What whānau are wearing to Te Matatini

From iwi merch to handcrafted taonga, tino rangatiratanga colours to wide-brim pōtae, Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga is as much a showcase of Māori style as it is of kapa haka excellence.

Whether it's Māori business merch flying off the shelves, custom pounamu, handcrafted pēke (bags) to carry all the Te Matatini necessities or even a well-worn pair of red bands, every fit has a story.

Here is what whānau are rocking at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga.

Sun safety at Te Matatini

As thousands pour into Pukekura - the Bowl of Brooklands - merch from Māori-owned business Soil and Sand is creating a buzz.

Their pōtae have been spotted all over the festival and are now completely sold out.

Father and son duo, Eruini Hawke and Tanekaha, turned up in perfectly coordinated fits, and summed up why the pōtae are such a hit at this years Te Matatini:

"Wēnei kākahu nō te toa [Soil and Sand], inanahi rā i kite au i taku tama e mau ana i tēnei hingareti ko tāku me hoko au i tētahi kia ōrite māua."

"These clothes are from Soil and Sand, yesterday I saw my son wearing this singlet and I thought I should buy one so we can match."

"Te kaha hoki o Tama Nui te Rā i ēnei rā kua pahure, ko te tikanga me ārai te tinana te upoko, he tino pai wēnei mea ki muri kia ārai te kakī kia mau ki te hauora."

"The sun has been really strong over the past few days so we need to protect our body and head, these hats are really great because they have this bit at the back protecting your neck so we can stay healthy."

Manaia Tuwhare-Hoani, a proud Te Matatini supporter from Te Tai Tokerau, kicked off the day with a live fit check that perfectly summed up the vibe

"We're here at Te Matatini, I've got my Hine shorts on, Rebel Sports. I've got my mana motuhake shirt which I got from a store in Waitangi on Waitangi Day. Can't remember the name, but it's fresh as, fresh as."

"My earrings? Also from Waitangi, my feathers in my hair are from the beach back home, I cleaned them though; I made sure to clean them. And my heru, a gift from my sister."

And when asked about the vibes this week at Te Matatini, she said:

"So good, so uplifting. It's just you know, Māori's aye? We know how to put on a vibe."

Laid-Back, comfy and repping the 35

Not every fit check is a full-on production.

Te Awhimate, a supporter of Te Kapa Haka o Ngā Hau E Whā Ki Murihiku, keeps it casual but still manages to represent his people:

"Tāku fit check. Got our pōtae from Farmlands, got our mohiti (sunglasses) from Two Svage. Our tīhāte (T-shirt) is from the 35 itself...Got our red bands from the bro, because I left mine here yesterday and I can't find them. And tāku pēke? From the old man."

When asked what his experience was like at this year's Te Matatini, Te Awhimate said:

"Hot. So hot, that's why I have the summer gears on."

Kākahu with a story

Dressed in colourful kākahu from head to toe, Kaitiana (Christine) Marie Coulter said she was wearing a story.

"My dress comes from the island of Raiatea in Tahiti. When we visited there, we took a Māori stone from our home town, Kapiti, to connect us through the waters of Tahiti."

Rakauoteora Te Maipi known as Koro Don, gifted them that stone, so Coulter said because the kākahu is from there, "it's like bringing him with us."

Her woven pōtae and pēke were also hand-made and hold special memories:

"I made those in our rōpū at Ngā Pakihi o Kāpiti. We gather together in the wharekai every Thursday, us old people, doing rāranga and waiata and learning from the young ones and learning with them."

Coulter also paid homage to her whānau with her Te Matatini fit.

"My earrings, these feathers are from Chatham Islands, because my beautiful late daughter Sachi Tuuta is from there and it's a mihi to her and her whānau."

The white feathers on the back of her pōtae, known in Taranaki as Raukura, were worn by te iwi Māori o Parihaka. The feathers were worn in 3, standing for "the glory to God, peace on earth and goodwill toward people."

Her pounamu, she said, was also purchased at Te Matatini and blessed in the awa in Taranaki.

Rangatahi represent on and off the stage

Performing with Te Poho O Hinekahukura, Maddison Gerbes kept her day off fit casual, making sure to rep her rōpū proudly.

"From the top, this pōtae was made by Whaea Ngāretas whānau. Then of course we have our merch singlet (repping our kapa haka ropu), House of G Pants and my trusty Havanas."

Gerbes stood for the first time at Te Matatini and said it was "like a feeling like no other."

"I've never experienced that before, but it's so beautiful, it's something that I wish everyone got to experience."

18-year-old Baas from Te Uri o Manumanu brought a touch of charm with his cheeky fit check rundown:

"I'm wearing my mean as pōtae from Korowai Designs, repping my polo and pants from the club. And the shoes, stolen off my little brother, who actually doesn't know I have them."

Also standing for the first time, Baas said it was a "mean experience."

"It's a real cool experience for all the whānau members, I would definitely do it again."

'Mr Flag Man' - A wave of Tino Rangatiratanga flags

Lastly, tamaiti 'Evo' - known at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga, he said as 'Mr Flag Man' - makes sure his style speaks volumes:

"I love flags, I brought like so many. I had like fifty dollars, so I could get this one, and this one, and this one, yeah."

Evo said he loved being at Te Matatini and hopes to attend every other one in the future.

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