The fashion world is putting its best foot forward for a good cause. Tees for a Cure brings together some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated designers for a covetable collection where fashion meets purpose.
Now in its 11th year, the campaign has become a firm fixture in the New Zealand fashion calendar, with anticipation building around each new drop. This year’s collection spans limited-edition tees, sweatshirts and hoodies, with T-shirts starting from just $59, featuring designs from 26 leading Kiwi labels and special guest Jaquie Brown. Think Karen Walker, Zambesi, Kowtow, Trelise Cooper, Superette, Kiri Nathan and NOM*d, to name a few.
And there’s more to it than a good-looking wardrobe addition. Every top sold helps fund scientists’ vital work into earlier detection and improved treatment, supporting Breast Cancer Cure’s goal of a breast cancer-free future. The made-to-order model also helps keep waste to a minimum, with each piece printed and shipped only once it’s purchased.
It’s a clever approach from Breast Cancer Cure, using fashion as a brand pillar to open up a lighter, more accessible conversation around an issue that affects so many lives. Breast cancer touches every community – and fashion is no exception. Most of us are only a couple of degrees of separation from someone who has experienced it.
This year, longtime Kiwi model Laura is lending her voice to the campaign. We chatted with her about why she chose to get involved, how her experience has shaped her outlook, and the message she hopes other women take away.
Diagnosed with breast cancer at just 33, Laura says the experience shifted her perspective on time and the everyday moments we often take for granted, giving her a renewed appreciation for life and a reminder to be present.
“Being healthy, and then hearing the words ‘you have breast cancer’ changes you and your relationship with time,” she says. “The ordinary things become extraordinary, because I know they aren’t always guaranteed. Sometimes the little moments are the whole damn thing.”
Naturally private, Laura says sharing something so personal wasn’t a decision she made lightly, but the opportunity to potentially help someone else felt bigger than that. “Awareness can genuinely save lives,” she says. “You don’t have to wait until something feels wrong to take your health seriously.”
That message is particularly important for younger women who might assume breast cancer is something they don’t need to worry about yet. “Please don’t assume that because you’re young, healthy or busy, breast cancer can’t happen to you. Make the appointment. Ask the question. Get checked. You are not being dramatic. You are not wasting anyone’s time. You are advocating for your life.”
Laura also hopes campaigns like this can help shift the conversation around how our bodies can change after breast cancer. “Our bodies are allowed to change when needed. We can have scars. We can look different. None of that makes us less feminine, less beautiful or less ourselves. Wear them with pride – for me, they represent strength, resilience and another chance at the beautiful life I’m fortunate to live.”
Ultimately, Laura sees speaking out as a way to turn her own experience into something that might help another woman. “If this campaign makes even one person think, ‘I should probably get that checked,’ or saves a life, then I have done something incredibly important.”
Shop the collection:
The Tees for a Cure Summer ’26 collection is available now via Breast Cancer Cure’s website. Every purchase directly supports breast cancer research in New Zealand.
