If you Google “What is New Zealand famous for?” four answers will pop up: Kiwis, sheep, rugby, and Lord of the Rings. Beyond that, everything else is connected in some way to the country’s breathtaking landscapes. Fjords, mountains, lakes, rivers, volcanoes, beaches, lagoons, glaciers – New Zealand truly has it all. Through Google Images alone, it’s easy to see why it’s widely regarded as one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.
New Zealand’s endless outdoor beauty has kept Kiwis busy since time immemorial. A true local should be able to hike a mountain, kayak down it, land in the sea, and reel in the biggest fish in a 10-mile radius – and still look sharp enough to knock back 14 schooners after. That’s essentially the ethos behind Moreporks.
Moreporks was originally founded back in 2010, and although it might sound like a boutique butchers to us European folk, it’s actually New Zealand’s answer to outdoor-influenced streetwear, with its name deriving from one of the country’s only native predatory birds.
The original concept behind Moreporks was to bring the rugged charm of heritage New Zealand outdoorswear into the cities. Garments that functioned just as well out on the water as they looked in the local watering hole. Think nice fabrics and utilitarian design merged with more streetwear-influenced silhouettes.
This unique approach to outdoor meets street immediately set Moreporks out from the crowd, and the brand began to garner a cult following almost instantly.
For eight years, Moreporks continued to produce impeccable garments – until one day in 2018, everything went dark. No one quite knows why, but in 2022, Moreporks resurfaced in the hands of two devoted custodians – the very kind of obsessives who had formed the brand’s cult following from the very beginning.
The duo wanted to retain everything that made Moreporks so appealing in the first place, and were determined to keep the brand acting as a wearable love letter to New Zealand’s natural beauty. Only reimagined in a way that made sense for the modern consumer.
Moreporks’ first move back was a limited capsule with fellow Kiwi brand Goodlids. Packed with graphic tees and patch caps, the drop sold fast – proving that there was still a ravenous appetite for Moreporks.
Since re-emerging, Moreporks has rolled out seasonal releases that honour everything that made the brand the stuff of legend – while constantly pushing it forward. And their latest drops for AW25 and SS26 might just be the most striking work they’ve ever done
Starting with AW25, the collection reads as a love letter to the Southern New Zealand man – you know the ones that can hike to the top of a mountain then kayak down, etc., etc. The campaign arrives with a typically Moreporks mix of dry humour, poetry, and landscapes that make you want to pack a bag and disappear into the South Island.
The garments take menswear classics as a starting point and then reimagine them in New Zealand’s backcountry – hunting jackets, fly-fishing vests, denim, tweed caps, shirting, knitwear – everything’s there, perfectly considered and perfectly appropriate for the typical Southern New Zealand man.
They even dropped a promotional video for the campaign, nailing the grainy VHS feel that every pre-2000 fly-fishing tutorial seems to have.
Most recently, Moreporks’ SS26 collection takes the attention to detail and quality of AW25 and turns it toward sunnier days. It’s a more gentle, less rugged approach – garb built for long hours at the beach, bar and everywhere in between. It’s the brand’s most extensive drop to date, bringing new headwear, Relaxed Oxford Shirts, Fisherman Knits, 5-inch Fatigue Shorts, and fresh Cropped Hunting Coat colourways into the fold. Everything is perfectly suited to idle days in the sun, with the same careful craftsmanship that’s become something of a Morepork’s signature.
Through all its evolutions – from its early cult status to its disappearance, and now these bold, meticulously crafted seasonal collections – Moreporks has come a long way to reach your screen. Yet the vision has always remained the same: a wearable tribute to New Zealand’s extraordinary landscapes. Gear that gets you out into the mountains, rivers, and coastlines of one of our planet’s most beautiful countries.
And if this is just the beginning of Moreporks’ modern chapter, you can bet we’ll be there to track every release, every campaign, and every meticulously considered stitch along the way.
Find out more about Moreporks at Moreporks.com
