Clothes for good cause, and paws
Staying on-trend while flexing your philanthropic muscle has never been easier with an increasing number of brands giving partial proceeds to charity.
The latest offering is Wellington-based label Good Boy, started by design graduate and dog lover Charlotte Upton as a way to use her free time while raising money for two animal charities.
It took just over a month for Upton to come up with several dogcentric T-shirt designs, find a screen printer and set up a website, with the charity side of things emerging organically from there.
‘‘The screen-printing place I found was actually using ecofriendly inks and it got me thinking about the ways I could make my business more sustainable.
‘‘I thought if I’m going to do all this because I love dogs so much – why don’t I help them as well.’’
Upton reached out to SPCA Wellington and Otaki-based Helping You Help Animals (HUHA) to discuss the possibility of teaming up – a request that was met with excitement.
‘‘I actually ended up doing a short video with the SPCA explaining what they do and how the money helps. I just need my audience to know where the money is going to and what it’s being used for.’’
Fifteen per cent of the proceeds from every shirt sold will go to the two organisations with the possibility of further partnerships and different animal designs.
‘‘I wanted to start really small and see if people were into it. I didn’t want to pour heaps of money into something that might not work.’’
The ethical ethos of New Zealand label Kowtow as well as her friends’ views on fast fashion helped inspire Upton to make the brand sustainably minded from the outset.
‘‘I want to be as transparent as possible, through the whole process. A lot of the people around me are really conscious consumers so it becomes part of your culture in a way. You feel like you should do something also,’’ she says.
Upton is not the only Wellington designer incorporating
"I thought if I'm going to do all this because I love dogs so much – why don't I help them as well." Charlotte Upton
a charity aspect into her designs with sisters Brittany and Johanna Cosgrove having gained international attention for their MastectoTee, designed to support their mother and her dragon boating team of breast cancer survivors.
Their brand, Nope Sisters Clothing, had since created designs in support of Sexual Abuse HELP Wellington and Wa Collective.
‘‘It seems to be a growing trend in Wellington that people want authenticity in what they’re buying and to know where they’re from – they want the whole process,’’ Upton says.
For more information, visit goodboystore.com.