THE JOURNAL
Gathered Collab Community Spotlight
With love from Kelly (co - owner)
It hit me the other day. We’ve spent almost six years building this thing.
Our shop, our online store, our email database and our Instagram account. And somewhere along the way, it stopped being just a business.
It became a community.
I can’t even pinpoint the exact moment that shift happened. When it stopped feeling just like a business and started to feel like something more.
But here we are.
Our followers, our customers, our locals - they’re not just numbers or orders on a screen. They’re people. Women. Mums. Small business owners. Dreamers. The ones doing school drop-offs, juggling jobs, managing households, showing up for others and still somehow making time for us.
That’s the part that really hits me.
You choose to spend your time (which is your most valuable resource) engaging with what we create, supporting our small business and trusting us with your hard earned money. You tag your friends in our posts, read our newsletters, pop into the shop for a browse and a yap - and that means everything to us.
We care deeply about our community. Not just because it keeps our lights on, but because it feels like something bigger now. Something we have built together.
And it got me thinking… are we doing enough to give back to this community?
I think we could do better. And we want to.
So we created the Gathered Collab Community Spotlight.
Once a month, we’ll use our platform to shine a light on someone in our community.
It could be:
- A small business doing beautiful work
- A mum launching something from her kitchen table
- A fundraiser for someone going through hell
Whatever it is, if it matters to someone in our community, we want to help share it. We’re not influencers. We’re not pretending we have some massive reach that will change someone’s life overnight. But we do have a real and connected community. And maybe, just maybe, we can help in our own small way.
THE JOURNAL
Introducing Our First Community Spotlight
Aimee Leigh Designs
We’re so excited to introduce you to the very first small biz in our Gathered Collab Community Spotlight: Aimee Leigh Designs. The work of a quietly talented illustrator based in Mount Maunganui.
Aimee started illustrating landscapes from her student flat in Dunedin during her final year of uni. She was studying land surveying at the time and found herself needing a creative outlet. What began as a few drawings shared on Instagram quickly turned into a steady stream of requests from friends and family. Before she knew it, she’d started a business.
Her inspiration? Aotearoa.
She’s all about exploring new places, soaking in the outdoors and holding onto those experiences through design. Her work reflects that: minimalist landscape illustrations and topographic-style contour maps, each capturing the essence of a place.
She includes things like land area, elevation and coordinates in her maps – weaving memory and location into clean, modern design.
Now based in the Mount, she’s been focusing on coastal pieces and custom commissions. She still works full time, but finds time and space for her art wherever she can – especially when it means creating something meaningful for someone else.
“It’s always special hearing why a place matters to someone and turning that story into something they can keep.”
Every piece is designed, printed, packaged and shipped by Aimee herself using high-quality materials. You can sometimes catch her at the Little Big Markets in Mount Maunganui, where conversations often spark custom ideas. And yes! We’re so proud that Gathered Collab is her very first stockist.
Now available online at Gathered Collab, you can also browse her work or order custom pieces via Instagram: @aimeeleighdesigns
Or reach out via email: aimeeleighdesigns@gmail.com
Aimee Leigh Designs
Talented illustrator based in Mount Maunganui
Want to Be Our September Spotlight?
This is just our small way of saying thank you. Of giving something back and reminding ourselves that we rise by lifting each other - even in quiet, imperfect ways.
If you’ve got a small biz, a project that needs eyes, a fundraiser for someone in need, or you know a local legend who deserves a quiet spotlight – we’d love to hear about it.
Flick us an email at ordersgatheredco@gmail.com or send us a DM on Instagram @gatheredcollab
Lots of love and gratitude,
The Gathered Collab Team