Concept:
This classic hoodie is counterfeit; manufactured and screen-printed locally in Hamilton. By imitating what the brand suggests to its consumers (designs that feature NZ references as their focal point) and in turn providing what the consumer has come to believe about the brand, this garment becomes surprisingly authentic. This work isn’t merely a design from New Zealand, but rather one deceptively misrepresenting its origin of production.
Huffer is just one of many notable New Zealand brands famed for pushing national motifs but sometimes produced elsewhere. This one example illustrates the precarious weight of a company’s desire for perpetual growth and a country’s desire to move forward. It raises the question of what this movement costs, who it benefits and invites debate into vague cultural references now synonymous with national pride/identity and the generation of capital; obscure placenames, the letters NZ, language-based colloquialisms and the peculiar geographical contour of two islands.
Created as an edition of 5.
