Sophie Matthews

“One of my greatest inspirations is the great moana/ocean. It has been a love of mine since before I can remember. When receiving the Resene Tropical colour, my immediate thought was coral. The colour of Resene Tropical is an orange hued pink which I would usually associate with the shade coral and that’s where my research began.

As a Māori wahine, I have always felt a strong connection to the whenua/land and moana/sea, which is deeply rooted in my culture and heritage. This garment is a tribute to my ancestry and an homage to Tangaroa/god of the sea. Keeping within the theme of ‘Let’s Celebrate’, I am dedicating this garment to moana in celebration of its biodiversity, versatility and resilience, which is an integral part of the protection of the whenua.

With celebration in mind I have explored moana and all of its wonders, drawing my main inspiration from coral, specifically fox coral, which is a tropical decorative floral coral consisting of textured skin and polyps.

The moana/sea is a delicate and fragile ecosystem that provides the whenua with incredible biodiversity and strength that protects the Papatuānuku/Mother Earth from disaster, such as storms, floods and erosion. Coral reefs, although only occupying 2% of the ocean floor, support over 25% of marine life and are an important part of the health of moana and Papatuānuku.

This dress embodies the shape, texture and movement of the fox coral serving as a motif and metaphor in honour of moana, whenua and Papatuānuku. It’s textured in a way that respects and represents fox coral in all its pride and glory, as a display of the incredible moana and whenua that surrounds us.”

Resene Whitecliffe Colour of Fashion clothing - 2023

Photography by Jonathan Kraettli

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