OUR STORY
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Kitesurfing (noun)
Using the wind to ride a modified surfboard while holding on to a kite
Kete(noun)
Basket, kit. Māori woven basket. Practical and decorative. Made from harakeke/flax leaves.
About us
Inspired by a love of ocean adventures and a strong desire to reduce waste,
Kite Kete diverts kites destined for forever in the landfill and re-purposes them in to useful accessories.
This strong yet lightweight fabric was once part of a kite, clasped by a surfer flying across the open ocean.
Each one-off piece is handmade in Raglan, NZ.
To meet the maker, scroll down…
Hello everybody.
My name is Valerie and I am the mastermind behind Kite Kete. I am a keen ocean adventurer and I’ve been super lucky to spend time over 12 years in some of the most remote parts of our planet. I am a kayak guide and biologist in Antarctica and the High Arctic. My love for Polar Regions and wild spaces all over the world drives me to also protect these places.
When I come home to Raglan I love to play outside, to surf and kitesurf, but I struggle when I see how much environmental waste is created by our activities. In New Zealand I teach about conservation and sustainability and I encourage teachers and students to rethink their waste. So that’s what I did.
I take obsolete kites that are heading to forever in the landfill, and give them a second life. I collect retired kites, samples and production prototypes donated by Ozone and sew them into something practical, something groovy, something artistic, something you and your friends can use everyday.
When you purchase a Kite Kete product, not only do you get a strong, lightweight, upcycled technical bag, that is individually crafted, but you know you are making a difference.
You are supporting New Zealand made and reducing landfill, one kite at a time.
Before I started playing with kite fabric I was fascinated with weaving flax. I love the ethic and traditions that surround raranga-flax weaving. A weaver will take care of their pa, their collection of flax bushes. They trim and tidy the leaves, cut what they need and weave a kete combining beauty and practicality. They return the off-cuts to the Earth, nothing is wasted
I like the idea of taking a modern material, obsolete kites, and transforming them. I weave the kite fiber using techniques learned from flax with minimal waste creating something useful and artistic. In this way I hope to pay homage to this traditional craft and encourage others to take care of what’s around them.