Head scarf

This headscarf is part of a woman's costume consisting of a dress, head scarf, arm ornament, necklace and shoes. It was designed by Safata Lapana and won the Contemporary Traditional category at the first Tokelau fashion event in 2000. 

Fashion event

In April 1999, 17 young Tokelau women from Wellington, New Zealand came together to form the Lakei Tokelau Group. Their vision was to celebrate Tokelau culture through the medium of fashion and design.

On 24 November 2000, they staged the Lakei Tokelau Fashion Charity event at the Akapuanga Hall in Cannons Creek, Porirua. More than 600 people attended, including the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. It was a first for the Tokelauan community in New Zealand and raised $10,800 for the Tokelau Bible translation project (1, 2).

Construction

Lapana used a range of materials including kanava fibre, pandanus and shells in the dress construction. As well as winning the Contemporary Traditional category, she went on to win The Overall Designer Trophy. The dress was modelled at Lakei Tokelau by Lisi Gaualofa.

Significance

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the visibility of Pacific Island fashion in New Zealand was on the rise with the development of high profile televised events such as Style Pasifika  Fashion show (later the Westfield Style Pasifika). This dress and the Lakei Tokelau Fashion Charity Event represent the first contributions of the Tokelau community to the New Zealand fashion scene.

Reference

(1) Government of Tokelau. (c2000) Lakei Tokelau Fashion Charity Event. https://www.tokelau.org.nz/About+Us/Fashion.html (accessed 25 June 2024)

(2) Evans, Sarah (2000) Tokelau fashion a hit in Porirua. Porirua News, 6 December