The Warehouse has signed up to be the first official apparel licensee to produce this year’s Kia Kaha te Reo Maori hoodies and new kakahu.

The licensee agreement, which forms part of The Warehouse’s partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, will make the apparel range available for purchase nationwide.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori is the Maori language commission, a government agency in New Zealand.

“Working together just makes sense; they are leading the way in normalising te reo Maori for all New Zealanders,” said Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, CEO of the commission.

“The Warehouse has been a ‘friend of’ te reo Maori for a long time and you see this on their in-store signage and bilingual branding on many of their product lines.”

The new apparel collection will be available across 20 Warehouse stores and online at www.thewarehouse.co.nz from September 14.

The two parties also partnered to create an exclusive limited-edition range of gifts and giveaways.