Across Two Worlds
Designed by Vincent Hunger and Eric Murray
Eric Murray is an Olympic gold medallist and world champion rower who has worked closely with Autism NZ since his son’s autism diagnosis. He represented us on Celebrity Treasure Island and Dancing with the Stars.
From Vincent:
“Hi my name is Vincent I’m 13 and from Christchurch. I’m into fishing, gaming, art and basketball.
I wanted to be a part of hoods up 2025 as I had a hard time in school and I want to help create more awareness so other kids don’t have to go through what I did. I think the hoodies are a fun and interesting way to help spread awareness.
My design is about how I have one foot in the neurotypical world and one in the neurodivergent world. It shows how fun, creative and out of the box I am and that I don’t fit into societies norms, I fit into my own. I hope that it gives others courage to be themselves and help society understand it’s ok to be different, we don’t all have to fit in a box.”
Stimming
Designed by The Samantha Room
“Kia ora, I am Samantha a Kai Tahu, Takatāpui artist from Ōtautahi. I have a small business called The Samantha Room where I share my creative-ness and sell my art. I am passionate about creativity in communities and how art can help people heal and express themselves in ways that words can not.
I wanted to be involved with the Hoods Up campaign as I was diagnosed with Autism at the end of 2024. Although this didn’t come as a shock to the people around me, it was all very new to me. I am now very proud and pleased that I have a word that describes my experiences in life, the challenges I face, and difficulties with sensory processing.
With my hoodie design, I wanted to make it fun and colourful so that both children and adults can enjoy it. I love stimming and finding things like fidgets that help me feel more regulated has been very helpful. I think that it is cool that there are so many different fidgets out there and that everyone has different preferences! My current favourite is the mini Needoh ice cubes.
I hope you enjoy my hoodie design and that it brings you joy wearing it.”
Overstimulated
Designed by Sophia Nijmeijer and Zazi Plays
“My name is Sophia, I am 10 years old and from Lower Hutt. Art has always been my passion, even before I knew that I was autistic.
I love working with all kinds of mediums, for example, digital art (i.e. using an Apple Pen and the system Procreate on my iPad), pens/pencils on paper or modelling clay. Art gives me the freedom to bring my ideas to life, no matter what feelings I have. I combine my love for dragons, all things Wings of Fire, Minecraft, science, and storytelling.
Autism NZ has been a great help to me and my family ever since I had my diagnosis. The Hoods Up 2025 campaign allows me to share my creativity with others like me. It also enables me to communicate my feelings without having to speak or say anything. Our design will speak for me.
It is important for me the share with others that they are not alone on their journey, because being autistic sometimes makes you feel isolated and misunderstood.
Zazi and I spent a morning in Te Papa and found inspiration in the science and natural disaster section. The animation around the Taupo volcano eruption led to the idea of using the elements earth, fire, water, and air for our design.
I loved working together as a team. We combined our thoughts and ideas around being autistic, the life challenges that come with it, and nature’s forceful elements to showcase it in one piece of art. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I am very grateful to be part of it.”
Zazi is a New Zealand-based Speech and Language Therapist, product designer and podcaster. She is passionate about supporting parents and their children in all areas of communication, play, and feeding. She offers empowering educational content through her instagram @zaziplays, website www.zazi.co.nz and podcast @youvegotthispodcast, and also has a range of products designed specifically with child development in mind.
“ I’ve always been passionate about communication—it’s at the heart of everything I do as a speech and language therapist, a parent, and a designer. As a neurodivergent person myself, I know firsthand how powerful it is to feel understood and how frustrating it can be when communication barriers get in the way.
That’s why working with Autism NZ to create a communication-based hoodie was such a special project for me. Clothing is something we wear every day, and I love the idea of making it a tool for self-expression and advocacy. This hoodie is about connection. It’s a small way to help people feel seen, supported, and empowered in their communication, however that looks for them.
I’m so proud to be part of a project that aligns so deeply with what I believe in.
Working on this hoodie design was such a special experience for me. Sophia knew Te Papa like the back of her hand and was so passionate about the volcano exhibit. As we explored, we talked about what it feels like to be neurodivergent, how the world can sometimes be way too much, and how those forces of nature kind of mirror that experience.
Hearing her story was such a privilege, and watching her bring our ideas to life was incredible. She shared other pieces of her artwork with me and brought her drawing style into our shared vision. Her creativity was like a volcano—powerful, unstoppable, and full of energy! We wanted to capture what it feels like to be overstimulated, not just as a word but as an experience—and I think we did. I’m so grateful I got to be part of this with her.”
Hoods Up 2025
Designed by Chanelle Moriah
“As a community, we need to go beyond awareness and move into acceptance. Autism is a spectrum; each and every one of us have our own unique interests and personalities. I wanted this design to represent as much variety as my artistic capabilities allowed. I stuck with the rainbow infinity as that is the symbol that is starting to become more widely recognised as the symbol for autism. The rainbow also represents the spectrum and diversity of the community. For the internal design, I used feedback from our Facebook community and tried to incorporate as many interests as I could within a small space.
There is obviously no way to encapsulate the full range strengths and passions that this community brings, but my hope was to represent the idea that there is no one-size-fits-all. We’re all different. So it’s important that we’re not put into boxes. Let everyone have their own voice! You never know what you might learn.”
