everybody loves FRIDAY — T-Shirt

everybody loves FRIDAY — The Story

Some names are given. Some are earned. This one was both.

Frederick "Fred" Cavanagh served in the Second World War. When the troops were divided into groups, Fred was given a nickname by his fellow soldiers — Friday. He carried it home from the battlefield, and it stayed with him for the rest of his life.

His son Murray was so much like him — same spirit, same heart, same way of filling a room — that the name passed down too. Friday Cavanagh. Named for his father. Shaped by the same stuff.

That's where this story begins.

Born in 1949 into the wide skies and green hills of Southland, with strong Irish, Scottish, and English blood running through his veins, Friday Cavanagh is the kind of man legends are quietly made of. His mother was Jessie Valmai Montgomery Hogg — and in that name carries a lineage that runs deep. The same Montgomery blood that helped turn the tide of the Second World War, that produced one of history's greatest military commanders, Field Marshal Montgomery — that blood runs in Friday too. The leadership. The presence. The refusal to be beaten. It didn't come from nowhere.

No fanfare. No blueprint. He just looked at life square in the eye — and got on with it. And what he got on with would fill ten lifetimes.

Farm hand. Serviced and sold motorbikes. Driver. Shearer. Forester. Truck driver across every road the South Island had to offer — for Andrews Transport, Riversdale, where he also turned wrenches as a mechanic, keeping the fleet moving and the wheels turning. A man who could fix what he drove and drive what he fixed. Coached women's rugby in Riversdale — long before it was fashionable to champion women in sport. He played for Riversdale too.

He worked at Glenary Station. He hunted deer, rabbits, ducks, possums — whatever the season called for. He tried his hand at gold mining. Ran the Waikaia Hotel as publican in 1987 — the kind of pub where everyone knew your name, because Friday made sure of it.

He played rugby for Waikaia. Played cricket. Played tennis. Played competitive bowls. Boxed. Was part of the rodeo scene. Played guitar in a band called North East.

One more thing you should know about Friday: he cannot stand raisins in baking. Describes them as little flies mixed in. The man has standards. 🍇🚫

He volunteered for the Riversdale and Waikaia fire brigades. And then the island called. And legends always answer.

In 1993, Friday arrived on Stewart Island to manage the Four Square — the beating heart of any island community. From there he took to the water, working on the Foveaux Express passenger ferry and then the freight boat, learning the strait the way only those who work it ever truly do. He had a wee stint at crayfishing.

He served with St John Ambulance as a first responder on Stewart Island. Board of Trustees at Halfmoon Bay School for six years. Was part of Stewart Island Promotions and Players. The island didn't just keep him — it claimed him. Because that's what islands do with legends.

Along the way, he's been part of more than a few legendary antics. The kind of stories that get told at every pub, every barbecue, every gathering — with a grin and a shake of the head. You know the type.

He now works at the South Sea Hotel — and if you've ever had the pleasure of walking in when Friday's around, you'll know exactly what that means. His hospitality is the real thing. Warm, genuine, unhurried. He makes people feel at home. He loves a good yarn. He loves to dance. He loves to sing. He enjoys the Sunday quiz. He's pretty handy at a crossword too — the man's got a sharp mind behind that warm smile. And when the mood strikes — which it often does — he'll give you a Johnny Cash song that'll make the whole room lean in. 🎸

He is cheeky. He has a sparkle in his eyes and a smile that makes ice thaw out.

He is, without question, a man's man. And yet — every time he sees me, every time he picks up the phone, he says he loves me. He hugs. He kisses. He means it. That combination — firm and warm, tough and tender — is rarer than people realise. He was the kind of father who held the line when it mattered, who raised his children with real discipline, and who made sure they always, always knew they were loved. Not one or the other. Both. Always both.

He has a gift for calling things exactly as they are. If someone walked in with a bad attitude written all over their face, Friday would clock it immediately and quietly observe — "They had the facial expression of a dropped pie." 🥧 You know the face. Friday had the words for it.

And if you catch him in the right mood, he'll take off his cap, reveal his gleaming bald scalp, flash that grin, and say — "Grass doesn't grow on a busy street." 😄

He adores his family. Deeply. Completely. But if you want to see Friday — you go to him. On his island. On his terms. As it should be. 🏖️

He carries wisdoms you just don't see much of anymore. He taught his children how to read a man by the way he shook your hand. He sat with them and watched war documentaries — not to frighten, but to show. To build gratitude from the ground up. To make sure they understood, from a young age, what the world had cost, what people had sacrificed, and what it truly means to be alive. He showed them what truly matters in life — not with lectures, not with rules. He didn't tell you what to do. He just stood beside you. Steady. Present. Like a good spirit does.

And he had sayings he came back to, again and again:

"Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you — and your troubles will be few."

"Don't let the sun set on an argument."

"Common courtesy, kindness and to give with love are his biggest beliefs."

Not above you. Not below you. Always with you.

Simple. True. The kind of words that hold families together and keep a person sane in a world that never stops spinning.

The kind of father who leads by being — and that, more than anything, is the greatest gift a parent can give.

Like the dandelion — bright, tough, and impossible to keep down. 🌼

Wherever you go in this country, mention the name Friday Cavanagh and watch what happens. Nine times out of ten, someone will light up and say — "Oh yeah, I know Friday."

That's not fame. That's something better. That's a life well lived, in full view of the people around him.

Seventy-seven years old. Still working. Still dancing. Still singing. Still dominating the Sunday quiz. Still the first one with a grin and a yarn for anyone who walks through the door.

He has known many facets of grief. He has quietly held space for others in their hardest moments — the ones nobody else knew how to reach. He just showed up. That's what Friday does.

He is father to seven children — three of them his by choice, not by blood. He made it to the sideline — in the mud — to watch his kids play rugby, and so much more.

He showed up. He always showed up. He is one of the best men that have ever or will ever walk this earth.

everybody loves Friday. And Friday loves everybody back.

Oh — and ladies? Friday's single. Just saying. 😉 As he would put it — "Always taking interviews."

This t-shirt is for the Fridays of the world. The ones who've lived a thousand lives, chosen joy through the grief, and still show up — dancing, singing, belting out a Johnny Cash tune with a cheeky grin and a sparkle in their eye.

Wear it like you mean it.

Do you know Friday? 🌅

Not of him. Know him. A moment. A memory. Something he said that stayed with you.

If Friday Cavanagh has ever touched your life — we want to hear about it. Email us at hello@easterly.kiwi with your story and we'll send you 25% off the Friday collection as a thank you.

Every story will be kept. Every story matters.

everybody loves Friday. And Friday loves everybody back. 🌅

The Garment

100% combed cotton. Pre-shrunk. Regular fit. Crew neck. Built to be worn hard and washed often.

The sleeves carry the story too — Friday's leather guitar strap, a New Zealand flag, and a poppy on one sleeve. The Friday Collection design on the other. Every panel has purpose.

100% combed cotton
Fabric weight: 5.3 oz./yd.² (180.25 g/m²)
Yarn diameter: 28 singles
Pre-shrunk
Regular fit
Crew neck
Side-seamed construction
Double-needle topstitch on the sleeves and hem
Ribbed collar
Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
Blank product sourced from Bangladesh

Don't expect perfect apparel. Only expect unique.
Wabi-Sabi. 🌿

📏 Size Guide

Please measure yourself carefully before ordering. Because every EASTERLY piece is made to order, we're unable to offer exchanges for sizing errors. When in doubt — size up.

A Length

Place the end of the tape beside the collar at the top of the tee (Highest Point Shoulder). Pull the tape measure to the bottom of the shirt.

B Width

Place the end of the tape at the seam under the sleeve and pull the tape measure across the shirt to the seam under the opposite sleeve.

SIZE LABEL	A	B
S	71	47
M	75	52
L	78.7	56.5
XL	82	61
2XL	83.8	64
3XL	85	68

Product measurements may vary by up to 2" (5 cm).

EASTERLY

What to Expect

A few things worth knowing before your order arrives:

Colour Images online are always more vivid than the finished print. This is normal — screens display colour differently to fabric. All-over print tees on cotton will appear softer and more muted than the digital preview. Hoodies are truer to colour, but some variation is still natural.

Stiffness Any garment printed on cotton may feel slightly stiff in the print area on first wear. This is completely normal and softens beautifully after the first wash.

Heat Transfer Residue Some garments — particularly those with heat transfer elements — may arrive with a slight residue on the print. Don't be alarmed. It's normal, harmless, and will wash away completely after the first wash.

The Bottom Line Every EASTERLY piece is made to order and printed by hand. Minor variations are part of the process — and part of what makes your piece yours.

Real material. Real print. Real wear. 🌿

Shipping & Production

Every EASTERLY piece is made to order. Production typically takes 2–7 business days before your order ships. Shipping times vary by destination — most NZ orders arrive within 5–10 business days after dispatch. International orders may take longer. You'll receive a tracking link once your order is on its way.

Returns & Exchanges

Because every EASTERLY piece is made specifically for you, we're unable to accept returns or exchanges for change of mind or sizing errors. Please measure carefully before ordering — we recommend at least three times. When in doubt, size up. If your item arrives damaged or faulty, please contact us at hello@easterly.kiwi and we'll make it right.

The EASTERLY Declaration

Born at the bottom of the world. Built for all of it.

This is not for customers.

This is for advocates. For the ones who don't just wear something — they stand for something. Who understand that every choice is a vote for the world they want to live in.

If that's you — welcome. You were always going to find your way here.

Not everyone gets this.

This is for the rough diamonds.

Uncut. Unpolished. Formed under pressure. Worth more than they've ever been told.

The ones with scars and stories. Who never fitted the mould — and stopped trying. Through the fire. Out the other side. Just starting to realise — different was always the point.

We don't do performance.

Tissue paper. Ribbon. Swing tags. Unnecessary labels. Fancy packaging. None of it. The garment arrives as it should — honest, intentional, ready to be worn. Just the garment, the story, and you.

Excess has no place here. Neither does waste. Neither does dressing things up to look like something they're not.

Neither should you.

EASTERLY is a calling. Ancient. Wild. Rooted in nature, in Rakiura, in the force that connects every living thing.

A recognition of something that was always already inside you.

You don't buy EASTERLY. You earn it. By showing up as yourself. Fully. Unapologetically. Wild.

And the clothing shows up the same way.

Crooked seams. Colours that breathe and shift. Prints that move like water — never the same twice. Made once. Yours. Gone forever.

Perfect was never the goal. Real was.

That's Wabi-Sabi. 🌿 The Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. In the crack. In the fade. In the one-of-a-kind.

Your EASTERLY piece will never be exactly like anyone else's. Because there is no one else like you.

The clothing is the mirror. Imperfect. Raw. Completely itself. Just like you.

Racism. Sexism. Cruelty. War. Discrimination of any kind — of race, gender, sexuality, faith, or background. Hate in every form that tries to rank, divide, or destroy human beings.

EASTERLY stands on the other side of all of it.

The East swell hits everyone the same. So does this.

The tribe doesn't rank. It recognises.

A beacon. Not a spotlight. Not a megaphone.

A steady light for anyone who needs to find their way home.

Built for the ones who've hit the rocks. Navigated the wreck. Stood in the storm when every reason to quit had arrived — and chose to hold.

Not because it was easy. Because something deep inside refused. To. Sink.

EASTERLY acknowledges you.

The ones facing a diagnosis. Sitting in waiting rooms. Navigating treatment. Carrying fear quietly so nobody else has to.

The ones in the middle of a hard season — not knowing when it ends, or if it does.

You are seen here. You are not forgotten. And you are not alone.

The beacon is lit. It was lit for you. 🕯️

We send the elevator back down.

Born from grief. From loss without a name. From the wish that something had existed — human, creative, real — that said: there is life on the other side of this.

Seeing the miracle of it. Not the wound in it.

This is your tribe. No audition. No filter. No perfect required. Just you. Wild. Real. Unrepeatable.

Now get up. Get dressed. Go be the thing only you can be.

We've got you.

A light shines on Stewart Island — her people, her causes, her communities. Every cent stays there. We just point and say: look over there. They need you. Go.

Rakiura is a sacred taonga. And so are her people.

Zero boardrooms. Zero investors. Zero strategy decks. It came through a family. Guided by spirit. Carved by experience. Cast East. One island. One thing that refuses to be anything other than exactly what it is.

Imperfect clothing for unrepeatable humans.

Breathe. 🐚

Island steady. World ready. 🌊

We Used to Heal Each Other Before the waiting rooms. Before the diagnoses. Before the screens. We healed each other. Around fire. Around food. Around the simple act of showing up for someone who needed it. We have forgotten this. EASTERLY hasn't. The tribe is real. And it's calling you home.

The Ripple What you don't deal with doesn't disappear. It moves. Into your home. Your kids. Your community. The world. EASTERLY exists for one reason: awareness of self and the ramifications you have on this world. That's not a tagline. That's the whole thing.

If All Our Issues Were Rivers Every unresolved wound flows somewhere. If all our issues were rivers — the children are the sea. They swim in everything we send downstream. That's why the inner work isn't optional. It never was. What are you sending downstream?

Wake Up Not with anger. With clarity. Look at what's being normalised. Look at what your kids are absorbing. Look at what you're modelling — not just what you're saying, but what you're doing. You get to choose. Every single day. That has always been the whole point.

The EASTERLY Promise

Every EASTERLY piece is made when you order it. Not mass produced. Not sitting in a warehouse. Made for you, in your size, right now.

This is not fast fashion. EASTERLY exists for the ones who wear their values — quietly, confidently, without needing the world to notice.

Every design is rooted in Rakiura — Stewart Island, New Zealand. One of the most remote inhabited islands on earth. The designs don't come from a mood board. They come from the land, the sea, the creatures, and the people who call this place home. Designed by EASTERLY. Made by skilled hands offshore.

When you wear EASTERLY, you're not just wearing a garment. You're carrying something real.

We light the beacon for Rakiura. EASTERLY's mission is to direct the tribe — to shine a light on the people, the causes, and the guardians of Rakiura who need support. When you wear EASTERLY, you join that tribe. And the tribe gives back.

📖 Read our story → https://www.easterly.kiwi/pages/our-story 🏴 Know what we stand for → https://www.easterly.kiwi/pages/the-easterly-declaration 🤝 Choose who you want to help → https://www.easterly.kiwi/pages/our-island-our-people 🧭 Discover what our Icon means → https://www.easterly.kiwi/pages/icon

And hey — are you OK? 🌊 → https://www.easterly.kiwi/pages/are-you-ok

No hanger tags. Just the garment and the story. The story is from Rakiura. No tag could compete.

Made to order. Not made for landfill. No overstock. No waste. No excess sitting in a warehouse. Just your piece, made for you.

Don't expect perfect apparel. Only expect unique. Wabi-Sabi. 🌿

Rakiura Art Gallery — A Note on the Print

Colour Images online are always more vivid than the finished print. Screens display colour differently to physical media — your print or canvas will have a slightly softer, more natural tone than the digital preview. This is normal and is part of what gives fine art prints their warmth.

Canvas Texture Canvas prints have a natural texture that shows through the image — this is intentional and adds depth and character. It is not a flaw.

Colour Variation Colours may vary slightly depending on the canvas or paper stock, the printing process, and ambient lighting in your space. What looks one way on screen may read differently on your wall — and often more beautifully.

Framing & Hanging Prints are made to order and arrive unframed unless otherwise stated. We recommend framing promptly to protect the print from humidity and light exposure.

Every Rakiura Art Gallery print is made when you order it — not mass produced, not sitting in a warehouse. Made for your wall. Gone forever. 🌿

GPSR — Product Safety Information

In compliance with the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), this product is manufactured byEASTERLY LIMITED(hello@easterly.kiwi | 6 Petersons Hill Road, 9818, Stewart Island, New Zealand) and represented in the EU bySINDEN VENTURES LIMITED(Markou Evgenikou 11, Mesa Geitonia, 4002, Limassol, Cyprus | gpsr@sindenventures.com). All consumer products meet EU safety standards.

$120.00 NZD