May 2024

Aimee Shaw from The Press reports on the significant value and contribution of Aotearoa's clothing and textile industry and speaks to industry leaders about the challenges and opportunities uncovered in Threads of Tomorrow.

• Read the article here.

Mindful Fashion’s ‘Threads of Tomorrow’ report stated that, despite deregulation causing the closure of many local manufacturers over the last 40 years as it became cheaper to import finished product, the industry had adapted but was now at a place where it needed support from government and new policies to remain competitive.

Fast fashion and the mass waste it creates is a growing concern for those in the industry, according to the report and Mindful Fashion is calling on the government to engage on its recommendations to address the issue, and endorse its efforts to stimulate significant economic activity and help fill critical skill shortages in production that enable designers to experiment.

“Fashion is notoriously known for the waste it contributes and there’s a huge amount of work that we can be doing in that space and I’d love to see New Zealand at the forefront of leading change,” said Hogan, whose garments are worn by the likes of former prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

“We want to want to work with the government on solutions for New Zealand because it needs to be addressed as textile waste is only getting bigger,” Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald said.

“We produce some of the best fibre in the world, produce really high-quality garments and have some of the most well-known and sustainable brands in the world. There’s a huge opportunity for this industry to contribute more to New Zealand with the right framework in place to grow jobs and economic contribution.”

DAVE ROWLAND / GETTY IMAGES FOR NZFW