What does authentic cultural representation look like in fashion in Aotearoa? <\/p>\n
\n If you\u2019re esteemed M\u0101ori designer Kiri Nathan, powerhouse influencer and PhD candidate Latafale Allyssa Verner-Pula, or This is a Fashion Show<\/a> podcast host Sammy Salsa, the answer lies in how you show up every In conversation with Nathan and Verner-Pula on This is a Fashion Show\u2019s latest episode, Salsa says \u201cRepresentation is everywhere we walk, every room we walk into, every place we walk out of\u201d.<\/p>\n Salsa, himself a trailblazing stylist and creative director, says Nathan is a champion of indigenous stories, and Verner-Pula is one of the most exciting young voices in Aotearoa right now. <\/p>\n For both Nathan and Pula, cultural heritage has been a gift they have carried through their work and continues to define their world-view.<\/p>\n Nathan, who in 2023 became the first M\u0101ori designer to open New Zealand Fashion Week, is committed to supporting the next generation of indigenous creatives, having carved her own path in a challenging world. <\/p>\n \u201cSharing without ego and without gatekeeping is really, really important,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started out, it was rough \u2026 we sat outside the sphere. We had to find different ways to share our work. Now, there\u2019s 100 M\u0101ori fashion brands out there \u2026 and I think that\u2019s phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently a PhD student in Pacific Studies at Waipapa Taumata Rau and host of her own podcast, Verner-Pula says her childhood was centred on a belief in community, and in keeping each other safe. <\/p>\n Today, she is using both her academic studies and her growing online presence to push for authentic inclusion. <\/p>\n \u201cIt unlocks a kind of daily creativity for me,\u201d she says of social media. <\/p>\n Palu explains that her malu (traditional Samoan tattoo) is factored into her outfit decisions on a daily basis.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing I always think about when I\u2019m getting dressed is my malu, how I want it to be seen or not be seen \u2013 so culture is like woven into my getting ready with me, you know? <\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I\u2019m just making stuff [on social media] for me, but it\u2019s also for the younger me who was like \u2013 \u2018who am I?\u2019 And I think by doing that I\u2019m being my most authentic Samoan proud self.\u201d<\/p>\n How Kiri Nathan\u2019s first NZFW show bucked tradition.The ways each creator\u2019s history is woven into their current practice.How authentic cultural representation has shaped each creator\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
\n day.\n <\/p>\n