Juliette asked her five-year-old daughter Daisie to write some words, and loved the way she wrote ‘kind’. “You read it and you think of the optimism that a child has, the innocence, the hopefulness and the understanding that being kind is one of the most important things to be.”

“My hope for my girls is that they grow up being kind. Kind to themselves, to each other, to their friends, to their community and to people they do not even know. It’s my role as a parent to teach them kindness & kindness is what this world needs more of.”

FLOX

One of New Zealand’s most recognised contemporary artists, FLOX specialises in aerosol and stencil art. Her trademark native birds, ferns and flowers have been celebrating and bringing colour to Aotearoa’s natural world since 2003. She gives voice to local narratives and reflects on environmental issues, often in collaboration with the community.

"Kindness to me means an open heart, so my thoughts went straight to one of my signature forms when creating this artwork. Two iconic Kōtare from Aotearoa cross beaks as a sign of unity while nestling themselves amongst a garland of Pōhutukawa, Puawananga and lush greenery. This piece draws on our native iconography and pays homage to our solidarity as a nation, bringing us together and highlighting our collective energy and kiwi kindness."

Ruby Alice Rose

An illustrator living in Te Whanganui a Tara, Ruby makes art that shines a little light on everyday moments we share with ourselves, each other, and the world around us, often focusing on mental health, love, relationships, and body image. Ruby is best known for her book ‘All this is for you’ and her drawing of two women embracing in a hug with the words ‘this is your home and you should have been safe here’ which was shared widely online following the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks.

Ruby’s idea for the design came from a quote; ‘Treat everyone you meet as though they have a broken heart.’

“It had me thinking about the different hearts we’re all carrying within us every day - the full hearts, the curious hearts, the aching hearts, the messy hearts, the doing-their-best hearts. I wanted this design to be a reminder to treat everyone with the utmost kindness at all times because we never know the full extent of what someone’s heart has been or may be currently going through. Our kindness for others must come without prompts, without conditions, without borders.”

LucidLuca

LucidLuca is a Tongan queer artist & illustrator proudly residing in Tāmaki Makaurau. Born in Lautoka, Fiji, and raised in Tonga before moving to Aotearoa. Luca's art is a love letter to the strong, resilient women of Moana Oceania who have raised him, inspired and shaped his life.

“In my view, kindness is a pure power to be wielded generously. It can also be a quiet strength. Nurturing relationships with those who inspire you to be softer and kinder in the face of adversity makes them exceptional individuals to treasure. ‘Friendship’ to me represents that bond of a healing and affectionate nature.”

Kiri Nathan

Due to the tee's popularity in 2022, Kiri Nathan has kindly let the Kindness Collective reproduce her design, to further support KC's mahi again.

Kiri Nathan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hauā) is one of Aotearoa’s leading fashion designers, weaving together te ao Māori and contemporary designs into her eponymous label that champions indigenous fashion. Co-founder of the self-named fashion brand KIRI NATHAN, and founder of Kahui Collective, Kiri embodies identity and inclusivity.

Inspired by Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Ao Māori, the company is built on tradition, culture, unique designs, integrity, and a clear company vision. Kiri has received multiple awards for excellence and was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and the fashion Industry in the 2020 Queen's Birthday honours and was a finalist for New Zealander of the Year 2024.

Talking about her inspiration for the Kind Tee, Kiri says, "the foundation of kindness to me is how one person shows manaaki (support, care for, respect) to another person, when one wraps their korowai of love, kindness and protection around another, it is the greatest gift.

The Kindness Collective limited edition ‘Wear Kindness’ t-shirt collection will be available to purchase from 4th September via The Print Room at RRP $65, and will be delivered in time for Christmas. Profits from every t-shirt sale will be donated to the Kindness Collective to help run the Christmas Joy Store. Head to www.kindness.org.nz to learn more or buy yours.

About The Kindness Collective:

The Kindness Collective is a New Zealand charity that spreads kindness by connecting children and families with the things they need (from everyday essentials to moments of joy).

Founded by Chief Executive Sarah Page in 2014 after a challenging time in their family’s lives, she realised two things. Firstly, there are a lot of Kiwi families out there going through very hard times without a lot of support and secondly, the value of kindness isn’t just a buzzword, it can make a life-changing difference to people in need. Since then, the kindness movement has grown in scale and impact, supporting over 130,000 people living in poverty every year through five nationwide programmes.

So far, the Collective has contributed over $15Million dollars to families in need and they are only just getting started. Sarah describes the charity as a unique ‘matchmaker’ that bridges the gap between those in need and those who have more to share and then provides the donor with real-life updates of the journey from donation to delivery.

The charity was awarded New Zealand Community of the Year at the 2023 New Zealander of the Year Awards, and Sarah was also a semi-finalist for Local Hero at the awards.

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