A groundbreaking underground fashion week is making waves in Aotearoa, offering a platform for Māori and Pasifika creatives to break free from conventional fashion norms.
In response to the lack of opportunities to showcase Aotearoa’s diverse creative landscape, following the cancellation of New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW), rangatahi wāhine Nina Bailey, Fifi Kwon, and Billy Blamires took the initiative to launch Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa in 2024.
The event is back this year, transforming venues along Karangahape Road into a dynamic runway from March 24-29, 2025.
The name Āhua, which translates to “form” or “shape,” highlights the importance of representation in fashion—an industry long dominated by Western ideals of beauty. The showcase brings together Māori and Pasifika creatives, an effort Nina Bailey, producer and co-founder of Āhua, believes is essential.
“Artists aren’t defined by the color of your skin, what race you are, or how you identify,” said Bailey. “The beauty in the arts is its inclusiveness, and we encourage everyone from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and ages to join us and be part of something special.”
Bailey emphasized the importance of representing the true essence of Aotearoa. “We don’t have restrictions; we have doors open for everybody.”
Samoan model Rebekah Stowers, who started her career in Aotearoa’s Pacific Fusion Fashion show, shared her thoughts on confidence and self-pride. “In a generation so focused on external validation, being proud of who I am and where I come from is truly powerful,” Stowers reflected. “There may not be many of us in the industry, but those of us who are, we stick together.”
She added that her parents’ wishes for empowerment always guide her, saying, “No matter how I look—whether I fit the ‘model’ stereotype or not—my confidence, attitude, and pride in my heritage shine through in my walk.”
Selwyn Vaka, a personal trainer and healthcare worker who also models part-time, joined the Āhua movement to challenge stereotypes about brown and dark-skinned people in the modeling industry. “When I first started, I wasn’t always confident,” Vaka admitted. “Being proud of who you are, what you represent, and what you stand for shows the world that we’re confident and here to stay.”
Aellerie Konia-Storey, a model-turned-producer, is another key supporter of Āhua. She started as a model in the first show last year and is now part of the production team. “Diversity is really important, especially in the creative industry,” she said. “I wanted to open doors for other wāhine to come into this space and not feel boxed in.”
Konia-Storey also addressed the need for more sensitivity regarding how Māori and Pasifika wāhine represent themselves. “We don’t need to change to fit into a Western kind of state,” she said, stressing that the fashion industry should celebrate their unique beauty and heritage.
The runway will showcase collections by Tongan-Samoan designer John Tanuvasa, whose collection “The Past” explores transformation through sustainable fashion. Tanuvasa’s work is influenced by nostalgia and aims to push the boundaries of sustainability, while also emphasizing the need for confidence, especially for Māori and Pasifika communities.
“I feel that our Māori and Pasifika people have not been given the chance to be confident in themselves,” Tanuvasa said. “We have so many beautiful people—why not highlight them? There’s a need to represent people of all shapes, sizes, skin tones, and textures.”
This year’s Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa will feature 11 shows—five group shows, five solo shows, and one signature show. Organiser and co-founder Fifi Kwon explained the theme, “pursuing what you’ve always dreamed of doing,” emphasizing the challenges creatives face in Aotearoa’s tough industry.
“It’s really hard nowadays,” Kwon said. “People are going into debt trying to practice their craft, so we want to provide a space where people can make mistakes, do things in front of an audience, and gain experience.”
Bailey described the event as a week of “deliciousness” filled with “crying out” through art about the hardships creatives face in Aotearoa.
Te Wiki Āhua will open on Monday with “Revelations,” a show by Te Ao Māori fashion designer Niq Atelier, dedicated to ancestral storytelling.
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