Brand Profile: Sweepstake Winners
Awatea had sent me a photo of a girl in a velour tracksuit, and immediately I was hooked. We delved into the Instagram of Sweepstake Winners, being greeted with endless colour, timeless silhouettes, and inclusivity. Awatea and I contacted Julia, one of the co-founders, shortly after. Today, we now get to present to you one of our favourite brands in Aotearoa, Sweepstake Winners.
‘When we bend new corners / we feel like sweepstake winners.’ When designer Julia Ford and musician Matthew L. Paul visited Koh Chang, Thailand, the timeless lyrics of Bob Marley’s song lit a fire within the pair. Inspired by the 70’s disco scene in New York, early reggae, and their travels in South East Asia, the couple founded Sweepstake Winners.
Based in Tamaki Makaurau, Sweepstake Winners understand the importance of reducing mass consumption and fast fashion in this ‘instantaneous world’ we live in. To protect Papatūānuku, their garments are made ethically, using 100% recycled cotton, Ahimsa (Peace) silk, and other ethical fabrics. Through their garment production, they play the role we all have of kaitiaki to protect our whenua.
Sweepstake Winners donates a portion of their proceeds to organisations to support our whānau who are more vulnerable. ‘We are one voice in the choir, but we absolutely believe that if we don’t join the conversation, we’re part of the problem.’ - Sweepstake Winners, 2018. Two’s a Charm couldn’t be more proud to be working with a brand that shares our kaupapa of kotahitanga.
The sweetest part about this brand: they are pretty big fans of Bob Marley. Their whakaaro draws from Marley’s attitudes to the world; his aroha, his wairua, and his mana, still inspiring us to this very day. They have masterfully woven in Matua Bob’s style with 70’s vibes to create pieces that stand out in a crowd.
Awatea sat down with Julia, one of the founders and designers of Sweepstake Winners, and had a bit of a korero about the brand’s beginnings.
What is your ‘why’? Your reason to create?
We are both creatives from different fields. Matt’s a musician and I design clothes/accessories. Our starting point was wanting to work together on a project, but Matt hasn’t quite gotten his head around starting a band with me just yet- I’m still working on it! But we both LOVE fashion and clothing. We often were borrowing each other's clothes and we just thought…there’s something in that... bold, fun clothing that breaks the barriers of the traditional gendered model. The ultimate goal for both of us is to live a creatively fulfilled life, making beautiful things and sharing them with others.
What does being a creative in New Zealand mean to you?
I think Aotearoa has always fostered a really interesting breed of creatives. Traditionally, our geographical isolation means that we have to do things a little differently here. We don’t have huge fabric markets we can easily access like overseas, so you have to be a bit more thoughtful about how you design and work. I personally find having limitations really creatively inspiring.
Your favourite, local, kai spot?
I loooooove Chinese food, and I get the vegan kung fu noodles from Shaolin Kung fu at least once a week!
Following the Black Lives Matter Protests, do you have anything to comment on the global issue of systemic racism?
Racial injustice is an issue I’m really passionate about. It’s heartbreaking to witness how the black population has been treated in the USA and sadly, to draw comparisons with indigenous people and BIPOC around the world- and here in Aotearoa.
I’ve personally always felt extra sensitive to racial injustice. Perhaps because I’m a white-passing Māori, and this has allowed me to witness the racist experiences of friends and family. But to hear the nasty things people say when they think there are no brown people in the room… I’ve called out so many people for making comments over the years. But hey, if that’s what it takes we have to keep doing it!
I will never know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a black person living in the USA, or anywhere else. So we [Sweepstake Winners] are making sure that we are taking steps to be as educated on the issues as possible- reading, researching, watching, listening, donating.
On top of that, we have decided to design two new t-shirts, in collaboration with Fijian-born artist, Natasha Ratuva. We are donating 100% of the profits of these t-shirts to Black Lives Matter.
Matt and Julia, taken from @missjuliaford on Instagram.
We want to thank Julia and Matt for being so supportive of us and our new venture. He mihi tēnei ki a Julia rāua ko Matt. On behalf of Awatea and I, we hope you love Sweepstake Winners as much as we do. You can shop Sweepstake Winners with Two’s a Charm here.