Sign o' the Times – The Badge for STMT X New Zealand
Sometimes inspiration for designing STMT Kits overwhelms me – other times I’ve gotta dig deep in my travel journal. Came back from our New Zealand sourcing trip knowing that whatever the design be, it would mos def be Māori inspired.
Māori culture runs deep in New Zealand. You’ll spy its influence everywhere – the traditional symbols, bold and graphic, are tattooed all over bodies, carved in buildings, and so much more. No matter where I turned, where I be, I always spied a hei-tiki, worn as a pendant or sometimes as a brooch.
You can even feel the magic. Have you ever watched a Haka dance? The stomping, the shouting, the face contorting… how they stick out their tongues! It’s INTENSE! It’s powerful. You totally understand why, back in the day, the Māori performed Haka before battle. The tradition continues today – but instead of war battles, it’s rugby matches (and other special occasions).
The little bits of culture we’re exposed to during sourcing trips inspire the concept for each kit… so when I started to design the poster for STMT x New Zealand? Of course it included a tatted Māori with his tongue out! The 5-year-old in me smiles BIG every time I look at it.
One lil’ piece of luck brought the whole concept together… Finding a stash of green faux-pounamu hei-tikis made in New Zealand!! A little piece of Māori culture, shippin’ out to RAHstrs all over the world? THAT be magic.
oxxo, Hen
