Dress is often used to convey messages.
In 1973 a black gown made of wool became a star when it was in the Cameo New Zealand Fashion Showcase. The gown, named Tania, featured Māori motifs and was worn to signal support for Māori causes as well as for the wool industry, particularly in 1974 in Sydney at the Opera House where it was one of the pieces in a collection that featured New Zealand wools. Tania was owned by Whetu Tirikātene-Sullivan, the Minister of Tourism in 1973, and was created by Kura Te Whiria Ensor.
When Whetu Tirikātene-Sullivan passed away in 2011 her collection was given to MTG Hawke’s Bay Museum Trust where some of the pieces are on display. The pictures below show two of the garments as well as a picture of Whetu at the Greymouth Centennial Celebrations in 1959.
Sadly Tania has been lost but there are photographs of this iconic gown. With its strong Māori identity it stamped an indelible mark onto the pages of fashion in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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