This Mother’s Day, 11 May 2025, celebrate the strength, beauty and resilience of the women you love with a gift that gives back in the most meaningful way.
Renowned New Zealand artist and former nurse Emma Bass has teamed up with Breast Cancer Cure and Kiwi luxury scarf brand Good & Co to create something truly special – a limited-edition wool-silk scarf that supports life-saving breast cancer research.
Drawing from her signature artwork Radiance, the scarf blooms with vibrant pink peonies – flowers long associated with healing, femininity and strength. The design isn’t just beautiful – it’s symbolic. For Emma, who spent over a decade working in hospitals across London and New Zealand, this collaboration hits close to home.
“This collaboration is profoundly meaningful to me,” Emma says. “I looked after people with all kinds of cancers, including breast cancer, and saw so many heartbreaking, humbling stories. But in all that sadness, I also saw moments of beauty.”
Her experience as a nurse continues to inform her artistic work. From the hospital wards to her own circle of friends, Emma has witnessed the incredible resilience of women facing breast cancer. One of those women is Cheryl – a friend, mentor and inspiration.
“Cheryl helped me when I was starting my business. She’s living with Stage 4 breast cancer, after undergoing pioneering surgery in Australia. Her strength and generosity blow me away.”
Even from a young age, Emma was encouraged to see the connection between healing and creativity. Her father, a cardiologist, once asked her to paint flowers on the walls and windows of the coronary care unit.
“Scientific evidence highlights the power of art and nature, particularly flowers, in promoting emotional well-being and uplifting the spirit,” Emma says. “That’s why the peony, with its juxtaposition of softness and strength, is the perfect reflection of those battling breast cancer.”
The scarf is a wearable artwork, crafted from an 80 per cent wool, 20 per cent silk herringbone blend and finished with a delicate hand-frayed hem. Measuring 135cm x 135cm, it’s designed to wrap its wearer in both comfort and beauty. Emma even incorporated a border inspired by the vase used in the original Radiance artwork – a striking Wade piece she discovered in a second-hand shop in Nelson.
“It’s a whole new way for people to experience my work,” Emma says. “It’s something they can wear, something that makes them feel beautiful and cared for. And the best part? 100 per cent of the proceeds go to Breast Cancer Cure.”
Breast Cancer Cure CEO Sonja de Mari says the partnership is a powerful reminder of what can happen when New Zealanders join forces for good. “Collaborations like these are really special. It’s a privilege to work with amazing New Zealanders who donate their time and talents to generate vital fundraising for breast cancer research in our country.”
This scarf is more than a gift – it’s a statement of support, a piece of art and a way to fund critical medical research.
Available from April 21 2025 at breastcancercure.org.nz, with delivery in time for Mother’s Day – May 11.
