Woolbabe X BO & KO Baby
In collaboration with the amazing Aotearoa baby brand Woolbabe, we’re excited to announce the arrival of an extremely special collection of Woolbabe x BO & KO Baby products.
In 2023 we were approached by Louise, the owner of Woolbabe and The Sleep Store, to collaborate on a product collection. As long term customers of Woolbabe ourselves we were delighted to represent and embody our Māori culture alongside a renowned global product range.
This collab aligns with our imperative values, whānau, quality and culture. It was of the upmost importance that Māori culture was appropriately represented in this collaboration. We worked closely with Toi Māori artist Taane Flanagan to bring this vision to life, we have been guided by our kaumātua and received blessing over this collaboration of product collections between BO & KO Baby and Woolbabe.
After months of planning, sampling, hui and whanaungatanga we are so proud to see our collaborative vision come to life.
Introducing Woolbabe and The Sleep Store
The Sleep Store is a brand founded by Louise Tanguay and Matt Anderson in 2006, committed to providing top of the range safe sleep products for pēpi they then brought on the brand Woolbabe in 2012. Woolbabe is an award winning brand and the best choice of sleeping bag for pēpi and young children. Most recently Woolbabe won Gold in the 2024 OHbaby! Awards for Best Baby/Toddler Sleeping Bag and the most recommended baby product overall. Additionally to this, Woolbabe has a history of accomplishments, including in 2018 it won the best award for Best Baby Sleeping Bag, and again in 2020 along with another OHbaby! award for Most Recommended Baby Product. This was followed up again in the 2022 Oh Baby! awards with the Gold Award for Best Baby/Toddler Sleepsack and Most Recommended Product being the Woolbabe Sleeping Bags. The Sleeping Suits also received a Silver award for Best New Product at the same awards. In 2020 it also won a Non-Toxic Award (Now called the Clean+Conscious awards) which are awarded by a panel of experts judging sustainably and ethically made products.
The innovative fabric which is woven exclusively for Woolbabe combines two natural fibres merino wool & cotton in a special way to make one luxurious fabric which is used in all our styles. The strength and durability of organic cotton, with the amazing temperature regulating and moisture absorption of Merino. The Woolbabe fabric is woven exclusively and finished with great attention to detail. When it's combined with plush 100% Merino wool filling and 100% organic cotton lining there is no other duvet Merino sleeping bag or sleeping suit which comes close.
The ūnaunahi design
The limited-edition print is named Ngaru, meaning wave. The unaunahi was designed by Toi Māori Artist Taane Flanagan. Taane came highly recommended and was chosen by us because of his expertise and professionalism. He was briefed by us to create a design that would represent whānau and tranquillity, given the product is used during sleep times. Upon receiving the design concepts from Taane, we felt the meaning (whakamāramatanga) perfectly aligned with our brand values and vision.
He whakamāramatanga The unaunahi represents whānau and whakapapa. Like a ripple in the water, it has a centre point where each ripple once was. As the ripple develops, an offspring replaces its spot. The spiral in which the ripples flow out of represent balance and tranquillity.
About the designer - Taane Flanagan
“He iti ko taku, he iti kōpara.
Pīoi ana te tihi o te kahikatea.
Ko Tainui te waka, ko Rangiāhua te maunga, Ko Wainui te awa, Ko Tōrere-Nui-a-Rua te marae, Ko Ngāi Tai te iwi.
Drawing from a legacy of generations past, I am inspired by the rich narrative traditions of our tupuna, who have long conveyed stories through visual arts. My work finds its roots in the intricate carvings and tuku tuku panels of our ancestral meeting houses, as well as the abstract forms found in our natural surroundings. My passion lies in preserving and sharing our pūrākau through design, ensuring the timeless tales of our culture endure for the generations yet to come." (Taane Flanagan.)
The blessing of the collection
It was of the upmost importance that Māori culture was appropriately represented in this collaboration. We worked closely with Toi Māori artist Taane to bring this vision to life. We have been guided by our kaumātua and received blessing over this collaboration between ourselves and Woolbabe. This collaboration between us and Woolbabe has received blessing from Ngāpuhi Kaumātua Ngāwati Hone Mau.
Giving back to the community
As part of this collaboration, Woolbabe and ourselves have donated a range of our products to two carefully chosen organisations. The first one being Hauora Hokianga. Hauora Hokianga provides an integrated maternity service including Lead Maternity Care, Te Ao Marama birthing facility, homebirth, primary health care, and childhood health, including support for Hine Kopu wananga, Breastfeeding and parenting support. Amy has selected Hauora Hokianga because the region holds a special place in her heart, where she grew up and where she and all her whānau whakapapa to.
The second chosen charity by Dayna of BO & KO Baby is Kōwhai Consulting, Te Tira o Kōwhai. An organisation that provides whānau support services through their ‘family consulting programme’ to support whānau that are struggling with challenges or problems that impact a child's wellbeing, health or education. They strive to interrupt the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage.
