A Random Post

Browsing the site for Kiwi fashion label Huffer, I found it rather interesting the way it attempted to fabricate an image for this diverse nation and incorporate ‘New Zealandness’ into the feel of the brand via the web.

The interface, aesthetics, information architecture and content of the website all work to illustrate the brand as youth driven, Kiwi, and a little left of centre. The navigational cues are intuitive, displaying clichéd hip-hop jargon that adds a satirical twist to its street style clothing: “Experiment yO! That’s where the collections at.” Similarly, the information is organised in a random fashion, which invites play, also illustrating its appeal to a youth market. The content of the website, particularly the unusual images used to display its clothing reinforce its satirical take on conventional fashion marketing. These aspects express humour that is typically Kiwi, especially the idea of ‘randomness’ and ‘taking the piss’.

Such techniques are characteristic of Kiwi corporate websites. Being from a multi cultural background (as many New Zealanders are), I feel like this particular conception of New Zealand is being imposed on me, and its aggravating. People have different tastes and different ideas of what makes us ‘Kiwi’ and that’s “sweet”. It’s what makes us unique. We don’t need a standardised notion to bind us together and one should certainly not have to wear Huffer to feel part of this country.