Hakuturi
Year: 2013
Event: World of WearableArt South Pacific Section Finalist
Award: Second Place, and International Award Australia/ South Pacific
Inspiration:
In the ancient land of mists and mythology of Aotearoa, the birdlike hākuturi shield entry to the sacred bird forests, preserving the past, and protecting the wildlife within for the future. Any desecration of this sacred land will be swiftly avenged by these powerful guardians. Their staffs reference ‘godsticks’, temporary shrines for gods such as Tāne Mahuta, Mauri god of the forest and birds.
Materials & Techniques:
Leather, microsuede, acrylic paint, leather moulding
More Information:
This was my first experience of working in leather, starting with the gold-painted design. I enjoyed the process and the end result so much that I decided to make it a trio – a popular format at WOW I had noticed over the years. After a little initial practice, I realised that moulding reduced the dimensions of the leather, so made sure I enlarged my cardboard patterns when outlining them on to the leather. Leather needs to be damp for moulding, so after cutting out the shapes I would leave them to soak for a while in the bathtub. Hakuturi was purchased for the World of WearableArt® Museum Collection.
Bonus Information:
This design marked the first time I really felt I had moved away in my design from a foundation format of corset and skirt towards something sculptural to go over the body. Winning two awards for this work was fantastic, and I will always remember standing on stage with my work, looking up into the lights and watching the glitter rain down at the end of the show, with my mother and husband in the audience, and feeling so proud. I also met a fellow designer on stage at that moment, who has become a good friend.
