October 2023 saw my sister and I trying to work out how we could earn an income doing something fun. My sister was always away at tournaments or committed to sports training’s so couldn’t always commit to the set hours of a part-time job around her schoolwork. I had started my first year of a teaching degree, but unsure if that was really what I wanted to do. So, our parents said “think outside the box, get creative!”.
Over the past 18 years, we have seen born & bred clothing all over the motu. In Hamilton we once saw a lady wearing an old Aotearoa Born & Bred tee shirt, we have seen the OG Taranaki Born & Bred constantly, and then more recently we saw a perfect condition OG Waitara Born & Bred Hoodie at a touch game.
In 2006 our Dad hand drew the OG Waitara Born & Bred design, then the OG Taranaki Born & Bred, and the Aotearoa Born & Bred design followed. Using CorelDRAW, the artwork was created, and screen printed onto tee shirts and hoodies. Mum was pregnant with Charley at this time.
Over the years the road was rocky they said, with the 2009 financial recession eventually spelling the end of any production. Now 17 years later, it’s back! We are the next generation though.
Safe to say, we are young and inexperienced, however, when we pitched the idea to our parents, they loved it! More so because we would be gaining some good skills, learning the in’s and out of business, guided by them. Mum being an Accountant means we have learnt about GST, profitability and understanding financials. Having a weekly meeting and planning ahead has been crucial. We have learnt about social media marketing campaigns and the design process from Dad.
Just quietly, I think Dad enjoys helping Charley create designs. He’s always playing around in Canva. Often it’s a resounding no to some ideals lol, but I think he is quietly impressed when Charley comes out with a good one!
One year ago we launched the Waitara Born & Bred REBORN drop! Officially saying BornandBred.Clothing has been reborn. We followed that with the Taranaki Born & Bred Next Generation drop. That’s us. We are the next generation!
Support has been awesome! We are really grateful for the support we have received over the year. Definitely grateful for the guidance of our parents too. Yep sometimes though, they do more of the heavy lifting, we are still young and enjoying life, so, during busy periods it becomes a family affair with the printing, picking and packing, and then dispatching.
Celebrating our 1st year, we are dropping our new Waitara Born & Bred DUB-T design. Now Available on our website! Worn by some of our whānau and friends, an acknowledgement of an era our parents reflect on fondly.
We hope you love it as much as they do!
Symonn & Charley x