After the cotton is harvested from the field, a seed head covered in 'cotton wool', it is processed to separate the fibre from the seed at a factory called a Gin. A small but powerful process that turns a crop into a commodity, and the waste, reused to fuel the homes of those who grew it. Check out our video of our journey here to learn more. Continue reading

Understanding the whakapapa and relationships that are interwoven into the fabrics we create is at the heart of our process. So we went on a little tipi-haere to document the journey first-hand to share with you. Part one begins in the Cotton Fields of Telangana, India. Continue reading

The dream of a truely sustainable Aho Kākahu collection has been a pipedream for many years- since before Aho really became Aho.
The appreciation of beautiful clothes, textiles, silhouette, structure and style has been one I've carried for a lifetime- but the complete lack of know-how to get the pipe-dream from dream to reality has had it on the back burner forever.
This year, we decided to give it a go- to literally jump in the deep end without much clue about either how to swim, who could direct us or where the current might take us. This is the story of our journey so far in creating fair trade, sustainable, organic, locally manufactured kākahu that both reflect our values and our aesthetic. Continue reading

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From the Fields, we followed the cotton to the next stage of the process. Cotton Ginning is the process of separating the cotton fibers from the cotton seeds that they protect.
The 'Gin' is a massive complex where the the freshly picked cotton is taken by the sack for processing. As we approached the Gin, trucks and ox carts lined the road. Bulging and overflowing with cotton. 

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In November 2019 we set out to India to document the whakapapa and the journey of our cotton from seed to product. This is the story of the seed and the farmers and whānau where the journey begins.  Continue reading

A little about us, me, and how although I'd love to leave myself out of the AHO narrative, the journey and the fabric itself is interwoven and inextricable from my journey and the whakapapa of our whānau.  Here's a little about how we came to be where we are. Continue reading

This is the first in our series about the whakapapa of our products. From whakapapa to concept. Concept to seed. Seed to fabric. Fabric to product. Product to home.

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