A free five-day exhibition at Auckland's New Zealand International Convention Centre is putting breast cancer research in the spotlight this October — and behind it sits a story that has resonated across New Zealand.
Lou Walker, 35, wife of singer Stan Walker and co-founder of the entertainment company Akiaki Limited, has become an ambassador for Breast Cancer Cure's Tees for a Cure campaign. The moment of clarity came when she agreed to model in the campaign's show at NZ Fashion Week and realised what the cause meant for her own family: her two daughters, aged 2 and 4.
Stan Walker carries the rare inherited CDH1 gene mutation, which raises the risk of diffuse gastric cancer and lobular breast cancer. It has claimed dozens of lives in his whānau over generations, including his father, Taiaho Ross Walker, who died just over two years ago. Stan himself had his stomach removed in 2017 after doctors caught early-stage stomach cancer — a direct result of research into the condition. His mother April has also undergone surgery for breast cancer. Because the mutation can pass to their children, Lou says the possibility her daughters face higher breast cancer risk was confronting to sit with — but it pushed her toward being proactive rather than afraid.
This year's Tees for a Cure is the biggest yet, with 26 New Zealand designers — including Trelise Cooper, Karen Walker, Kiri Nathan and Zambesi — creating limited-edition T-shirts. Sales fund breast cancer research conducted in New Zealand, a detail Lou stresses matters: the findings apply to Kiwi women, not just populations studied overseas.
The campaign kicks off on October 1 with The Dressing Room, an interactive exhibition running until October 5 at the NZICC in Auckland. Entry is free, though bookings are required, and the tees can be bought in person or ordered online via Breast Cancer Cure from October 1.
For visitors to Auckland in early October, it's an easy add-on to a city break — a meaningful stop that doubles as a look at work from some of the country's best-known designers, at no cost beyond the shirt itself. And for anyone touched by cancer, the story behind it is a reminder of why early detection and local research funding matter. As Lou puts it, the family chooses not to live out of fear; the campaign is her way of investing in whatever the future holds for her kids, alongside the couple's 8-year-old son.
If you're in town, book a slot at The Dressing Room — the NZICC sits right on the waterfront near Silo Park, so you can pair it with a wander along Wynyard Quarter afterwards.
