A Christchurch family who started selling clothes from their garage are now packing orders bound for the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.

CHOOSE SARCASM began in 2023 after founder Taylor became frustrated with women’s t-shirt sleeve sizing and the relentlessly upbeat clothing designs she kept seeing during the COVID lockdown.

She started developing designs with a sarcastic edge, blending te reo Māori and English. Her mum is Māori and her dad is Pākehā, and she wanted clothing that could speak to both sides of who she is.

The designs featuring te reo sold the best, and what began as a half-joking idea turned into a family-run business.

“We were just going to make a few tees for ourselves,” Taylor said. “Now we’ve got over 150 five-star reviews and customers asking why we don’t have a retail store.”

The brand operates from a Christchurch garage with six core team members: Taylor, Luke, Alice, Ruby, Te Manihera, and Lunar the puppy, who mostly provides moral support.

“We’re not trying to be some massive corporate brand,” Luke said. “We’re a small business doing big things. There’s a difference.”

The company runs on a pre-order model, making everything to order, which the family said keeps costs down, maintains quality and reduces over ordering and textile waste.

In just over two years, the brand has shipped thousands of orders without a marketing budget, relying entirely on word of mouth.

Taylor said the humour woven through every design is what sets the brand apart, with clothes designed for real life, whether heading to the marae, the kids’ Saturday footy game, or the dairy in slippers.

“We’ve got something special here,” Taylor said. “It started as a joke about sleeves, but it’s become this really cool thing that celebrates who we are. Sarcastic, real, unfiltered, and genuinely funny.”

Asked about the company’s success, Taylor said its appeal came from creating clothing that was distinctive, playful and proudly local.

“We’re bringing colour and humour into Māori clothing, while also finding a natural way for Māori and Pākehā words to sit alongside each other. It shows the two can coexist without feeling forced or contrived. I also think people value knowing the clothing is pressed locally and made to last.”