Earlier this month, City Gallery Te Whare Toi opened its doors to the public for the first time in more than two years. For one weekend, the gallery became home to Common Material, a celebration of creativity, design and community that brought together four of Wellington's leading fashion brands — Kowtow, Yu Mei, twenty-seven names and JPALM.
More than 5,000 visitors moved through the space across three days, marking not only the gallery's reopening but a moment of connection for Wellington's design community. Through archive pieces, material explorations and stories of making, visitors were invited to consider what connects us: the hands, ideas and materials behind the finished object.
Our contribution centred on the question: can clothing feed the earth, instead of filling it?
Visitors were invited to experience our organic cotton biochar innovation through an interactive installation featuring biochar-enriched soil. More than 200 bags of biochar were given away over the weekend, creating opportunities to talk about circularity, regeneration and returning clothing to the earth.
Across the gallery, visitors could also explore the creative process behind our collections. One room showcased fabric swatches from an upcoming collection, revealing the many textures, weights and finishes that can be achieved using a single natural fibre. It was a chance to celebrate the versatility of Fairtrade organic cotton and share some of the experimentation, craftsmanship and development that happens in our atelier.
Styled by Chloe Hill, a series of archive mannequins brought past collections back into focus. Featuring garments adorned with nature-inspired prints from across the years and framed by floral installations from Juliette Florist, the display traced a thread that runs through many Kowtow collections: a continual appreciation of the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Beyond the exhibition itself, Common Material became a space for conversation. Our panel discussion, Regenerating Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, brought together local makers, growers and thinkers to discuss what a more regenerative future for our city could look like.
Thank you to everyone who visited, attended a talk, took home a bag of biochar, or simply stopped to ask a question. We left feeling inspired by the creativity of our city and the growing community of people imagining new possibilities for fashion.
