Noa Blanket Co was founded by Whakaawa and Josh Te Kani in 2021, creating 100% New Zealand wool blankets featuring Māori designs and storytelling. Photo / Supplied
Noa Blanket Co was founded by Whakaawa and Josh Te Kani in 2021, creating 100% New Zealand wool blankets featuring Māori designs and storytelling. Photo / Supplied
Josh Te Kani, co-founder of Noa Blanket Co, talks to Tom Raynel about telling stories within woven blankets, and drawing on his cultural connections.
Who are you and what is Noa Blanket Co?
Noa Blanket Co is a NZ wool blanket company based in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, founded bymy wife Whakaawa and myself. We draw upon Māori design and storytelling to weave stories of wellbeing in 100% NZ lambswool, all made here in Aotearoa, to share with the world.
What inspired you to start the business?
We wanted to create something that would carry our stories of identity, connection and resilience. An offering that’s uniquely us, but able to transcend cultural and social barriers by speaking to our core human values — that’s what we observed was needed in our world, a reminder of our legacy of love and culture of care.
Māori cultural design captures these life-giving principles in such a beautiful way and the wool blanket, even the raw fibre itself, has such a deep history in Aotearoa and is renowned across the globe. The wool blanket is an iconic NZ heritage treasure we wanted to revive, embellished with cultural design to be shared, gifted and treasured — to remind us every day of who we are and where we come from.
The blankets made by Noa Blanket Co are designed utilising mātauranga Māori knowledge, showcasing its unique stories and heritage in a new way. Photo / Supplied
Where do you source your 100% New Zealand wool?
Our mid-micron wools are sourced from a number of farms across New Zealand, then spun in Wellington, dyed, woven and finished in Auckland and boxed and distributed from our design depot here in Tauranga.
How does mātauranga Māori knowledge influence the process of making the blankets?
We’re purpose-driven in our weaving and storytelling. By observing our world — starting with our own community, we identify narratives of wellbeing, liberation, hope and resilience we feel are important to support and share.
We then begin to translate these stories into our design language and develop our campaign around the core values that underpin them. Traditional Māori knowledge systems and networks, the Māori language and our natural environment all guide our concept development, taking form in patterns, motifs, colours and weave structures.
All of Noa Blanket Co's blankets are made from 100% New Zealand wool that is sourced from farms around Aotearoa, before being spun in Wellington, dyed and woven in Auckland, and shipped from Tauranga. Photo / Supplied
When did you know that your passion for Māori language, arts and customs could be turned into a business?
It’s such a privilege to have an awareness of self, regardless of our culture. It’s this awareness of who we are and where we come from that provides us with an understanding of how we best engage with the people and the world around us. Sharing this understanding from a Māori worldview is a part of our responsibility as Māori, living it every day, and in our business to see it grow and endure into the future.
Māori performing arts flew Whakaawa and I around the world, the Māori language and multiple artforms provided work and career pathways across radio, media, national stages, local government and national ministries.
In 2018 we started a cultural capability development business and design studio. In 2021 we started Noa Blanket Co, now we weave these stories in NZ wool to wrap around our loved ones and share with the world.
Whakaawa and Josh Te Kani of Noa Blanket Co say purposeful, values-based decision-making ensures business and life are a lot easier to navigate. Photo / Supplied
What are some examples of the stories you tell when weaving the designs?
Our recent release of Limitless designs reflects our stories of the places we call home, sharing the unique qualities of our sites of significance, our mountains, valleys and waterways.
A well-known proverbial saying carries the essence of the story we wanted to share in our weaving: “Hokia ki ō maunga, kia purea koe e ngā hau a Tāwhirimātea”, “return to your mountains to be refreshed and renewed”.
What was the biggest challenge/highlight in starting the business? What would be your advice to other budding entrepreneurs?
As it is with any venture into new spaces, it’s daunting, it’s unknown territory and you’re putting yourself out there for the world to see, so we will often talk ourselves out of taking the leap.
Purposeful and meaningful values-based decision-making makes business and life a lot easier to navigate.
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business and retail.
