Fashioning Change

In 2020 the New Zealand Fashion Museum was planning to celebrate its first 10 years, then Aotearoa quickly became a different nation. We’re all living in an unparalleled moment in human history, which makes our work pivotal to understanding these times.

To ensure we were fit for the future, fashioning change became our priority. It means expanding our focus so we can address the widening range of connected cultural, environmental and social issues. With expert assistance, and the support of Te Papa, we’ve developed a plan for the future that:

• Connects more New Zealanders to the national and global fashion debates and issues which have urgent impacts for all people and the planet 
• Enables more New Zealanders to address these issues in their own lives through talks, exhibitions and online content
• Champions Aotearoa’s unique sense of fashion 
• Tells the stories of local designers and enterprises, while significantly including the wearer, so that as New Zealanders we can explore how we fashion our identities by what we wear, whether it has been sourced from designers, op-shops or our own communities
• Secures our work as the leading champion and custodian of Aotearoa’s fashion history.

We’ve got the plan ready - now we need $40,000 to help us engage a changemaker to activate it. As a museum we will curate, but a lot of what we will be curating is news bulletins that will connect New Zealanders with fashion’s emerging, and relevant, contemporary local and international stories. We want our work to enhance your individual awareness and help you fashion your own unique style!

“We are what we wear” 

The maxim “We are what we wear” captures why the New Zealand Fashion Museum was audaciously established in 2010 by Doris de Pont as Aotearoa’s first online museum, and the world’s first online fashion museum. Since then, we’ve led the dialogue about the significant role clothing, adornment and markings have on our identity and self-representation through insightful storytelling, successful exhibitions, and an active social media presence.

What began as a visionary, largely supporter funded initiative is now a valued part of Aotearoa’s cultural infrastructure. Our story is one of incredible tenacity and dedication given that the NZFM has operated without ongoing public funding. We have built strong foundations and now is the time to change that up for the future.

Where would fashion in New Zealand be without the tireless work of the New Zealand Fashion Museum? After ten years documenting and celebrating who we are and how we dress, it feels right to throw our support behind the museum even more now and ensure it continues to thrive. As it naturally evolves, New Zealanders will only continue exploring how we fashion our identities in an entirely new world. 

Dan Ahwa, Fashion & Creative Director, Viva Magazine & Canvas Magazine

We think our new focus is just as brave and unique as the original vision that founded the New Zealand Fashion Museum. 

Join us to activate our new plan and to fashion the change that will enable us to step boldly into our second decade.