Internationally acclaimed Māori designer Kiri Nathan is set to produce two landmark indigenous fashion events at New Zealand Fashion Week.
The Kāhui Collective founder has put together the Kāhui Collective Runway and the inaugural New Zealand Indigenous Fashion Symposium.
The two events have positioned New Zealand at the forefront of southern-hemisphere indigenous fashion leadership, creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration, trade, storytelling, and economic development.
Nathan has called on friends and family to volunteer a week of their time to produce and deliver the two events. He said the vision was to extend beyond the runway, and both events are operated by the community for the community.
“Growth and commercialisation can be specifically challenging for small Indigenous brands. Maintaining cultural integrity is paramount," said Nathan.
"We are creating an international platform where Indigenous designers can tell their stories through fashion, strengthen relationships across cultures, develop sustainable businesses and demonstrate that Indigenous design excellence belongs on the world stage. This is about cultural leadership and responsibility, economic opportunity and creating lasting pathways for future generations."
The programme will feature 16 runway designers, including eight international indigenous designers, eight Māori and Pasifika designers, alongside more than 50 indigenous designers and makers participating across the three-day symposium's retail activation, workshops and presentations.
The New Zealand-based designers include Jacob Coutie, Shona Tawhiao, and Czarina Wilson. International designers include First Nations Inupiaq Bobby Brower of the USA, Justin Jacob Louis of Canada, and Yuma Taru of China.
Designers will engage in cultural exchange, knowledge sharing, and commercial opportunities while building long-term Indigenous relationships that extend well beyond Fashion Week.
