Our Pepi Wraps have restocked
Aho, in Te Reo, means a cord, a string or a line. It is the weft in the weaving, the thread of our genealogy, our descent and our descendants.
Aho is a creative studio that explores connections between whenua (lands), peoples, cultures, indigineity and hybridity. We create products that celebrate an indigenous Aotearoa identity and aesthetic. It's our vision to fuse art with form and function. To create taonga, that tell our stories and reflect our whakapapa, into our everyday lived environments.
We strive to keep whakapapa- the connections between people, environments and processes at the centre of our philosophy, which means for us, seeking out and employing processes, practices and materials that are sustainable and that ensures a better future for the people and the environments involved.
We believe that our lands, resources and culture belong not only to us, but to our tamariki (children), and theirs'. Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei – For us and our children after us.
As Kaitiaki (guardians) of this whenua, and planet, we've made a commitment to working with sustainable, ethically sourced, organic and natural fibres. We work with a team in India who practice fair trade and who share our aspirations for tino-rangatiratanga (self determination) for themselves and their whānau. We're committed to understanding our business practices from a whakapapa-lens. Learning and recognising our connection to the things we use and consume, their origins, whenua (lands), maunga (mountains), iwi (people) and kaitiaki (guardians)
Our textile products are made by our incredible manufacturing partners in India, and this blog is about why we choose India. We don't manufacture in China. Our kaupapa lead ethic has shaped and guided our partnership priorities as we seek to make the highest quality organic cotton textile and Pēpi products that embody our culture, not just aesthetically, but from the whenua to the whānau who make them. We're unapologetic and uncompromising in our pursuit of ethical, sustainable, mana embodying taonga that you can live with and share with your whanau and friends with pride and integrity.
Do we still believe in 'support local', 'buy NZ made', or has that been usurped by the ever gloomier cost of living crisis? There's not much by way of answers here, but the need to put pen to paper was greater as I overheard yet another exchange about the magic of cheap internet hauls.
This Christmas, what if we focused less on the hustle and more on what truly matters? Growing up, our whānau celebrated in ways that didn’t follow the typical traditions, and now as a Māmā to three, I am grappling with how we retain our authenticity and uphold our whanau values while celebrating Christmas, even when that means eschewing cultural norms, or as others would paraphrase for me- 'not celebrating christmas. This year, as we navigate the festive season, we’re intentionally weaving in and articulating for our tamariki values like Aroha, Whanaungatanga, and Kaitiakitanga. Whether it’s homemade gifts or experiences over material things, let's be intentional about what we give and how we celebrate. Let’s make this Christmas about meaningful connections and sustainability. Meri Kirihimete e hoa mā!
2023 was a little quiet on the Aho front, wheels still spinning but more on autopilot than in gear. My mind and ngākau were occupied with our whānau, our tamariki, the choices we make and those that are made for us and beyond our control.I spent much of last year walking to and fro, to and fro to our local kura in what may have appeared peaceful, but the energy I carried simmered and seethed.
It was within the first week that our ever observant kōtiro stated matter of factly, “Māmā, at this kura, I’m not Māori or Indian. At this kura, they teach us to be Pākēhā, so I’ll just be Māori and Indian at home, or at the marae, or when we go back to India now…”.
