New Zealand Designers

Designers of NZ Design Gifts

New Zealand designers are fast becoming known for their innovation and the way they bring cultural themes and contemporary artistic expression to the masses. Find out about some of the hot up and coming New Zealand designers, and what they have to offer to the design, gifts and casualwear market.

• Gift Shops

New Zealand designers are gaining ground both at home and internationally for their innovative NZ design - we're a country of creatives and we're not afraid to show it! With so much natural beauty to draw from, Kiwi designers often take inspiration from the New Zealand landscape to create products that stand out as organic in conception and natural in style.

New Zealand designers have been on the international clothing scene for some years and recently more talent has emerged on the NZ gifts and homeware scene. This means Kiwis are no longer left yearning for the latest international designs - we're producing the goods at home.

While there are hundreds of New Zealand designers producing great work, read on for profiles of several of the most promising Kiwi designers of NZ design gifts, homeware and casual clothing.

F3
A Christchurch-based family of four, the Wright-Stows use their collective talents to create practical, innovative homeware and household accessories. Bringing skills from print, sculpture, academic fine arts and art retailing, the family created F3 design based on concepts which were born out of dinner table conversations. F3 or "Fun, Form and Function" products evoke a playful, sophisticated aesthetic, sealed by quality production. F3's signature products include wire jewellery, cushions, and sturdy kitchen boards.

Nuzilla
Auckland-based duo Christine Hobbs and Cris de Groot formed Nuzilla in 2006 and presented their first prototypes: eco-friendly wooden sculptures, at the Auckland Gift Fair in 2007. Nuzilla design ornamental products for the home based on traditional icons of New Zealand's flora, fauna and wildlife, notably sculptures of Kiwis and Moas.

Cina
Currently based in Toyko, Japan, Cina are two Kiwi designers who aim to make everyday tasks more pleasurable. Jason Wright St Clair and Leslie Leung have designed a range of stationary products to make your desk the most stylish in the office, featuring uber-designed USB keys, coasters and rulers. Watch out for these two, they're on the brink of international success. Their designs have been featured in major publications such as Wallpaper and INSITE magazine.

Flux
After coming together for an Otago Polytechnic marketing and design management project, the Flux team create a range of stencil-cut metal kitchen boards which stand out from the crowd. These colourful, useful pot stands were created in conjunction with the famous Port Chalmers Design Store in Dunedin, and now retail at 20 other stores throughout New Zealand.

Tantrum Design
You couldn't make a better design team than putting a renowned painter and a marketing guru together to create great products, which is exactly why Tantrum Design is producing such innovative visual art. Shann Whitaker and Mike Barke design and supply attractive and affordable art for the average person. They understand that art doesn't have to be ridiculously expensive to be good. Using Kiwi themes such as the Pohutukawa tree, Tantrum Design offers a range of wall panels which can suit any household.

Ataahua
Established in 2000, Ataahua designs and manufactures a range of New Zealand-centric textiles, from bed linen to lamp shades, cushions to wallpaper. Using cultural icons from the Pacific region such as the fern and the Tui, Ataahua create contemporary, bold designer products for the modern home.

Fold
With her conceptual design rooted in origami, sole Fold designer Rachel Young creates lampshades and fruit bowls with a difference. She combines form with functionality, with her products originally designed from folded paper and now adapted for manufacture using polypropylene plastic.

Kinoo
In collaboration with other designers, Kate Alexander creates casual clothing for Kinoo, her design platform which takes a multitude of ideas to market. Kiwi-themed T-shirts for kids, men and women are a major feature in the Kinoo range, often taking inspiration from stencil-cut Kiwiana icons of previous decades. Kinoo also makes towels, coasters and other homewares with a contemporary Kiwi twist.

Bellerby
Designing a range of skate fashion for both men and women, Guy Bellerby offers a unique take on streetwear, with many garments designs collaborated with artists such as Rob Tucker. For causal clothing with a hint of subtle skater prints, Bellerby's products are produced in low runs and are made entirely in New Zealand. 

Kowtow
The first NZ streetwear company to provide people with an ethical and sustainable casualwear alternative, Kowtow design 100% Certified Fairtrade Organic Cotton clothing. Determined to create well-fitted clothing with clean lines, designers Gosia, Boofa and Susie manufacture garments that are untouched by harsh chemicals. With politically-charged themes and great printing quality, Kowtow's clothing is produced with love and a clean conscious, and can be worn with pride.

Want to purchase products from these designers? Check out the gift stores category on NZS.com. 

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Lifestyle images from Flickr: Comfy Seat, Yoga and Wine.