12 Jun 2015

Māori fashion competition moves to Hamilton

6:11 am on 12 June 2015

An annual Māori fashion competition is shifting to Hamilton as part of celebrations to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Waikato-Tainui signing their Treaty settlement.

Kylie Mangan’s 2014 collection, Tukutuku.

Kylie Mangan’s 2014 collection, Tukutuku. Photo: Miromoda

The Miromoda fashion showcase was created to give the next generation of Māori fashion designers an opportunity to get their work into New Zealand Fashion Week.

Miromoda was invited to present a fashion show in Hamilton; however, the timing clashed with their annual competition, so it was moved to the Waikato.

Co-founder of Miromoda Ata Te Kanawa said hosting the show in Waikato would be a way to honour the past.

"We're having contemporary fashion within an environment of traditional Māori weaving and apparently with 15 kuia from Tainui, it's honouring them because they were a part of the raupatu process twenty years ago."

Ms Te Kanawa said it was an honour be a part of the Waikato Tainui celebrations.

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