Who we are

Common began in 2019 as Koha Apparel, founded by Charli Cox after witnessing the realities of homelessness and material deprivation in central Tāmaki Makaurau. What started as a response to visible need matured into a clothing initiative operating within a structured, accountable redistribution model.

Operating alongside Everybody Eats at St Kevin’s Arcade, we became a consistent presence serving those experiencing housing insecurity, poverty and wider social inequities. But from the beginning, the philosophy was clear:

Just because someone has nothing does not mean they should accept anything.

Clothing is not excess. It is identity, confidence, visibility, and opportunity.

Over time, the work expanded beyond pop-ups and direct distribution. We built cooperative partnerships with frontline services, operating more than twenty-one structured clothing activations monthly and reaching people beyond our immediate networks.

As the organisation evolved, so did our responsibility.

Working alongside Tracey Creed, we formalised our environmental impact, embedding circular economy principles into the model. We introduced structured impact reporting, carbon measurement through the UsedFULLY Textile Reuse Programme, and clearer systems to ensure garments are redirected from landfill into accountable redistribution pathways.

Our work sits at the intersection of social equity and environmental responsibility.

There is more than enough clothing in circulation already. Our role is to redirect it with intention.

Clothing carries power. How we dress shapes how we are perceived, how we feel, and how we move through the world. No one should be disadvantaged by lack of access to quality clothing.

— Charli Cox, Founder