10/06/2025
Te Hīkoi Tapu – The Sacred Walk
This month of Matariki , where the heavens open and the ancestors whisper on the wind , the whenua breathes with ancient pride . This catwalk became more than fashion — it became a wānanga , a sacred space where the past walks beside the present .
As each wahine and tāne step forward cloaked in kākahu tuku iho — woven garments that carry the stories of their tīpuna — they do not simply wear culture . They embody it . Every thread is a karakia , every feather a heartbeat , every pattern is a map home .
Before the rise of Matariki — the star cluster that signals remembrance , reflection , and renewal . When the models move , they move with mana , as living whakapapa . They carry the aroha of their kaumātua and the strength of the whenua from which they belong including the indigenous to the land we walk on . .
This is not a fashion show . This is a karanga to the next generation that walking with their ancestors is the most spiritual this year . A visual waiata sung with the body . A moment where Māori , Hāmoa and the indigenous beauty walked this runway with absolute pride , and sovereignty and stand tall — not for applause , but for the stars that will watch over them while they sleep and when they wake , for the ancestors, for the tamariki yet to come .
Under Matariki , we walk not alone . We walk with all who came before us - our ancestors ❤️
Naveena Kitto and whānau - this was an absolute show stopper and I feel soo many mixed emotions watching your mahi walk this runway 👌
- Hails
