BUILDING TE PĀ: A fashion and art precinct in Glen Innes

A special coming together of designers is taking place in Glen Innes.

The building at 260 Apirana Avenue is being transformed to Te Pā, a fashion and art precinct showcasing Māori, Pasifika, and other Indigenous designers through fashion, jewellery and art all in one location.

The first known concept of its kind, the aspiration was brought to life by celebrated fashion designer and visionary Kiri Nathan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Maru and Ngāti Paoa) alongside husband and business partner Jason Te Ahu Renata Nathan with support from Tāmaki Regeneration. 

While working on international runways and red-carpet events worldwide, Kiri recognised the limited opportunities available to indigenous designers. This experience sparked her drive to mentor and empower the next generation of creatives to help strengthen diversity and visibility in the fashion industry.

The building is home to the innovative retail movement, Kāhui Collective, located right beside Kiri Nathan’s own fashion boutique. Operating as a curated communal space, the Kāhui Collective provides a platform where designers and entrepreneurs can come together to collaborate and highlight their own unique brand. Kiri says, “This building holds so many memories for me, even more special having experienced it through different stages of my life. I’ve known it as a kid, a teenager, and a young woman.

To be able to return and create something in this whare for the community has been a genuinely authentic relationship. It’s allowed us to build something that is truly by the community, for the community.” 

Kiri’s exceptional work has always been woven with marks to her whakapapa, and the Collective will provide exclusive opportunities for up-and-coming creators to learn and excel under her wing. What initially started as eight or nine designers has now grown to over forty, and each creative entrepreneur can display and connect their fashion or art within Te Pā, adding to the rich story of Aotearoa fashion right here in the heart of G.I. “The KIRI NATHAN - Te Āhuru Mōwai space has become so much more for us and everyone who visits. It has a warmth to it, a sense of shelter, a haven for the Kāhui Collective and all who support. It’s a retail and operations space, a sample room, a place to shoot collections, host events, and prepare for NZ Fashion Week and other various events. It’s been amazing to see the space fully utilised.” 

What continues to set the KIRI NATHAN brand apart from the rest is its distinct style, steadfast and immersed in Te Ao Māori, integrating traditional weaving techniques (raranga) and storytelling into stunning modern fashion pieces - high-end garments, pounamu jewellery, and intricately handwoven kākahu, bringing Māori culture to a global audience. 

Established artists with work on display include Shona Tawhiao, Adrienne Whitewood, HORI, Nichola, J’AKE Studios, ARDC, Pania, Jeanine Clarkin and Ake Ake Ake, who stand proudly alongside a new generation of emerging talents.

Among them are Taiea, Daīna Hugh, Obsolescence, Noku Kākahu, Waiapu Road, Hunaarn, Stirling Collective, Kino Az, and Kaistor St, each bringing fresh perspectives and bold creativity through every piece. A welcome return for label Czarina Wilson another local G.I talent. 

As the first Māori designer to open for NZ Fashion Week, a historical moment back in 2023, Kiri’s rise to success wasn’t a conventional one, which makes her journey even more inspirational. 

After leaving Tāmaki College as a teen, she followed her passion to study fashion at the Manukau Institute of Technology. During this time, Kiri became a single mother, balancing busy studies with raising a young child. Through dedication and perseverance, she went on to graduate with a Diploma in Visual Arts. 

Life temporarily led Kiri on a different path away from fashion, and she spent 14 years building a new career - first as a flight attendant then as an in-flight manager for various airlines including Air New Zealand. Even while working in a different field, her heart remained connected to fashion, entering design competitions in her spare time. A defining moment came in 2008 when she won the Supreme Award at Style Pasifika - a pivotal achievement that pushed her to build her own fashion label. Kiri’s decision to establish a space back in Glen Innes has been a life-changing experience as she has always had her sights set on investing back into the community. 

“I’m G.I hard, for life, so being able to come back in this capacity is awesome. There’s something really special about having people I went to school with and their parents and whānau, walking past, saying hello, popping in and catching up over a cup of tea and old memories. People who have moved out of the area, or are visiting from overseas, come through to connect. They’re genuinely really happy to see a local, familiar face still here in G.I.” Despite her international recognition, Kiri’s heart still remains connected to the area that helped lay her path to success, something she hopes to pass on to her children. 

“As a whānau, it’s been a lot of hard work to get this space ready. Even through the eye rolls, my tamariki are learning what it takes to build something from nothing, to create from their own imagination and hands, and to understand the reality of running a business - both the challenges and the rewards.”