Nicole van Vuuren is a designer, educator, and maker whose work explores the intersections of sustainability, materiality, and experimental garment construction. Fascinated by the in-between—the space between body and cloth, entity and boundary, finish and unfinish—she creates pieces that challenge traditional notions of perfection and permanence in fashion.

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Born in Aotearoa, Nicole grew up making with offcuts from the furniture factory where her father worked. After completing a Bachelor of Fashion with Honours at RMIT University in Melbourne, she gained industry experience at Eckhaus Latta in New York before returning to Aotearoa to establish her own practice. Alongside her garment-making and research, she is a lecturer in Sustainable Fashion Design, committed to fostering critical thinking and inspiring the next generation of designers.

Rhys Muru-King is a Tāmaki Makaurau-based multidisciplinary artist, designer, and educator whose work explores textile waste and the process of repurposing. Their approach to clothing and jewellery challenges traditional ideas of material value, focusing on transformation and sustainability.

After earning a Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2020, Rhys launched 'Too Cruel To Be Kind', a fashion and jewellery label that draws from the lived experience of its maker to create pieces that are both personal and transformative. In 2022, they completed a Postgraduate Diploma exploring ways to reframe textile waste as a resource, furthering their commitment to sustainable design.

Beyond their label, Rhys has worked on costume projects for both local and international television, bringing their distinct material-driven approach into new creative contexts. In 2023, they began lecturing at the tertiary level, teaching pre-degree and bachelor programs with a focus on sustainability and innovative design practices.