Pacific style at Cult-Couture

An ethereal scene of a darkened forest swathed in an eerie glow greeted those being seated for the 2008 Villa Maria Cult Couture award show. Speculative chatter from excited guests suggested this might be a setting to play out an excerpt from the life of the Maori folklore character, Maui. In an unexpected twist, as the lighting in the audotorium dimmed, the stage literally came to life as we saw actors encoiled around tree trunks and fauna using their bodies to shift props aside.

Then in a performance resembling that of the Diva Plavalaguna from the movie the Fifth Element; Mere Boynton emerged wowing the audience with a haunting song sung in a vocal style combining classical opera with the lyrics in maori and maori karanga. Like her Diva counterpart Boynton was elaborately dressed, donning Shona Tawhiaos' woven flax ensemble Tino Glam which won the Villa Maria Estate Premier Design Award in 2007.

As a first time spectator and entrant, this was an awesome introduction to the evenings entertainment and best summed up by Karen Swanson, a member of the audience, as "beautiful...mind blowing". From start to finish the show possessed all the elements to impress; a lively and engaging mc, culturally diverse performances, great models and of course a great lineup of designs.

The Flight of Fantasy section kicked off the show and did not disappoint. Iron Maiden masterminded by Maxine Wooldridge & Kirsten Leitch could have stepped out of the imagination of Jean Paul-Gaultier and straight into the costume wardrobe of Fifth Element. Strapped with zips and a commanding presence the gladiator like armour of Iron Maiden held commercial appeal also. With a few design tweaks it could easily transform into a cropped jacket to be worn by the Lady Gagas' of society; that is, the gutsy, self assured women who dare.

AKS Samba followed belting out a funky beat to accompany a high energy display of Afro-Brazillian dance slash martial art – Capoeira. The rhythmic dancing fused with an acrobatic display of kicks was mesmerising to watch and as the dancers stormed down the runway we flinched as a roundhouse kick came within inches of our seats - and faces!

Recycled Revolution would have made many a grandmother proud with revamped doilies, tea cosies and tapestry panels debuting in designs from this section. A menangerie of pieces possibly salvaged from the local op-shop were brought back to life and a quirky dress constructed from retro cardigans caught my eye.

The deserved winner in this section A Stitch in Time was aptly named. Crafted from floral tapestry panels and lined in salmon pink I felt the nostalgia of childhood visits to relatives who had living rooms bursting with cushions of the same ilk. Mis-matched leg warmers and a hat complimented the ensemble with the hooped tiers of the dress creating an interesting triangular silhouette. As A Stitch in Time swayed down the runway three words came to mind to best describe it; cute, fun and whimsical.

An astounding performance from tap dancing duo TMC came next and as they fiercely tapped and danced hip-hop style to open the On the Streets category, the audience got to experience first hand why they were made finalists in the TV show, New Zealand's Got Talent.

A rather eclectic range of garments was chosen for the On the Streets section and we were treated to a vast spectrum of designs ranging from an eighties Gloss style power suit to a trio of draped and pleated knit dresses. At times I found myself a little confused with the entries in the section as they seemed to lose the inspiration of being 'casual street wear' however one must remember that this is an individuals interpretation of the desgn brief – not my own!

Latin Fever dancers took to the stage and welcomed on my favourite and most anticipated section of the evening – Formally Yours. A stunning sunshine yellow tiered tulle gown opened the section and I couldn't help but wonder, if Carrie Bradshaw had a fourth bridesmaid in the Sex and the City movie would Zac Posen have designed a dress like this? Beautiful garments sashayed left and right with designers drawing inspiration from the Scottish highlands, Lolitaism and the Pacific.

Butterflies flew amok in my stomach as a model appeared wearing the result of countless hours of blood, sweat and hand-beading; it was my dress - Homage to Tangaroa. Constructed from black delustred satin and organza, the boned, mermaid style gown looked magnificent and fit the model perfectly. Square, natural paua beads had been specially made by the team at Oceanshellnz for the entry and a staggering 1,800 beads made it onto the final garment.

Karen Chan was the winner in this section for her yellow and blue tiered mini dress named Harmony and Sean Kuo was the runner up for his playful tartan dress dubbed Scottish Night.

Cindy of Samoa greeted the audience next donning a little blue sequin number and a great set of lungs. Wriggling her toosh while belting out a Tina Turner classic, Cindy brought the crowd to life and was undoubtedly one of the most memorable characters that performed during the night.

Matrimonial Bliss was the final section and delighted with wedding gowns and attire, most with a pacific feel. Manurewa designer Visesio 'Louis' Thomsen stole the show with his amazing woven creation Le Tatau Bride. A veteran entrant into the Villa Maria Cult-Couture Awards, Thomsen took out three awards including the Manukau Designer Award for Futuristic Island Princess and the coveted Villa Maria Estate Premier Award for Le Tatau Bride.

The Villla Maria Cult-Couture Awards are a testament to the passionate Manukau arts culture embraced by the South Auckland community. The Manukau City Arts team put in a fantastic effort bringing the event to fruition and if the show is anything to go by, we can look forward to seeing some very talented designers and artists emerge in the future.

Melody Wehipeihana, November 2008

Photos Kevin Robinson