Ko Pākaurangi te maunga
Ko Hikuwai te awa
Ko Ngāti Āwhia te hapū
Ko Ngāti Ira te iwi
Ko Okuri rāua ko Hinemaurea ki Māngātuna ngā marae Ko te whānau Crawford, Maurirere me te whānau Karini e tū atu nei.
My fondest childhood memories are with him in Mangatokerau on horseback, swimming in the black hole & his pot milos, to name a few. Most importantly, I'm grateful for the priceless and irreplaceable years my tamariki were able to share with him.
Pāpā now rests in Māngātuna on Waiapu Road and leaves us his legacy rich in his love for his whānau, his humour, his protection and memories to cherish forever. I miss him so deeply.
The day after we found out my pāpā had cancer in early October 2023, I went home to be with him and, a few weeks later, decided I was going to move home to Tūranga and later to Ūawa to help take care of him. I packed up the boot of my waka with some essentials, said goodbye to my husband and babies, and left. During that time, I travelled back and forth between the Coast and Heretaunga to see my whānau and to work.
As you can imagine, it was a roller coaster of emotions; there were good and hard days, but in hindsight, they were all days I'll never regret. I knew it would be a time I would never regret, and to me, it wasn't a sacrifice but an honour.
It was at this time these designs started coming to fruition. This collection is inspired by and dedicated to him. An ode of love, mai i te mokopuna ki tōna pāpā ✨ Taikehu Crawford 🕊️
The first conception of these designs began in my mind, and then slowly, over the months, they evolved. They took around 5 months from conception to garment to complete, and I received the first samples the day that I returned home from my pāpās tangi.
The Taikehu Collection comes in 3 colourways.
Māngātuna 🖤❤️ You'll never find another person prouder of Māngātuna than our pāpā Tai.
Hiko 💛 This colourway was inspired by my travels back to Kahungunu from Ūawa, the view of Te Ana o Paikea over the rise along Whāngārā Road.
That drive along the 35 is always beautiful; it always makes me whakahīhī that we come from the most beautiful piece of paradise in the land. I'm so proud of who I am and where I come from.
Moreover, it reminds me of all the kaupapa marae we attended with our nan & pāpā growing up, up and down the Coast. It reminds me of a time when I was young at Te Hokowhitu-a-Tu wharekai & pāpā Johnny Haapu tricked me and told me that the mīti I wanted to eat was steak, but it was kidneys & I hated it, and he laughed at me.
Whenua 🤎 Inspired by our oneness with our whenua. How we are in a constant service of eachother for sustenance. How our whenua is ever adapting, providing and yielding in beauty. The depths of the soil and earth inspire the richness of the browns and rusts and reminds me of how much I love my home soil.
Each piece tells a story of aroha and nostalgia. Each piece brings you all home with me to Waiapu Road.
My pāpā raised me as his daughter; he is the first man I ever loved. A remarkable man to us all. One of one. And I hope that I make him proud.
This collection encompasses gratitude, memories and enduring unconditional love. It represents a journey home, both physical and spiritual. It encompasses hope and reminds us all that there are flowers after it rains and there is light after dark.
I roto i te pouri te marama e whiti ana.