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A Maori fashion designer says the interest of international fashion houses in indigenous themes is broadening the market for her work.
Adrienne Whitewood unveiled her new collection in the Miromoda showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week.
She says she’s been helped by the support she is getting from other Maori designers, Maori business networks and Te Puni Kokiri, and also from customers.
Adrienne Whitewood says more than 80 percent of sales are to non-Maori, as people respond both the Maori culture and the quality of the work.
"I think there’s been a renaissance in the Maori fashion industry in the past five or six years. You're not just seeing the koru or the motif, you're seeing a lot more in depth Maori aesthetic which is drapery, the use of positive and negative space. I think Maori designers are becoming very clever and very entrepreneurial with how they sell and display Maori design and I think it's great that both Maori and European are wearing Maori design. It's awesome to see," Whitewood says.
She’s looking forward to seeing her business grow this year with a Rotorua shop, Ahu, and an online store both launching last week.
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