Last week was Aotearoa Fashion week up in Tāmaki Makaurau. I am back home writing this from Pōneke now, but I was lucky enough to find myself up in the big smoke of our epic wee country, walking for By Kai, the debut show from designer and fashion pioneer Makaira Lee.
It all started one Friday a couple of months ago, when I received a message from the wonderfully talented Apela Bell. A few weeks of logistics, conversations and teamwork later I was on my way north to walk the show for Kai. After taking a break from modelling, I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting way to return.
There is something really special about the fashion industry in Aotearoa. Warmth, creativity, character and community take the forefront of the mahi. I feel incredibly grateful to have grown up in a place so abundant with talent, and so willing to welcome its young people and creatives with open arms. There's a real sense of camaraderie here, a shared desire to keep the industry buzzing, evolving and fresh.
That spirit of community was woven through every part of By Kai. The show carried a strong sense of whānau and community, both in the clothing itself and the people brought together to present it. So post-show, I wanted to dig a little deeper. Who better to speak about the creative process, culture and community than the people shaping it themselves?
I asked Makaira and Apela a few questions to understand what sits beneath their creative practices so connected to the culture being nurtured here in Aotearoa.
Evie: When I came in for my fitting and your mum arrived with the look I wore, I immediately felt your bond, how intertwined family is with your mahi, and how the people around you shape your vision when you're designing. We talked a little about fabric, and your desire to create structure in your pieces. How do the fabrics speak to you?
Makaira Lee (Designer and Founder of By Kai): I think fabrics really speak to me through their texture, weight and the way they move on the body. I naturally gravitate towards fabrics with more weight and substance, as I love the way they hold their shape and give a piece a sense of strength and presence.
What drew you to materials like silk, cotton, and cotton canvas to bring your designs to life?
I’m so obsessed with canvas, calico, drill etc - materials that are typically used for workwear because they have such a natural strength and structure to them. I love the utilitarian quality they bring while still being able to shape them into something more considered. I’m also really drawn to cotton and silk because they’re natural, breathable materials that feel comfortable on the body and work so well in warmer climates, which is really important for island living. My mum has always used these fabrics too, so they have a strong connection to my upbringing and the way I understand clothing.
Was designing your own clothing line something you saw yourself doing when you first came into the fashion industry?
Not at all. I mean, no one is really surprised - I’ve been designing and creating with my mum my whole life but it definitely wasn’t the end goal. My mum has always been the maker, she has such an incredible understanding of fabric and construction. I grew up learning from her and in the last few years have found myself designing more and more of my own clothes. I've always had quite a distinctive style and a strong pov, and over time I felt that I had the experience to bring what we had always created together to the forefront.
Your Fijian heritage held so much of the soul of the show, did you always know it would be woven through your work this way, or did that unfold as you designed?
I was given 20 minutes to say something - to put something into the world and let people know who I am and I think my culture is the coolest thing about me.
What’s interesting is that it hasn’t always been this way. If I had done this show even five years ago, I don’t think my culture would have taken centre stage. This journey has been extremely transformative. The title, When Are You Coming Home?, started very literally - growing up between two countries, with different pieces of my heart in each. But over time, it became less about where home was, and more about when are you coming home (to yourself?)
The further I’ve travelled from that little girl in the islands, the more experience I’ve gained and the more success I’ve had, the stronger the pull has become to tell her story. I’ve realised that fashion and culture don’t sit separately for me - they shape each other. My culture will always be part of how I see and create - it is what gives my fashion meaning, and fashion is the way I know how to tell that story.
If someone wore one of your pieces without ever meeting you, what do you hope they'd feel about themselves, or about where it came from?
I hope they feel the love and intention poured into every piece. To embrace being noticed and proud that they’ve found something a little bit different / special.
Evie: Kai spoke about how much family shaped this show from the inside, I wanted to ask you about that same feeling, but from where you stood, bringing the cast together.
Apela Bell (Photographer & Casting Director): The feeling of family has always been a big part of working with Makaira. I’ve collaborated with her for such a long time, so bringing this casting together felt really personal. Many of the models we casted have been part of moments in both our careers, so seeing everyone come together for this show felt like a full-circle moment.
We talked a little about you casting more, how has that been feeling, being on that side of the process?
It’s honestly been such an exciting feeling. Years ago I used to scout and sign models to agencies, so coming back to this has been so enjoyable and it’s definitely made me appreciate the whole process again.
For Kai's show, there was a real family feel, is that something you think makes for a good cast? Does that closeness change what you're looking for when you're casting someone?
100% that closeness makes for a good cast. There was a real sense of trust, history and community behind every talent casted. It didn’t feel like bringing models together for a show, we wanted to bring together people who have shared in the journey and helped shape the creative world that has become BY KAI. That made the show feel incredibly special and authentic.
As both a photographer and a casting director, do those two roles talk to each other? Does the way you see someone through a lens change how you cast them, or vice versa?
Definitely. Photography has taught me to really notice people, their presence, expressions, and what makes them unique. I think that naturally feeds into casting, because I’m always looking beyond just how someone looks and trying to understand what they bring to a frame. And casting has made me more aware of personality and story when I’m photographing people.
When you're casting here in Aotearoa, how much does whakapapa or community play into who you bring into a room? Is that something you're actively looking for, or does it just naturally shape who ends up in front of your camera?
Whakapapa and the community play such a huge role when it comes to my casting. I’m always conscious of wanting to create space for wāhine Māori to be seen, heard, and celebrated on their own whenua. It naturally shapes the people I’m drawn to, but it’s also something I’m intentional about, making sure the show reflects the culture and diversity of Aotearoa.
What do you look for in someone before they've even said a word, is there a moment in a casting where you just know?
I think it’s presence. Before someone even speaks, you can often feel their energy and how they carry themselves. Sometimes there’s just a quiet spark where you think, there’s something here and you want to know more.
After everything you've cast and shot, is there a moment that stays with you, one that reminds you why you do this?
Honestly, it’s the moments where someone sees themselves differently because they’ve been given the space to be seen. I love casting because it’s about discovering people, celebrating what makes them unique, and creating opportunities for them to step into something they might not have imagined for themselves.
I think this is what made By Kai so special. At 10am on the 20th of August, Shed 10 erupted into a standing ovation, with tears in the eyes of people throughout the crowd. It wasn’t just another show on the Fashion Week schedule; it felt like a gathering of people, stories, whakapapa and creative histories that have grown alongside one another.
For me, coming back to modelling and walking for Kai was a reminder of what I love about this industry in the first place. Of course, the clothes make the show, but it’s the people who make them, the people who wear them, and the communities that hold them up.
There is something really beautiful about an industry that continues to make space for its people to return, reconnect and create something new. To find their way back to each other.
Something to come home to.
