The Paper Rain Project's Art Popping Up In Auckland

The Paper Rain Project’s art, streetwear and Causes are popping up in Auckland.

The black etched lines of two short finned eels curve up the face of a gleaming longboard, in a collaborative artwork designed to do good.

The design is by Michel Tuffery, the board is by The Paper Rain Project - made from the recycled staves of a French oak wine barrel - and the Cause is the future of New Zealand’s waterways.

“Collaboration is a key part of our business,” says Indigo Rowe, who founded The Paper Rain Project with her husband Wills four years ago, to create streetwear and skateboard art with a focus on shared design, social ethic and environmental responsibility.

The business will open its first Auckland pop up store at Shop 4A, Ponsonby Central, from October 30 to November 12, selling art boards and T-shirts that are etched, painted or screen printed with Indigo’s elegant designs, or those from New Zealand artists the young couple has partnered with.

Wills and Indigo still work out of a small shed in a Marlborough cherry orchard and a small shop in the coastal town of Picton, but their business has evolved for good over the past two years, linking with eight artists (including two in-house) and 11 social and environmental initiatives through its Cause Range.

A portion of the sale of Tuffery’s Nga Tuna, for example, will help the Working Waters Trust, while the Kakī Stilt T-Shirt - designed by Flox, made from fair trade organic cotton, and screen printed by hand in the Rowe’s garage – is for DOC's Kaki Stilt Recovery Program.

Indigo says as well as the donation, the Cause range is starting conversations in store and online. “It becomes a shared story for us and our customers and will hopefully make people think about the positive spin offs they can achieve through their business or purchases.”

She says collaboration with like-minded people – all of whom believe in quality products and “good” business - is at the heart of The Paper Rain Project. “To us, it’s about connection and banding together to get the most reach, the best overall product and the most positive impact with what we do. We all have different strengths, but in a good collaboration, those are condensed into something awesome which would not have been created in that way if it were a different combination of people or ideas.”

The partnerships also enable them to step into many walks of life. “In working together, we can reach people across different cultures and in different parts of their lives. We want to be accessible to everyone and have our work – and our Causes - connect with people in different ways.”

POP UP DATES Oct 30 - Nov 12

LAUNCH PARTY: 5.30 - 7.30pm Thursday Nov 2nd, Shop 4A, Ponsonby Central, Auckland. Supported by Framingham Wines, Karma Cola & Garage Project.

THE PAPER RAIN PROJECT: www.thepaperrainproject.co.nz

MORE INFORMATION: indigo@thepaperrainproject.co.nz

ENDS

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