In collaboration with the amazing Aotearoa cultural baby brand BO & KO Baby, we’re excited to announce the arrival of an extremely special collection of Woolbabe x BO & KO Baby products. 

Through years of providing Woolbabe to customers across Aotearoa and beyond, there has been a desire to see an indigenous Māori design feature on Woolbabe products. Neither Louise or Matt, owners of Woolbabe, are Tangata Whenua. They felt it was only appropriate to engage a pakihi Māori (Māori business) to work alongside and provide this avenue for our customers through collaboration and whanaungatanga. 

It was important to Woolbabe co-owner Louise Tanguay and co-owners Amy & Dayna of BO & KO Baby, that this collaboration could only proceed on the basis that it was culturally appropriate and had the guidance and blessing of kaumātua. It was also imperative that the two brands would have mutual respect for each other and their unique differences. 

Amy & Dayna of BO & KO Baby were already long-term customers of Woolbabe when they were approached by Louise. Amy & Dayna are delighted to represent and embody their Māori culture and heritage alongside the renowned Woolbabe product range. This special collection aligns with BO & KO Baby’s imperative values of whānau, culture and quality.

Introducing BO & KO Baby

Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua te waka Ko Hokianga te moana Ko Te Ramaroa te maunga Ko Whiria te pā Ko Pakanae te marae Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi Ko Ngāti Korokoro te hapu Ko Amy toku ingoa

Ko Tainui te waka Ko Mangapiko te awa Ko Weraiti te maunga Ko Te Ohaki te marae Ko Ngāti Hinerangi te iwi Ko Ngāti Tokotoko te hapu Ko Dayna toku ingoa

Founded by long-standing friends and māmā, Amy and Dayna, BO & KO Baby is a boutique cultural baby brand with collections that reflect the cultures and designs of Aotearoa Māori and the Pacific. The pair were inspired to create the brand after having their own pēpi (babies) to normalise and immerse their tamariki (children) in their heritages from birth. 

Amy and Dayna wanted to celebrate the diverse cultures of their tamariki to ensure that they felt connected to their cultures. BO & KO Baby embody the ethos that immersing pēpi in their indigenous cultures gives them a more culturally empathetic start in life. BO & KO Baby offer beautifully designed, high quality Playmats, Pēpi Wraps, Blankets, Cot Sheets, Milestone Cards and Teethers. This is their first collaboration and they are proud to offer another collection of quality Māori inspired pēpi products.

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 BO & KO Baby because of his expertise and professionalism. He was briefed by BO & KO Baby 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, Amy & Dayna felt the meaning (whakamāramatanga) perfectly aligned with their 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."

The blessing of the collection

It was of the upmost importance that Māori culture was appropriately represented in this collaboration. BO & KO Baby worked closely with Toi Māori artist Taane to bring this vision to life. They have been guided by their kaumātua and received blessing over this collaboration between BO & KO Baby and Woolbabe. This collaboration between BO & KO Baby and Woolbabe has received blessing from Ngāpuhi Kaumātua Ngāwati Hone Mau.

Giving back to the community

As part of this collaboration, BO & KO Baby and Woolbabe will be donating a range of their 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 her 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