Sacred Thread: Dr Rangituatahi Te Kanawa to Feature at Auckland Museum Weaving Showcase

The mātauranga of raranga will take centre stage in Tāmaki Makaurau next week as Dr Rangituatahi Te Kanawa joins a specialized fashion showcase at Auckland Museum. The event, titled Te Aho Tapu – The Sacred Thread, is scheduled for Friday, 21 August at the museum’s Te Ao Mārama space, running from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Reported by Waatea News, the evening aims to bridge the gap between ancestral weaving and the contemporary world of sustainable fashion. Dr Te Kanawa, a prominent textile conservator and the founder of Muka Textiles Ltd, has dedicated her career to the stabilization of Māori textiles. Her work focuses on the potential for muka to serve as the foundation for a sustainable textile industry. Coming from one of the country's most respected weaving whānau, Dr Te Kanawa’s participation highlights the importance of Indigenous knowledge in modern commercial and creative applications. The runway will feature four designers exploring identity and heritage. Samsara Jade (Ngāpuhi) and Charli Nikora (Ngāti Tamaterā) will present works that integrate toi Māori and traditional raranga with contemporary design. They are joined by Jumaanah Vahora, whose work focuses on diaspora identity, and Kaelyn Tongia Bendall, who incorporates her Papua New Guinean heritage into sustainable knitwear. The showcase positions weaving not as a static relic, but as a living practice evolving through new technologies. Beyond the runway, a panel discussion will feature significant voices including arts curator Nigel Borell, fashion designer Liz Mitchell, and academic Dr Bobby Luke Campbell (Ngāti Ruanui). Convened by Natua Kaa-Morgan, the discussion will address Indigenous intellectual property, cultural knowledge, and the relationship between whenua and fibre. The event, held alongside New Zealand Fashion Week, serves as a platform for Māori and Indigenous designers to assert control over the development and application of their traditional knowledge.