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A study of identity

Tuesday 6 December 2016, 9:31AM

By Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

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Norah Maclachlan with her 'Tuakiri' collection
Norah Maclachlan with her 'Tuakiri' collection Credit: Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

BAY OF PLENTY

Education can unlock the door to many new career opportunities, but for Norah Maclachlan it provided an essential chance to connect with her culture and help discover her identity.

“Growing up I never learned to speak Māori because of what my parents went through as children,” Norah explains. “They felt it best if we didn't speak Māori as there was a better chance for us living in a European world. What they didn't realise was that it created many barriers like the feeling of embarrassment when someone spoke to me in Māori and I couldn't reply. I carried this stigma throughout my life. I was also unsure of my Tikanga and did not dare to venture into anything Māori.”

Things changed for Norah when she enrolled to study with Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (formerly Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic) – and found herself connecting to her long lost Māori side.

Norah’s son, Glenn, was already a student and he encouraged her to enrol to study. 

“I have always liked to sew and do craftwork, so I signed up to do the Certificate in Fashion course.”

After finishing the 17 week programme, Norah found herself hankering to know more.

“The course whetted my appetite and my tutor, Anne-Marie Simon, was so encouraging… once it had finished I signed up for the Bachelor of Creative Industries, majoring in fashion design.”
Now in her third year of the Degree, Norah has gone from strength to strength. In July of this year she won the 'Bonz Hand Knitted' Award at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards. 

“I didn’t think my work was good enough to enter, but my tutor, Donna Dinsdale, really encouraged me. They challenged the whole class and encouraged us to dig down deep to give our best.”

It was the ‘digging down deep’ that helped Norah start to get in touch with her identity as a Māori. 

While studying, Norah made the decision to start exploring her Māori side – and it is showing through in her work. 

Her collection for Hokonui is aptly titled ‘Tuakiri’ (identity).  The stunning collection of hand-knitted dresses each represent a part of Norah’s journey.

The first piece, ‘Identity Confusion’ is a garment that is both knitted and crocheted. This garment tells of Norah’s confusion of living in two worlds but only really knowing one. 

The second, ‘Understanding Identity’ is crocheted with layers on top of each other. It represents Norah learning to be comfortable with her identity and putting the pieces together to understand where she fits in. 

The third and final garment, ‘Identity Acceptance’ represents Norah finally accepting who she is, feeling, at last, that she is able to share who she is with the world. 

“This garment is about me embracing the knowledge of who I am. The plaits of the korowai and the koru are telling everyone I am Māori and I am proud to be who I am.”

As well as discovering her Māori side through her education, Norah spent time with her nephew, Daniel Ormsby, who is a teacher, carver and ta moko artist.

“He helped me understand that you don’t need to know the Reo – as long as you have Māori within your heart. That took me in a different direction. I understand now that my purpose is not to learn the language – my purpose is to be comfortable in my own skin.”

Norah’s plans for the future include learning more about Māori craft and entering the Miromoda design awards next year.

“I call my work unique freestyle craftmanship. It is a small niche market but I feel my designs can be considered within two fields of fashion. One as a knitted conceptual art form, the other as editorial contemporary fashion garments on the catwalk.”

Norah remains humble in the face of her success, but is beginning to congratulate herself in her quieter moments.

“I’m not very good at receiving accolades – but I am getting there. I am starting to think that I don’t have to sit in the corner and push everyone else. I can get out there and do it too. The more comfortable I become with myself the more I can move forward.”

Norah will be graduating with the rest of the Bachelor of Creative Industries class in December.