"We learned a lot last year, it was a great experience and we could see how we could improve on so it made sense to get involved again this year," says Harriet, who is the group's sales and marketing manager.
This year, as Disconnected Youth Apparel, the trio have developed a range of T-shirts and hoodies featuring positive mental health messages.
The slogans were chosen from a short-list after brainstorming sessions, with front runners being "tomorrow needs you" and "it's OK to not be OK", then a local artist was commissioned to turn them into eye-catching designs for the back of the apparel.
The front of each garment bears the Disconnected Youth Apparel logo.
The group chose to go with mental health messaging this year because a lot of teens came back from Covid isolation feeling drained and lost.
The young entrepreneurs explain "Teenagers are social and we were used to being surrounded by our peers. First we struggled with being at home with no company, then we had to navigate coming back to school and finding where we fit back in. We were starved of company then overwhelmed. It was challenging.
"We believe that we all have a role to play in fighting the stigma against mental illness in New Zealand and that a simple message of positivity can go a long way."
In keeping with the company ethos, they designed pink hoodies and Tees for Pink Shirt Day, donating the profits to the anti-bullying cause.
Ten per cent of the profits from the regular sales will go to mental health organisations Youthline, the JK Foundation and I Am Hope. The buyer of each garment gets to choose which charity they would like their purchase to support, as they go through the online checkout.
The hoodies are unisex and are available in blue or white, with ivory and sage options in the pipeline.
There is a Maori Language Week design to be revealed as well, but that's a secret for now.
"You'll have to follow us on Insta for the reveal," Harriet says.
The business is benefiting from quite a few mentors this year, not the least of whom, Kiri Kirk, has helped the young entrepreneurs source the garments.
She also allows them the use of specialist equipment to apply the heat transfer designs to the clothing.
"We're getting hands-on experience as well as business skills," says Hannah. "We're really grateful to Kiri for her help and advice."
With a goal of selling 200 garments they are at the halfway point already, with one term left to go and an appearance on August 14 at the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market up their collective sleeves, which could bump the sales close to target.
"We learned last year to develop something we could get to market quickly, at a lower cost, and not to hold inventory — this year it's all order based," says Hannah.
"One nice part has been seeing our shirts being worn in Napier or Hastings ... or being stopped while wearing one and asked ... 'where did you get that shirt'?"
Follow Disconnected Youth Apparel on Instagram or Tik Tok, check out their Facebook page or go to disconnectedyouthapparel.mystorbie.com to get your own positive message out there.
