Pacific culture for Kiwi closets
Since its launch in December, Pasifika-inspired fashion label The Colour Closet has been grabbing attention for its bold colours and patterns, in an effort to show black-obsessed Kiwis that there is a different way to dress.
Owner and creator Ravai Titifanue, of Porirua, has big plans – she wants to take The Colour Closet global.
Titifanue started the label after deciding to return to the workforce. She operates mostly online but recent stalls and popups have shown her that she is on to something.
‘‘People are more responsive and curious when they see the wares and the chance to feel the fabric, check out the quality, cut and form of the garment and try for size. So with that, there have been good sales,’’ she says.
Titifanue grew up on the Fijian island of Rotuma, where colour saturated island life.
‘‘There is colour in New Zealand ... but it’s very seasonal. So, come autumn, there are a lot of oranges, browns and yellows. And then you come to winter, where everything is muted and darker.
‘‘When I’m here I don’t notice it but when I’m on a trip away to Fiji I notice, for example, the frangipani and the hibiscus – those little things that might be insignificant to others.’’
New Zealand’s melting pot of culture lets Titifanue explore diversity’s many shades – from an orange and charcoal-coloured dress featuring patterns reminiscent of tapa cloth to a more classic black sleeveless dress.
‘‘The label uses fantastic colour clearly targeting a specific audience and perhaps a holiday market,’’ says Massey University’s fashion major co-ordinator Sue Prescott.
Her first impression of The Colour Closet reminded her of fellow Kiwi labels Augustine and World, also known for their striking use of colour.
‘‘As a young company, I imagine that [they] are sensibly starting small, and will expand their offerings to a wider audience as they develop,’’ she says.