The Whakapapa of our Cotton (Part 5/7) Printing and Dying

Adorning our fabrics that speak of whakapapa was the goal. But in many ways, it has become the cherry on the top, and that even without the design aspect, the integrity and whakapapa of these textiles speaks for itself.

Before I began Aho, I'd seen example after example of cheaply made, synthetic (plastic) textiles printed with 'Māori design' and sold back to us as an expression of our identity. Starting from a foundation of kaupapa Māori we dreamt instead of textiles that could embody our values and our impetus to act as Kaitiaki of this world for our Tamariki