Te Vaka costumes are designed and made by Julie Foai.
They reflect the music in that they are traditionally influenced but also contemporary.
|
New female band costume made for the Moana Orchestra |
Olivia wearing the costume made for the performance |
This corsette worn by Olivia on the 2015 |
Dance costume made for Olivia and first worn on the 2015 tour. Skirt is a silky-stretch fabric. The Titi is a black base with shell design at the front and Kiro at the back. Bra is made from fabric leaves and 2 small ankets made of rafia, feathers and shells. |
|
Girls band costume is an original design that was |
Boys band costume is an original design |
One of the first Te Vaka costumes. This one was made for touring as the fresh leaves don't last. The fabric leaves have been carefully sewn to a strapless bra and made into a matching headdress. The lower part of the costume is just a lavalava tied quite short. Worn by Alana in 1997 & 98. | The boys costume is again made for travel with a fabric headband decorated at the back with pearl shell, some dried material and feathers. The belt and armbands are made out of woven matts. The lava lava is black cotten. All the materials are natural. Worn by Etueni Pita since 1997. |
Vai Mahina wearing Cook Islands style costume. The hula skirt is double layered with plain underneath and red on the top. The Titi is very heavy to help with the sway and covered with Tapa, kiro and hanging natural beads. Headdress is made to match with some red rafia and beads. It is platted with four strands to get the thicker flatter effect. | Etueni Pita in Traditional style costume |
Original Te Vaka design worn here by Tremayne Lihou. Top is made from Tapa cloth and secured at the back with hooks and velcrose. White fabric lavalava, just wrapped and turned at the top. T iti is rafia, beads, and dried onions attached at the back. | Fabric lava and headband, shell and rafia belt from Tahiti, handpainted tapa armbands and Pearl shell from Tokelau. Dancer Talaga Sale. |
Traditional design costume, based on the kirio skirt with rafia and feather arm bands, head bands and and leggings. The top of the kiro skirt is woven and has a small piece of tapa cloth and a pearl shell in the center of the waistband. Dancer Etueni Pita | This one is a real cultural mix - the headdress is traditional and normally worn by a Samoan Princess. The coconuts are mostly worn by Cook Island and T ahitian dancers. The red feathers on the hips are also part of a Samoan costume but wouldn't normally be worn over a lava lava as they are here. Dancer Alana Foai |
Traditional and contemporary mix. Fabric lava lava, | Traditional mix with a white fabric lava, sewn to fit the hips and a feather, kiro and shell Titi that sits on the hips. The headdress is made of rafia, feathers and a shell arrangement in the front. The coconuts are traditional , the neck and armbands are part of the Te Vaka band costume. Olivia Foai |
This is a Te Vaka orginal - starting at the top with the headdress made of platted black fabric and natural raffia. The neckpeace is made from kiro, the same natural fibre at the hula skirts are made from. The skirt is a combination of handpainted tapa and black fabric. It is slit at the side to allow for movement. Kiro and feather leggings are tied at the top of the calf. Simona Hope | Costume created for quick-change includes band top lava lava tied lengthwise and black shorts underneath to allow for movement. |
Te Vaka original - the skirt is made from silky fabric with an extra layer of pleated fabric at the top to help exentuate the hips. The Hawaiian lei is attached to the skirt all the way around and long black bird feathers are sewn in at the back for extra effect. Coconuts are worn for the top and the Te Vaka girls necklace made of 3 pahina shells from Tokelau which is worn with all the costumes. Olivia | Cultural contemporary mix. The headdress is made of woven matting, pearl shell, beads and feathers, modeled on the Tahitian style headdresses and held in place with elastic under the hair. Coconut bra and kiro short hula skirt with black rafia titi decorated with shells and fiberous string. Tremayne |
Natural organic style. Skirt is white fabric just folded and wrapped. Titi on hips is made of rafia, tapa and natural beads. Headdress is tapa and rafia. Olivia Foai | Tapa top, held on with elastic and rugged tapa |