Pasifika T-shirts

Tribal Roots range celebrates how our Kiwi, Māori and Pasifika heritage has shaped the way Kiwis dress, speak and behave and asks, what constitutes Aotearoa Pasifika style today?

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We are always looking at what people wear, and we see a distinctive modern Aotearoa Pasifika style emerging. “You can see elements of Māori and Pasifika materials, motifs, ways of dressing and adornment that have become part of our everyday wardrobe. We wanted to explore that relationship and celebrate that we are dressing ourselves as people of Pasifika.

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In the ‘90s, a powerful emergence of Polynesian pride and urban Pasifika culture was led by the likes of the Pacific Sisters collective and those behind Style Pasifika, followed by the rise of Aotearoa hip-hop culture and streetwear in the 2000s.

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We hope it invites people to think about our identity and self-representation. It’s a reminder that we have so much we can draw on for inspiration where our aesthetic can be a little more thoughtful and in tune with our place in the world.

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No need to be looking overseas for inspiration all the time because we’ve got a culture, and a way of dressing that is completely unique.  Tribal Roots aims to celebrate and promote Pasifika pride in our designs.