Dove Hospice x Karen Walker pop up returns from 1st – 3rd July at Playpark by Karen Walker in Newmarket. Images supplied.
The popular Dove Hospice & Wellness x Karen Walker knitwear pop-up returns later this week from Friday 1st July – Sunday 3rd July (or until stock lasts) at Playpark by Karen Walker in Newmarket. The collaborative knitwear pop up first launched in 2018 and has become a much-loved event enticing shoppers with it’s eclectic edit of one-of-a-kind pre-loved hand knits which fundraise for the important work of Dove Hospice & Wellness.
“It’s heart-warming to have our clients and community support this pop-up year after year. We love seeing the delight on our customers’ faces as they find a one-of-a-kind-piece to give new lease of life to, updating their wardrobes in the most sustainable way. We’re also very grateful to Dove’s generous donors who continue to give up these precious pieces to raise funds,” says designer Karen Walker.
Karen’s first involvement with Dove began in 2016 after the death of her mother. When Karen took donations of her mother’s clothing to Dove’s Remuera shop she was touched by the care and gratitude the team had taken with her mother’s precious items.
The pop-up is a great showcase of some of the pre-loved gems that can be found in the seven Dove Hospice Shops as well as their online and TradeMe stores. Karen and the team at Dove comb through the many generous donations to the charity with the resulting edit a charming mix of quality hand knitted wool sweaters, cardigans, vests and accessories for adults and children. Each piece was lovingly made and worn before being donated to Dove Hospice & Wellness.
The knits will retail for $80 (adults’ sweaters), $35 (children’s sweaters), $35 (blankets) and $20 (accessories) and all the money raised from sales will go to Dove Hospice & Wellness.
To make sure each knit is in the best condition to go to it’s new owner Regal Drycleaners, Karen’s long-time neighbours a few doors down, have once again kindly pitched in with their services and all the knits have been dry-cleaned, ready for immediate wear.
Dove Hospice & Wellness fulfils an important role in the community, providing holistic care and support at no cost to people with life-threatening or terminal illness from the moment of diagnosis.
“We’re delighted to partner with Karen Walker for the fourth year of this sustainable fashion initiative. These hand knits, kindly contributed by our community of donors, symbolise the warmth and care that we aim to provide to our service users and their families in their times of need,” says Simon Jones, Executive Director of Dove Hospice.
“This year Dove Hospice & Wellness celebrates 30 years of delivering essential hospice services to our service users and their families at no charge. We’re also taking the time to reflect on and recognise the amazing support we’ve received from our community of volunteers, donors and staff – all of whom make what we do possible. We thank Karen and her team for being part of this support.”
“As many of you may be aware, dealing with serious life-changing health issues are generally felt to be extremely challenging and frightening. Dove differs in some respects from traditional hospice care: not only do we support patients and families at the end of their life, but we also provide support from the moment of diagnosis of any life-threatening illness, with many of our patients returning to wellness. We are very grateful to all those who have supported and continue to support Dove Hospice & Wellness in turning preloved goods into first class care.”
Every time this pop-up has been run it has sold out quickly so if you’re keen to check it out we recommend going along on the first day of the event if you can. Fashion with purpose and heart is definitely something we can all get behind.
Images supplied.