Next week’s Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa, described as Tāmaki Makaurau’s underground fashion week, is set to showcase the city’s exciting emerging creatives and reclaim space for artistic expression while resisting recent political efforts to undermine Te Reo Māori.
The new independent and non-profit initiative, with proceeds going to support the people of Gaza (they are still working through the charity/organisation), will see a series of nightly events, fashion shows, installations and parties throughout the week of September 9, held at Raynham Park on Karangahape Road with each event themed around slow fashion, ‘alternative’ fashion, streetwear and jewellery, featuring brands including Sleeping Profit, Kongcore, Depth of Scye and more.
Following on from last year’s exciting Rogue fashion show which aimed to disrupt the traditional fashion week route, As We Watch the World Go By in Ōtepoti in March and other former ‘off-schedule’ independent shows put on by young connected creatives of the city, Āhua also aims to fill a gap left by the cancellation of New Zealand Fashion Week – though the focus is more on celebrating raw creativity and collaboration than commercialism.
“It’s really unfair that new designers and creatives fresh out of school are expected to have fully fleshed-out ideas and brands,” says one of the event organisers Sophie Kwon (Fifi). “There’s no opportunity to make mistakes and try something weird.”
Abigail Dell'avo and Nikirei went along to a pre-show fitting to capture the chaos, creativity and magic, and catch up with organisers Kwon, Nina Bailey and Billy Blamires to hear more about their vision – in their own words.
• Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa runs from September 9-13, with shows each night. Full details and tickets available here.
Let’s start plain and simple. Can you introduce yourselves?
Nina: I’m a dance teacher, I teach hip-hop and drama to special needs kids and adults. I also work in fashion and upcycle my garments. I work in a cute little store in Ponsonby called Find Love Share – we sell Recycled, Vintage and Pre-loved clothes. I also model and run events.
Fifi: My background is in film, so I used to be involved in music videos. I started as a runner, as everyone does. Then, I went up to directing. I did real estate for a bit and sold one thing in Warkworth. But I wanted to upskill, so I’m an animation student doing an animation and VFX degree.
Billy: I am a student studying fashion, I’m in my final semester. Thank god, I am ready to be done. I do random bits and bobs. I mainly design, but I think I will move into styling more. Making clothes takes a long time and a lot of patience, which I don’t have.
Can you share how you met, and how the conversation of creating Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa started brewing?
Nina: Fifi and I hadn’t caught up in a while. We went out for coffee to get her out of her slump, and I was like, “Did you know fashion week is cancelled this year?” Then, she said, “What?” and I said, “Yeah, there's a space. I kinda wanna do something.”
Fifi: Then we went away, and the gears were turning in my head. When we met up two days later, Nina was like, “It’s just a thought; don’t take it too seriously.” I was trying to convince her and took out my notes. I drew diagrams and showed her my plan. “We can do it in three parts,” I said.
Nina: We went for a walk at Catalina Bay, and we sat on a bench with a cheesecake. And we were like, “Are we doing this?” Fifi agreed, saying, “Let’s do this and make it possible. We can contact this person and this person.” And I was shitting myself while she was so excited.
Nina: We wondered if Rogue was doing something this year, and I thought we should team up. We didn’t want to be in competition but more like let’s do it together.
Fifi: So I sent the email to Billy, and I was freaking out.
Billy: I did Rogue last year with my flatmates and some friends, and it was great, so when these guys came and approached me, I was like, “hell yeah”, even though I’m so busy. But it’s so worth it.
What was the initial inspiration behind why you wanted to make Āhua happen?
Nina: I remember seeing a photoshoot that designer Milan did just before I came up with the idea. And I thought, why is there nothing for these kids? For these young adults that are so fucking talented. And there’s no way to exhibit them except for uni. That’s not good enough. It was always a dream of mine to do something like this.
Fifi: It’s really unfair that new designers and creatives fresh out of school are expected to have fully fleshed-out ideas and brands. There’s no opportunity to make mistakes and try something weird. Opportunities are so small that people are scared to fuck up the opportunities that they get. Then, it ends up being really safe and not progressive in the long run. That’s a good thing about Āhua. We’ve tried many different things and options – random ways to do things and failed.
What’s the community’s response been like, and how is it influencing what you’re doing?
Billy: It’s so amazing. The thing is, we’re doing this without any funding. Everyone involved – all of those creatives and our community – is doing it for the culture, a cause, and passion. It’s so amazing to have this community that can see what we’re doing and see what we need and to put their whole heart and soul into it. It’s so cool to see everyone coming together. It shows the need for something like this.
Nina: I think they’re just stoked that something is happening. Where they can exhibit their mahi and be a part of something, so there’s been a lot of gratitude and support. And so much hype.
Fifi: Nina and I talked about how healing it has been as a fellow creative because this was the purest energy we’ve worked on in our lives. It’s not driven by greed or ego, and there is no monetary incentive. Because it’s for a cause, and the energy is clean, it's super rewarding.
How are you collaborating with different artists and engaging with Tāmaki Makaurau’s diverse art and fashion scenes, and what role is the community playing in this effort?
Fifi: The background of this event is fashion, obviously – we’re showcasing different designers. However, the way it's run is immersive and collaborative with various artists. We’re working with DJs with their artistic vision. For the Monday show, Life Cycle of a Butterfly, Cupid (the DJ) has a whole storyline, and she’s working with JJ Farry, who’s making the visualiser – an amazing videographer. They’re weaving together a story using the visualiser and music. We also have dance performers in between. We’re pushing our respective concepts that way.
Nina: Have we mentioned our amazing graphic designer? All of our posters are made by our amazing graphic designer, Cooper. He’s really talented and whipped out those amazing posters for us. And Darko, our photographer, is a very, very talented guy. I’ve worked with Darko before with shoots, and this guy's artistic vision is beyond, especially when he’s in his moment. On Thursday night, during the jewellery showcase, Exhibit Ā, we have Sarvii, who will be accompanied by The Winchester.
Nina: James has also been amazing. He’s been our mentor through the whole thing. He’s been great. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s done it a million times before. He has such a vision for things. At the same time, he trusts us so much. He’s always like, “I see your vision, and let’s make it happen”.
Fifi: He trusts us, listens to us, and tries our ideas before saying no or saying they wouldn’t work. It makes us feel so heard and gives us the confidence to try new things.
Nina: He is lit.
Fifi: Yeah, he is lit. You need to put that in.
What do you hope Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa will bring to Tāmaki Makaurau’s fashion scene and beyond?
Nina: Originally, we just wanted to do something for the community and our cause. Āhua has blossomed and evolved throughout creating her. And now, she’s become so beautiful and fruitful. I can imagine her doing big things. If she’s wanted and if she’s needed, then she will come and thrive.
Fifi: Honestly, I hope it inspires a lot of people. I hope people make their own things, not just Āhua. We need other people to do other things.
Nina: Let’s do this more, and let’s do more shit like this, guys. As a community, let’s put on for everyone else and be there for each other – more creative collaborations like this.
Which designer are you most excited about?
Billy: I’m really excited for Depth of Scye. Also super excited to see Luke who runs Taur and Tia (Tokyo El Pari), who just graduated last year. The collaboration between Banshee and Laurence Sabrine would be really cool to see in person.
Nina: I have been looking up to a young girl named Milan Jeon. Her work is so inspiring, which also inspired the thought of Āhua for me. So, her being a part of Āhua is pretty special. It’s insane.
Fifi: Someone I’m looking forward to is AeraTheLabel. She’s showing a collection made out of upcycled wedding dresses that just goes so well with the show's theme about second chances and rebirth. So chic and so much talent. Zheyi Ruan is also a mastermind in what she does with her zero-waste pattern making practice. Truly sustainable.
And most importantly, you’re putting all the profits towards Palestine. Why is that important to you, and what message do you want to get across with this?
Fifi: I’m really passionate about this. I come from a family of activists – I’m Korean. Growing up, I’ve always been passionate about doing what’s right and helping when you can. I think everyone has been feeling helpless and demoralised over the fact that we can’t do much since we’re also going through our recession. So, some people don’t have the means to donate.
Fifi: The fact that we can come together and generate funds to donate is really important because we’re working towards something bigger than ourselves. Which is giving everyone a lot of hope. When things are not right in the world, sometimes we question ourselves: “What am I doing being creative?” We can use our talents for something good. It’s always been like that throughout history. Artists have always been at the forefront of activism, and that’s what we should do.
Nina: It’s important to have that as a part of our why. It has motivated us through the hard times and kept us grounded.
