Three fashion dummies with an outfit on each in front of a steel frame and a dark background

Fashioning ourselves: clothing, identity and culture

From woollens to workwear, pōtae to Panamas, feathers to fur, and khakis to korowai, the styles, phases, and industry of fashion plays a big part in Aotearoa New Zealand’s identity.

Explore stories that highlight the influences, industry, and imagination of fashion in New Zealand through our collections, exhibitions and research.

Starfish clothing on Collections Online

In March 2024, the Starfish fashion collection archive – containing over 1,900 images – was added to Collections Online. Reminisce about your favourite design, or piece of clothing you may have owned yourself, from the label founded by Laurie Foon in 1993.

A woman is behind the counter of a clothing store.

Starfish: An unexpected journey

It’s not every day that you get to delve into the nitty-gritty details of a fashion label. In 2017, Te Papa’s then assistant archivist Gareth Watkins delved into Starfish’s archive, gifted to Te Papa. Read the series of blog posts.

A hot pink feather fan on a light pink background

Feathermania: Fashion to Die For

From the 1850s to the 1910s, feathers were the height of fashion – worn by royalty, military men, debutantes and fashionable women alike. Opening soon: 26 Jun 2021 to late April 2022.

Closed

5 Jul 2021 – 6 Jun 2022

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Blog: Feathermania: Fashion to die for

Read Curator Claire Regnault description of some of the objects in the Feathermania: Fashion to die for exhibition in more detail, including some of the problems associated with the popularity of rare bird feathers and the impact on their population as well as society.

Dressed: Fashionable dress in Aotearoa New Zealand 1840 to 1910

When crinolines, bustles and ostrich feathers were the height of colonial fashion – from ball gowns and riding habits to tea gowns and dresses worn for presentation to Queen Victoria.

How to care for textiles and kākahu (Māori cloaks)

Textiles that are made from plant material, often harakeke (flax), or animal material such as wool, feathers, or hair usually require careful attention. Find out about prolonging the life of your treasured textiles and clothing by storing and treating them appropriately.

Watch: Designing wedding garments for ‘Unveiled: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion’

Watch interviews with New Zealand designers including Francis Hooper, Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, and Benny Castles, whose designs were exhibited in 'Unveiled: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion' during the summer of 2011–2012.

Rātana Church and Mita Ririnui: The colours of service

Read about how uniforms are of great importance to the Rātana Church, especially as visual signifiers of the specific roles and duties of the wearer.

A yellow dress with large red flowers on a clothmaker's dummy

Mu‘umu‘u styles from a Cook Islands mama

Pacific Cultures curator Safua Akeli talks about the mu‘umu‘u (dress) worn in the Cook Islands and those acquired by the Pacific Cultures collection in 2009 from Tepaeru Tereora.

five men in cowboy outfits in an old car and one man in a cowboy outfit standing next to the car

The Cook Islands cowboys: Swagger in the Pacific

Was the ‘Cook Islands Cowboy’ merely a case of photographic staging or was there more to these island outlaws?

The power of lace – making European Splendour 1500-1800

Justine Olsen, curator of decorative art and design discusses the fine process of conserving and preparing lace for display.

A black and white photo of a woman lighting up a cigarette on the catwalk

Smokin’! When cigarettes and fashion went hand in hand

Before cigarette advertising was banned in New Zealand, Benson & Hedges enjoyed a close relationship with the fashion industry. Read about the role tobacco played in the Fashion Design Awards.

Collecting the spirit of Hawai'i through aloha shirts

New Zealand and Pacific collections intern Sonya Withers and history curator Claire Regnault recently travelled to Hawai'i where they collected 83 aloha shirts with a focus on indigenous Hawaiian designers. Claire Regnault reflects on the connection these designers have with their natural environment and how this inspires their designs.

Whatu Kākahu | Māori Cloaks (Second Edition)

A celebration of the science and art of Māori weaving, focused on the largest collection of Māori cloaks in the world.

Drag in 1970s New Zealand

In this excerpt from Mates & Lovers, Chris Brickell explores the vibrant world of drag culture in New Zealand, when drag ‘jumped off the stage and into the streets’.

A purple and dark button-down shirt with grey and black batik patterns and circles printed on it

Threading history through the Aloha shirt: From Hawai‘i to Aotearoa

The Aloha shirt is an iconic Hawaiian taonga (treasure) with a rich history and layers of meaning. Assistant Pacific Cultures curator Sonya Withers explores the stories in their designs.

A sepia photo of a woolshed with ten people surrounding big tables with shorn wool sitting on them

The importance of wool in New Zealand

From farm to fashion, New Zealanders have been growing, shearing, manufacturing, exporting, crafting, and wearing wool for 150 years. Read about the history of wool and its influence on Collections Online.

A brown face mask woven with flax on a white background

Clothing the Pandemic (ICOM Solidarity Project)

Connecting international museums and curators documenting and contextualising the use of facemasks during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020–21.

A single red boot viewed side-on with a white background

Research project: Fashionable Dress in Aotearoa New Zealand 1840 to 1910

A deep-dive into themes, concepts and stories of fashionable women’s dress in Aotearoa New Zealand from 1840 to the early 1900s.

A black and white photo of a woman in a long dress

Mary Annette Hay and the International Wool Secretariat Collection

Entrepreneurial women and wool in post-war New Zealand clothing industry.

a multi-coloured dress on a dummy with a stole around the neck of the same material

Mary Annette Hay on Collections Online

Read about entrepreneurial women and wool in post-war New Zealand clothing industry.

A photo of a red child's dress made with Mintie sweet wrapper paper and material

Poster Balls: a new ‘species of fancy dress’

In 1900, a new type of fundraising ball caused a sensation in Australia, and made headlines across New Zealand – it was called a ‘Poster Ball’ and while one reporter described it as a new ‘species of fancy dress’, another accurately called it ‘a new phase of advertising’ – read about what it entailed.

Gumboots, shorts, a singlet and a hat set up like there is a person wearing them on a white background