Hot or not? ‘Kia kaha te reo Māori’ jumpers at the supo
Aperira/April 8, 2025
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Kaupapa Māori news, events, and recommendations you don’t want to miss coming right up, including the most pīwari/cute level up for your morning kawhe/coffee or tī/tea.
Then in ‘kōrero’ we’re judging whether ‘Kia kaha te reo Māori’ jumpers at the hokomaha/supo are hot or not. This one is probably a bit of a personal therapy session that came out on a particular day when I was in a particular mood 😅. I’m really not sure if it’s going to land with you or even with myself in two weeks, hēoi let’s just use it as a starting point for wānanga/discussion? I’d LOVE to hear your whakaaro/points of view.
Reheko!
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Hot or not? ‘Kia kaha te reo Māori’ jumpers at the supo
After selling out of their first run in minutes, my mate and I were super excited when the Warewhare announced they were doing a second run of their ‘Kia kaha te reo Māori’ clothing range in collaboration with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori/The Māori Language Commission.
Because I tend to start hyperventilating and looking for exit signs after more than five minutes in any mall, she took one for the team, braved the crowds, and came back with the cutest jumpers for her and her whānau + me.
(Please let it be noted, after a harrowing childhood of my mum dressing me in matching kākāhu/clothes as my sister who has a completely different build and colouring, this is about the only time I’m on board with whānau dressing the same.)
A while later, when I asked how she’d felt stepping out with her whānau in their new gears, she reported 99% success with just one small negative; before they’d gone out, she’d felt a tiny pang of anxiety that her children might be seen as a target for anyone anti te reo Māori.
Unfortunately, I understood. My main emotion around wearing my new jumper was pride (seconded by comfort because—so fluffy). Heoi, if I’m honest, there was a teensy part of me that worried about becoming a target too, nō reira/so I could definitely understand it being more of a thing with bubs. On top of that, and flicking to the other side of the continuum, I was weirdly worried that some people might think I needed to be fully fluent i te reo Māori to rock it.
Some might think that’s weak. People wear moko kauae with pride, and hijabs, and other culturally identifying kākahu and adornments that (again, unfortunately and unfairly) have a history of much heavier targeted racism than the odd warewhare jumper.
This is NOT the same, but at a baby level—related, and I just think it’s worth noting who might feel these pangs (probably people who have faced or witnessed their whānau face racism in the past), when (I’m not sure why I feel this more now than I did at the start of my reconnection journey), and why (I might need a therapist to fully explain that one, perhaps I’ve been researching too many Hobson’s Pledge emails).
I absolutely am an advocate for cranking te reo Māori, I’m proud to be studying/getting my nono/butt kicked in Te Aupikitanga at TWOA this year, I’m confident enough to stand up for myself when needed, and I love how wearing kākahu Māori help me to connect with my Māoritanga but I also don’t want to be on guard every time I’m at the supo choosing aihikirīmi/ice cream. The jumper was rad but was it worth this slight discomfort when I have five hoodies I could chuck on without a care instead? (Āe, hoodies make up most of my wardrobe and personality).
I got my answer only a couple weeks ago when I was at the hokomaha/supermarket and saw a wahine wearing an ‘e hoa’ tīhāte/t-shirt by Hori. I live in Milford, a suburb of Tāmaki Makaurau where—it feels weird to say—but signs of te ao Māori stand out (the more I think about it, that is probably an additional factor in all this), and honestly, seeing her gave me a bigger dose of joy than I would have predicted.
Was anyone else looking at her weird? Kāo. Did I take it as a sign she was fluent in Maori? Kāo. Had I ACTUALLY noticed anyone looking at ME weird when wearing my kākahu Māori? Kāo, I’ve had some icky experiences in run of the mill clothes but I tend to get more greetings and smiles in kākahu Māori. Would it ACTUALLY be a problem if someone assumed I was fluent? Kāo, if they were being a dick, who cares, and if not, I’d be stoked to get the chance to practise with them.
After a while I realised this wahine is actually in my reo Māori class and knowing she’s Pākehā just made me happier.
Team, I was a little reluctant to publish this because I don’t know if my mate and I are the only ones who have felt these feels, and maybe it’s down to a bunch of individual factors including where I live. LOADS of people are rocking this merch happily, we have for 99% of the time, and I sure as hika don’t want to impose my own anxieties on those who haven’t given it a second thought. If that’s you, please take my example above as evidence that you’re doing it tika/right and haere tonu/keep going!
But if anyone else out there can relate, I guess I just wanted to say I get that invisible load you’re carrying. I’m obviously still working on how to lighten my own, but this was a little step in my journey that I hope might help you too, because the verdicts out and kakahu Māori def=hot.
While we’re talking about it, here are five pakihi Māori making kākahu that I love. This isn’t sponsored by anyone, just seems relevant!
Wai-Tai - clothes that make me feel like I surf better.
AM Clothes - we came for the social memes and stayed for the tees.
Māori Mermaid - you can’t get more pīwari.
Taiao - do I go hunting? Kāo. Do I need an oilskin? Āe.
Miriama Grace-Smith - currently sold out because way too cool.
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Hope this topped up ya kete for the wiki e hoa mā. Next week is a surprise, for both you and me 😉.
Mā te wā!/See ya!
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