All women wear Awwa
Empowering periodproof underwear and swimwear.
AKickstarter campaign in 2018 saw New Zealand period-proof underwear label I Am Eva triple its target to get into the market, and a year on the team are celebrating with a new name, AWWA.
AWWA (All Women Wear AWWA) is a revolutionary underwear brought to life by directors Michele Wilson and Kylie James in Aotearoa, to empower all women. The period-proof underwear concept came about when Wilson and James were talking about what the future looked like for their daughters. They wondered why technology advanced so quickly in other areas of their lives, but the options for managing periods hadn’t evolved much since the 1930s. AWWA is also an ideal option to support women during and after pregnancy, as well as women who may suffer bladder leakage.
Wilson explains how AWWA embodies everything the brand stands for and believes in for future generations of women. “To us it means fluidity. AWWA is derived from the Māori word “awa”, meaning river or flow. Māori referred to their period as te awa atua – the divine river – and we want every woman to feel divine and empowered during their period,” Wilson says.
AWWA underwear look and feel like normal underwear, but they can hold and absorb up to two regular tampons’ worth of blood. They’re designed in
New Zealand and feature an anti-microbial layer that prevents odours, a soft layer close to the skin that draws moisture away fast so you feel dry and fresh and an outer layer providing a leak-resistant barrier.
The team behind AWWA are also passionate about fighting period poverty and they offer ways for AWWA supporters to do their bit to help. AWWA also donates five per cent of all underwear created to charities in New Zealand who are addressing period poverty and empowering women. Shoppers can also buy underwear through AWWA to donate to their charity partners.
AWWA has also announced their official partnership with Dignity, which works to bring waste-free period care to vulnerable school girls throughout New Zealand. AWWA will be donating free period underwear for Dignity staff to give to school nurses.
AWWA has also worked with corporate sponsors like Les Mills, The Goodness Grocer, Nappy Heaven and more, who have bought corporate packs of AWWA to donate to women and girls in need.
Not only does switching to AWWA underwear help support the fight against period poverty, and keep wearers feeling comfortable and protected, it also helps the environment by reducing single-use period product usage.
This will also be the first summer that AWWA offers period-proof swimwear – Aotearoa’s first. The swimwear offers a comfortable option for women and teens that also provides them with the freedom to live life their way, and continue to enjoy summer with no worries or concerns about their period. Wilson says, “We want to empower women to be unrestricted in their choice of activities – whether they are swimming, playing sport or taking time out to read quietly in the sunshine, we have designed the AWWA range for all women.”