Singer/Songwriter Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi (TEEKS) has made a cameo appearance as a model in the Miromoda Showcase at Fashion Week. TEEKS walked in the opening collection for Jacob Coutie the winner of the Emerging section of Miromoda's annual fashion design competition,
TEEKS says, “It was something different. It was cool and it was a good experience for me.”
The opening act of the Miromoda show also played one of his songs.
TEEKS says, “Walking to my own song which was cool and the second time around I was a lot more comfortable. I guess New Zealand Fashion Week is all about that, not necessarily something I would wear day to day but it's still cool though.”
Māori fashion designer Jacob Coutie says, “I fitted him, he was the most humble and appreciative guy. The music he writes spoke to the collection as well and spoke to that kind of vulnerability as well as overcoming it.”
Coutie’s collection at this year’s Miromoda show displayed white linen with silk, which speaks of a man searching for strength and overcoming many obstacles.
“The word Toa was a strong drive for this collection because it just means warrior, how the rest kind of sees it. So I kind of dug deep into how two notions, Tikanga Māori in particular, Rangatiratanga and how I wanted that to be communicated,” says Coutie.