From Accidental Beginnings to Cultural Celebration: Our Story
Contemporary Korowai is turning six this month. We’d like to share our journey which began from humble beginnings to a thriving business, way beyond Brenda’s expectations.
From Humble Beginnings: How It Began
In 2018 Brenda’s life was quite different. She was working part-time, caring for her moko during the week at her home in Wainuiomata and creating just one or two korowai a week. She started advertising the korowai on social media and the korowai just “took off”.
As demand grew, Brenda moved to a spare room and soon purchased another sewing machine for her first staff member. In 2022, Brenda needed to build a new workroom to accommodate her ever-expanding business. Brenda “never expected it to grow this big!” She credits the great support she had along the way and meeting the right people at the right time. “Support and advice came from so many people including our local head Kohanga, a manager at our local marae and local Kaumatua. Their support has been invaluable. I feel so blessed to do what I do and it’s so very important to me not to upset anybody on my journey as I have such respect for Māori tikanga,” Brenda shares. Brenda’s children’s father, who passed away in 2003, was affiliated with Ngati Apa and Tu Wharetoa and Brenda is passionate about supporting her children’s and grandchildren’s culture.
Crafting Tradition
When Brenda first started making korowai, only a few people bought them. Now they are popular for 21sts, graduations, birthdays, weddings, tangi, unveilings, memorials, and newborn photo shoots.
Encouraging people to embrace their Maori culture and to celebrate special occasions fills Brenda with pride. She cherishes the emotional responses when people call in to collect their korowai, like one lady recently who cried when she received her korowai, feeling so honoured to wear it. Another lady said she felt “wrapped in love and her Māori culture” when she tried on her korowai for the first time.
Traditionally, Māori cloaks were called “kakahu,” not “korowai,” which referred to a specific type of cloak. Today, the language around this has changed. Though the occasional person still queries Brenda on the name, most people now use the terms korowai and kakahu interchangeably, as generic terms for Maori cloaks.
The Heart and Soul of Success
Early on in her business journey, Brenda feared if her business grew too much she would lose the joy of knowing the story behind every korowai. She explained, “Creating the website did take that away to some degree, because people were no longer messaging me privately as much. I used to know every story and where every single korowai was going and what its purpose was. I still love hearing those stories and want to encourage people to keep sharing them through social media or Google reviews. That personal connection and people’s stories are so important to me. I’m very lucky to receive so many lovely photos people send me. More recently, I’ve received some really nice graduation photos.”
Visitors to Brenda’s 30-square-metre workroom often comment on its amazing aura. Brenda believes this is due to the love she puts into her work and having her mokos around. Her moko, Emele-Grace, who has grown up watching her “Nanny” make korowai, enjoys helping in the workshop and doesn’t have any memories of her grandmother doing anything else.
Another of Brenda’s worries was the business growing so big she would need to move it away from her home, which is something she also doesn’t ever want. Brenda feels her business has so much heart because it is based in her home. “It’s got more love. The heart of the business is so important.”
Celebrating Success with the Community
People from all over New Zealand, including embassies and even an Australian TV series, have purchased korowai from Brenda’s business. In 2023, Contemporary Korowai won the 2degrees Award for Best Small Business, a proud moment for Brenda. Her Facebook page now boasts 26,000 followers.
Despite her success, Brenda stil sees her company as “just a small business from Wainuiomata,” which has taught her a lot about herself. Grateful for the journey and doing what she loves, Brenda frequently gives back to the community. She donates korowai for competitions, sports teams, and kapa haka groups. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to do what I do. I feel it’s important to give back.”
Many people in business have stressed to Brenda the importance of working on your business, not in it. Brenda said she tried that but loves her business too much. “I love the sewing, helping to create the korowai, and working alongside the ladies that I have working with me, one of whom is my daughter-in-law. It doesn’t even feel like work. It feels like a sewing group. I love being hands-on.”
The Last Word?
“Thank you for believing in us! Here’s to continued success and growth. And please, continue to share your personal stories. We love to receive them.”