Pacific Sisters: He Toa Tāera | Fashion Activists

A collective of Pacific and Māori fashion designers, artists and performers, the Pacific Sisters electrified 1990s Auckland, bringing the ground-breaking style of an urban, New Zealand–born Pacific generation to the mainstream. Through pioneering, daring shows, the Pacific Sisters overturned stereotypes about Pacific culture, ‘dusky maiden’ beauty and sexuality. A major retrospective, Pacific Sisters: He Toa Tāera | Fashion Activists showcases the collective’s innovative costumes and performances, which began as street style before expanding into multimedia experiences in venues from art galleries to night clubs.

Exhibition developed and toured by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.  

Photography by and courtesy of Vivienne Haldane.