After a tour through the Nisa workroom students were asked about teaming up to help in a charitable venture called ‘Donate a Pair’. Over a week Whitecliffe students took turns, working in groups of six for two days each and together sewed between 200 and 250 pairs of briefs for charity. The briefs are made of materials from retired colours and styles from Nisa’s range.

Students were able to learn about Nisa’s commitment to conscientious and sustainable apparel manufacturing and witness first-hand the practices they use in their local production, including the Kanban inventory control system. This system limits the build-up of excess production.

Nisa is a great example of the positive direction the New Zealand fashion industry continues to strive towards for a more sustainable future. Not only do they utilise these lean manufacturing practises, they also employ women from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Offering employment opportunities to those with limited English language to assist in settling in to life in New Zealand.

This co-lab worked perfectly in providing Nisa the machinist needed to achieve their goals for the project and allowed the students to gain experience on specialised machinery as part of a single unit flow.

To purchase or donate a pair head to Donate a pair