The fashion designer destigmatising Māori-owned businesses and products, one stitch at a time
Storytelling, political subcultures both past and present, and reconnection with heritage are just some of the elements that have been woven into the fabric and designs of Kat Tua’s vision of menswear, courtesy of her label, Manaaki.
Kat’s no stranger to fashion, having worked for various brands across Australia and New Zealand and, after a career pivot in 2020, the focus on her own collection of clothes felt timely.
Focusing on contemporary menswear for every day with a distinctive connection to her Māori roots, her debut 27-piece collection received significant support as one of three winners of the leading menswear luxury retailer Mr Porter Futures programme.
The programme fosters business support to a new generation of design talent at a grassroots level, with Kat being selected out of 1000 applicants from 77 countries to work with Mr Porter’s in-house team. Taking a year to create, Kat underwent a series of workshops on brand marketing, product range, cashflow and intellectual property to help fully realise Manaaki’s potential. For any new business, that wealth of support from the beginning is crucial.
“I had Mr Porter on the top of my list of retailers I wanted my brand to be stocked in ‘one day’,” says Kat. “So, winning the Futures mentorship was like going straight to the top of my list overnight — it was such a surreal experience. It was overwhelming to grasp the scale of it, and it took me a while to process how many amazing industry people had seen my work, and that they liked it. Next thing, I was in London being mentored by the best in the business.”
Consisting of a smart edit of contemporary menswear for every day, highlights include a nostalgic take on a classic wool cardigan known as the ‘Koro’ cardigan with raranga motifs, chore jackets, camp-collared shirts and a pair of leather trousers which have already got the seal of approval from The White Lotus’ Murray Bartlett, who wore them recently for Mr Porter’s The Journal.
“It’s been a life-changing experience so far. The mentorship was created to break down barriers and create opportunities in the fashion industry, which is usually a very closed and nepotistic industry,” reflects Kat. “It’s opened many doors for me, and as a small brand it’s incredible to have that support — it’s taken about 10 years off my brand timeline. I’m super-grateful and I feel really lucky to have been a part of it.”
You’ve had such vast industry experience over the years, working for different brands in Aotearoa and Australia. Where did your love of fashion stem from?
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Advertise with NZME.I’m not sure exactly where it stemmed from, it was just a natural progression for me. I like drawing and I started sewing when I was 12. I used to make hoodies and sell them to my friends in my teens. My first job was in a fabric shop when I was 15 and I’ve been in the fashion industry ever since. There was never any other career for me, I’ve always known I wanted to be a designer and I guess I’m lucky as some people spend a long time searching for their career.
You even worked as an Uber driver. What have your learned from all these collective experiences in your working life, and what compelled you to return to fashion?
The past two years have been a bit of a personal journey for me. I quit my job in 2020 and I didn’t have a back-up plan, so I started Uber driving and it felt nice to let go of the reins and just see what happened. It gave me the space to really think about what I wanted to do and after a few months, I decided to start a menswear brand.
Not long after, I won Mr Porter Futures and it all snowballed from there. From working in different fashion jobs I learned not to get caught up working for a “cool” brand as not every “cool” brand is good to work for; judge people by the work they do, not by how they dress; speak up and be true to yourself, and if people don’t respond well to your opinions, then it’s probably not the job for you; you could work the hardest and be the best at what you do, and still never be rewarded if the person in charge doesn’t ‘see’ you; know your worth, create your own opportunities, and don’t wait for permission or validation from others; and always trust your instincts — if the vibes don’t feel right in your job, it’s time to go.
Manaaki is a way for you to also connect to your culture. How has this enriched your learning experience since starting the brand?
Creating Manaaki was a process. I never thought I would have a Māori clothing brand because it was never “cool” to wear Māori clothes.
One of my brothers even said to me, “I don’t want to wear Māori clothes, so I probably won’t wear your brand” - and he is Māori. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is something I really need to keep exploring. Why are we not proud to wear Māori clothing? These colonial stigmas around Māori products have really affected us.’
I think I represent a large proportion of Māori who feel disconnected from our culture. We live in such a Pākehā world. I was raised by my Pākehā mother, and I don’t speak te reo … But a large part of me feels a strong pull to my Māori heritage.
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Advertise with NZME.Clothing is my thing, and I use this as a vehicle to connect with my Māori culture. I’m still learning and discovering more each day; it’s definitely been an enriching experience, but one that I am proud that I leaned into because it’s been so inspiring and rewarding.
What do you personally love about creating garments for men?
I started working in fashion in the early 2000s. In womenswear, you had to be super-thin and then in the 2010s it was all about being super-sexy. Basically, the opposite of me. I know things are much better now, but I think these mentalities still exist in some womenswear spaces.
When I started designing menswear, it was kind of freeing because there was none of that. I found menswear to be really fun, and everyone in the menswear industry is way more laid-back.
The clothes do have a powerful message, but this is nothing new; these are Māori values, and they translate into my clothes. Every Māori garment can tell you a story.
We often discuss whether or not fashion can have a political point of view at Viva. From your perspective, can fashion be political?
Yes, I do think fashion can be political. The purpose of Manaaki is to remove the prejudices associated with Māori and indigenous products, which could be seen as politically motivated.
I address issues such as Māori, decolonisation, racism, lack of representation, cultural appropriation, etc. The motivation behind it is not political, these are issues that I have experienced — this is my life. I’m just designing what I know, and I’m sure a lot of people share my experiences and can relate.
What is one of your earliest fashion memories?
I used to do ballet when I was 5. I didn’t care much for the dancing, I only cared about the tutus, and that was my only motivation to do ballet.
One of my favourite fashion memories is when I was at Otago university, in my dorm. I had a box of my mum’s old clothes and random offcuts of fabric. Before a night out, I would make these crazy outfits for my girlfriends from this box. We would all strut out of my room ready for a night out thinking we were the s***.
Looking back, I cringe thinking about what those outfits would have looked like.
Stylistically, there’s a very strong way we dress in New Zealand that mixes old and new. What do you think we do well in New Zealand when it comes to how we put clothes together?
I’ve been really inspired by the way we have an undone look that mixes casual, formal, and yes, old and new pieces.
We are not super-outfitted, but our outfits come together in an effortless, “throw on” kind of way. There is an easiness to the way we dress, probably because of our indoor/outdoor laid-back lifestyle and attitudes. Also, no one gives a s*** here too, which I really like, and I’m very much like that when it comes to styling. My outfits are not perfectly matching or co-ordinated, or too contrived. They are more about being easy to wear and having a strong vibe.
One of my favourite pieces from the first collection is your interpretation of the classic Koro Intarsia cardigan. It’s such a special piece that really set the tone for Manaaki. Can you talk about the reference points for this and why such a nostalgic item of clothing was important to include in your first range?
That cardi was one of the pieces that helped me win the Futures mentorship. The Wairarapa, where my koro lived, was colonised by a large Scandinavian population.
I wanted to create a knit that looked like a Scandinavian knit, but I replaced the Scandinavian geometric designs with traditional Māori raranga patterns, and I used Donegal slubby yarns to give it a nostalgic feel. I’m also of Scandinavian and Scottish heritage, so this cardi has so many references. It is a blending of cultures and it essentially represents who we are today.
I never really thought about it being important when I put it into my range, I just thought it was a cool idea, it had a cool story behind it, and most importantly, it looked cool.
There is a lack of good menswear available in Aotearoa. What do you hope Manaaki offers the local market? Do you have plans to wholesale at any point?
I hope that people who buy Manaaki feel represented. Manaaki is not just targeting the wealthy suburbs or certain societal groups. It’s for everyone, and even if you don’t get into any of the meanings of the clothes or the brand, if you like how they look, then that’s a win for me.
Yes, I am beginning to wholesale now, so I am looking at some stores to represent me in Aotearoa. I also plan to release womenswear soon, so watch this space.
What are you currently wearing on rotation?
I go through phases with the way I dress, and right now all I want to wear is rap tees, jeans and Vans. I’m basically at the beach or in the bush most days, so my look is pretty casual.
What are the three songs that get you into a creative vibe?
Part-Time Lover by Stevie Wonder, Wanna Get To Know You by G-Unit, and Burning Love by Elvis Presley.
Who are some of your favourite artists that inspire you as a creative person?
I mostly look at drawings and sketches, not so much paintings. I like Da Vinci’s old sketches, and Cézanne, and I like Antonio Lopez’s fashion sketches. Lately, I have been looking at botanical sketches from different artists.
