Henry Calkin

“Every year in my hometown Raumati, everyone would come together to celebrate Matariki. People of all ages and cultural backgrounds would gather and escape our regular routines to enjoy live music, hear stories old as the land itself and turn our gaze skywards. At the centre of these events was my godfather, Phill Simmonds. Phill would organise the gatherings with particular attention to detail. Naturally being family, I would always pitch in and do my bit for the community.

Matariki is the Te Reo Maori name for a cluster of stars which rise in midwinter, which heralds the new year. The stars in the cluster are each symbolic of Matariki herself and her daughters. During Matariki, we are reminded that it is important to escape reality. Not because reality is either sad of miserable, but because fantasy and myth are such sweet places to visit.

The laser-cut shawl symbolizes all the stars glistening together in the cluster. With each cut finely placed with precision, one if not whole without the other. Underneath the shawl is a bra top with macrame under the bust. The macrame is a nod to the traditional flax woven garments worn by the traditional Māori tribes, without whom we wouldn’t have such beautiful stories. To complete the look, I have designed a skirt with transformed seams that mirror the ebb and flow of the Milky Way, when gazing up into the eyes of Matariki.

When lit up in the night sky, Matariki and her daughters are a true natural spectacle to behold. The colour of my design, Resene Grape Escape, is the perfect symbol for the night sky during Matariki and anybody who wears me design, shall shine like Matariki and her daughters.”

Resene Whitecliffe Colour of Fashion clothing - 2022

Photography by Jonathan Kraettli

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