Tauranga will be treated to a spectacular night of fashion and performances on June 18, celebrating Matariki and contemporary Maori art.
Te Ao Hou, which means The New World, is one of the key events of Tauranga Moana's Matariki 2015 Festival. The show will be hosted by the Tauranga ArtGallery, in collaboration with Tauranga Libraries and the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.
Street wear, avant-garde, and harakeke couture will take centre stage on the catwalk, with models wearing creations designed by well-known Maori fashion designers Jeanine Clarkin, Christopher Huia Woods and Shona Tawhiao. Jeanine is best known for producing garments from recycled fabric, and her designs often incorporate and rework the domestic apron form. Her brand Jeanine Clarkin Design was established in 1994, and she was responsible for dressing Keisha Castle-Hughes for all her Whale Rider premieres in 2002.
Originally from Tauranga but now based in Auckland, Shona Tawhiao is a celebrated fashion designer and flax weaver whose exquisite work has been recognised nationally, as well as in Europe, Australia and the Pacific.
Shona's work is mahiraranga mahi toi, and she has created this collection as haute couture and expressions of contemporary art. She will take the garments from her current exhibition Te Whare Tawhiao, from the mannequins to the models.
Christopher Huia Woods, who showed at Vector Arena during the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and created the gown for Miss New Zealand in the Miss World final, says his collection is inspired by the colours of Aotearoa.
"I am looking at refinement of line and balance, and the distribution of these elements to create an elegant story of our visual journey," he says.
Live music, kapa haka and other performances will add to the atmosphere of the evening, and the middle part of the show is reserved for garments created by bachelor of creative industries students from the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, led by fashion design tutor Donna Dinsdale.
The Details Venue: Tauranga Art Gallery When: Thursday, June 18 Time: Doors open 6.30, show starts at 7pm Admission: $20 or $$15 with student ID Tickets: From gallery or 578 7933 Seating is limited, so please book early
