Wellington secondary schools shine with fashion and textiles exhibition

Mia and Kate from Queen Margaret College and their creations.

A first of its kind, the Kohara to Shine exhibition showcased work made by secondary ākonga studying fashion, textile and product design in the Wellington region. 

A collaboration between Massey University and Wellington secondary schools, the event was held at the College of Creative Arts Wellington campus and showed 35 pieces from seven schools. 

It was an opportunity to link secondary and tertiary study opportunities for ākonga interested in the creative arts, and an opportunity for them to kohara, shine, and see their work in a ‘real’ exhibition space with their whānau, friends and school staff.

Amy Macaskill, a creative technology kaiako from Kāpiti College, says the exhibition opened with a pōwhiri, kai and a tour of the Massey industrial design and visual design areas for ākonga and their guests. Kāpiti College exhibited jackets and shoes as well as a kākahu.

“Collectively, our Year 9 cohort made a kākahu. It will stay with the group until Year 13 when the top academic student of the group will be honoured by having the kākahu placed on their shoulders.”

A 3D printed garment by a Year 13 student at Scots College

The explanation card beside the kākahu says: “The kākahu is made of carpet wool, harakeke, muka, pingau and paua and is called Te Iwa o Matariki. Matariki is an abbreviation of ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea (‘The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea’)

“The Matariki stars all connect with areas of our environment as seen from a Māori world view. This kākahu represents Papatūānuku, Ranginui and Tangaroa and all that lives within their realms.

“Traditionally, Matariki was a time to acknowledge the dead and to release their spirits to become stars. It was also a time to reflect, to be thankful to the gods for the harvest, to feast and to share the bounty of the harvest with family and friends.” 

Connection and integration 

Amy talks about how the exhibition started. 

“It was Nan Walden-Moeung’s idea (the creative technology kaiako from Wellington East Girls’ College). Nan realised there was no way for secondary school ākonga studying fashion, textile and product design to show off their work. 

“To see whether or not the concept would work, Nan invited seven schools she had an association with. They are Hutt Valley High School, St Matthew’s Collegiate School, Rathkeale College, Queen Margaret College, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Scots College, her school and us at Kāpiti. 

The work of a Year 10 student at Wellington East Girls’ College, it’s made from recycled cardboard and depicts Tupu-ā-nuku, the fourth star in the Matariki cluster

“We are lucky to have the Kāpiti Marae on the southern boundary of Kāpiti College so ākonga here have a great opportunity to learn about te ao Māori,” she explains. 

Amy says the exhibition showed how integrated te ao Māori is becoming in the arts and how the position of the traditional sewing kaiako is broadening. 

“I offer ākonga all sorts of skills (at different levels) in design, pattern drafting, sewing and crafts, including screen printing, mask-making, crochet and knitting. 

“This broader creative technology brief now enables ākonga to develop genuine life skills like problem solving, product design and production that they can take further.”

The creative process 

Barbara Knight, the materials technology kaiako from Queen Margaret College, says they proudly put forward the work of two Year 12 ākonga, Mia and Kate. 

“They worked on an Inspirational Design Garment theme. They needed to choose an idea and explore the visual inspiration and design influences connected to that. Then they developed their work around the exhibition context and created their garments to meet the attributes needed for a high-quality display piece.

“Mia selected a theme to explore based on the idea of ‘forbidden, not forgotten’. She wanted to explore the historical concept of when using te reo Māori was discouraged in Aotearoa.” 

Mia looked at historical references and used words like ‘assimilation’ in her research, referencing her contemporary design to shapes, textures, ideas from traditional Māori culture and clothing details. 

“She made a grey upper-body jacket with a stand-up collar covering her mouth. It was worn over a cream-pleated dress with long sleeves that covered her hands. 

“Kate was inspired by a design theme of ‘shabby chic’. Her thinking about the theme is shown through the shapes, form, structure, colour, and sustainability practices of upcycling.”

Kate researched interesting pattern manipulation effects for her design and drafted the gathered cut-out, seen on the side of her garment – to give a dramatic effect. Her short white dress is created from upcycled duvet covers.

Technical sewing and construction of tailored coats and jackets by Onslow College students.

Celebrating success

“One of the biggest things for me was to bridge the gap between secondary school and Massey University,” says Nan.

She explains that many ākonga had never been to the university before. They were able to experience whanaungatanga at Massey University so they have a clear vision of what it would be like. 

“I also liked that the work that was included in the exhibition didn’t have to be wearable in the usual sense. It could be art made from textiles and placed on a mannequin. It didn’t even need to be for the body. It could be a set of drawers.

“Because the exhibition was open to products – one of my ākonga showed a footstool that she made and another did a papier mâché piece.”

 Some schools put an emphasis on Toi Māori, especially Hutt Valley High School, with its ākonga-created tukutuku panels. 

Other schools brought catwalk-ready garments that won major national prizes at this year’s Hokonui fashion design awards. The awards are a long-time competitive platform for all amateur fashion designers to showcase their designs in front of well-regarded industry leaders. 

“It’s important to me to break away from the traditional roles and to broaden our teaching to widen vocational pathways for ākonga,” says Nan.

“Ākonga have so much creativity. It’s about helping them find their passion and then learning how to create it. If you can do that at secondary school and then go on to university, or just have the confidence to start your own thing, you have a pathway forward.

“I think our ākonga did indeed shine through their work at the exhibition.”