Mark your calendars! For almost the entire month of April (1-26th) Oyster Workshop will be taking over two gallery spaces at Depot Artspace in Tamaki Makaurau to celebrate the launch of their new digital platform, Oyster & Moon.
The exhibition and new online platform enables Māori and Pasifika creatives including artists, fashion designers and entrepreneurs, to showcase their work across multiple spaces. We speak with Amy Lautogo of Infamy Apparel (who has featured previously in FQ!) and Keva Rands of Papa Clothing who are two of the 15 artists included.
‘Kalaekko’ and ‘Amy Lautogo’. Images supplied by Amy Lautogo of Infamy Apparel. Photographed with Oyster Workshop by Hōhua Kurene.
The name Oyster & Moon takes inspiration from the pearl, “a metaphor for resilience and creating beauty from adversity, and the moon, connecting the people of Te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa (the Pacific) to the rhythm of the planet,” according to Oyster & Moon spokesperson Kim Tuaine.
For the creatives involved, the exhibition and new digital platform serve as an effective and meaningful way of sharing their work with a wider community. “It’s so rare to be participating in an indigenous led ecosystem which aims to elevate and equip practitioners with all things we need to succeed. Oyster and Moon are prioritising access for the whole collective to spaces and opportunities that would be hard to come by,” says Lautogo.
By giving Māori and Pasifika creatives this platform, Oyster & Moon also allows them to retain their artistic integrity, explains Keva Rands, who established her label Papa Clothing in 2014. “We want to grow our opportunity and impact, but we don’t want to compromise on our cultures or identity which are connected to the products we create.”
For Lautogo, whose brand Infamy Apparel has built its identity around providing access to the fashion space for fat BIPOC queer individuals, the designer hopes that “seeing a truly bespoke piece in a size 24 in a space like Depot Artspace will reinforce that fat bodies in general and fat bodies as wonderful inspiration belong in all areas.”
This is similarly true for designer Keva Rands of Papa Clothing, whose aim is to provide inclusivity and ethical fashion for all bodies, especially those that have been traditionally marginalised by the fashion industry. “[Papa customers] are diverse across age, size, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Papa really is a brand for everybody, but especially those who value inclusivity and kindness,” she says.
Those who cannot make it to the exhibition in person can still explore the various stories of these creatives and commission works from them, as well as shopping for unique treasures through Oyster & Moon. The custom built website will be of great help to designers like Lautogo, who offers mainly custom pieces to her customers. “I work on a custom basis so it supports enquiries through to those in the cohort who have stock. The marketing power behind this amazing collective is something we all benefit from,” she explains.
Left to right: The Cassandra coat; Keva Rands of Papa Clothing.
Papa Clothing’s capsule, with Keva Rands
Tell us about your collection on display at Depot Artspace:
“The range featured in the retail component of the exhibition is a mix of wave II & III favourites that work well in autumn and reflect the variety of Papa people and their aesthetics – masc/femme/fluid, small/large, old/young,” says Keva Rands, founder of Papa Clothing.
“The capsule we curated for this exhibition works for any combination. We have made the decision to release our ranges in waves which are more aligned to the rhythm of the moana rather than a traditional seasonal approach.
“Layering is also key as it ensures that you get more wear out of your Papa irrespective of season. We love sustainable and natural fibres and colours and always want to ensure that everything we do is ethical and in alignment with our values as a brand that is completely of Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. We think the standout of this wave is our Cassandra coat. This is a really luxurious, timeless, warm, ethical piece that works for all people and is the only coat you will ever need.”
Why is this platform and event important to your brand?
“Starting small in Aotearoa we hope to illuminate our creativity and innovation for more creative, thoughtful and ethical consumers to access. The exhibition itself gives us an opportunity to work and learn collectively, and offer our products for sale in an area like Devonport that doesn’t often see Māori and Pacific designers front and centre, and or in a way that represents who we are today.”
‘Tangaroa’. Image supplied by Amy Lautogo of Infamy Apparel. Photographed with Oyster Workshop by Hōhua Kurene.
‘Singularity’ by Amy Lautogo, Infamy Apparel
Can you tell us about the piece you will have on display at Depot Artspace?
“This experiment was to try and use a garment to investigate the concept of time in the cosmos,” say Lautogo. “A recurring theme in my work is Indigenous celestial origins and I’ve also been learning about how stars and the sun and moon were used in early voyaging.”
“The piece starts at the head with a simulated explosion of energy in Te Kore – the great void. As you move down through the hand beaded bodice and rhinestoned panels we see the expansion of space and the coalescing of galaxies until you reach the skirt which was hand painted to reflect the southern skies. With Matariki and Takurua prominent.
“This piece was made to our sample size which is a generous 24 and features over 60 hours of hand crafting (painting, embroidery, stencil work and rhinestones). I look forward to incorporating it into a photoshoot at some point moving forward so it can be seen in motion.”
O TE MOTU Creations. Photographed by Hōhua Kurene.
Tui Emma Gillies, Aroha Gillies, and Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows in front of Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies, The Last Kai, Falevai and Tongatapu beaten tapa cloth, Umea/Earth dye from Vava’u, mangrove root dye, black Indian ink, acrylic and watercolours, 500 x 250 cm. Photographed by Hōhua Kurene.
Visit the exhibition now at Depot Artspace or find out more about Oyster Workshop’s creative cohort at their website.
