Financial hardship, a troubled childhood and a nasty backlash from the local fashion industry haven’t stopped Auckland designer Kiri Nathan from conquering the world stage.
In recent years, the driven 44-year-old has brought Beyoncé to tears, hung out with Demi Lovato and hilariously attempted to greet Mariah Carey with a hongi. But it was seeing Moana actress Auli’i Cravalho rocking the red carpet in one of her designs at the film’s recent Hollywood premiere that truly left the style diva speechless.
“It’s still surreal,” the Maori entrepreneur tells Woman’s Day. “I should have taken more photos, but I was just standing there, out of it!”
The mum-of-five still gets excited recalling the day she received a call from Disney asking her to dress Auli’i, 16, for her first public appearance. Already aware of the movie thanks to Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi’s involvement, Kiri remembers, “I was really excited that there was a Maori working with Disney – and then they asked me!”
As a child, watching her mum and grandmother sew, the young creative never dreamed she’d one day be stitching red-carpet frocks, especially given her rough background.
Kiri explains, “Growing up in Glenn Innes, we were a low socio-economic area known for crime and domestic violence. I grew up in a broken family and was a lost child. I’m lucky I never ended up dead.”
Despite her family struggles, she says core values of “treating people well and using manners” were instilled in her. And when she fell pregnant at 18, her baby gave Kiri a new sense of purpose.
“My son Astley saved my life,” she smiles. “It was like, ‘You have a responsibility for someone else now. Sort your s*** out!’”
After splitting with Astley’s dad when their son was still a baby, Kiri completed a diploma in visual arts, but deterred by the theory side of fashion and conscious of providing for her son, she became a flight attendant instead of a designer.
Premiere princesses! Auli’i Cravalho and Kiri strut their stuff on the blue carpet.
In her 14 years of flying, Kiri met husband Jason, gained her step-daughter Ahmardia and had son Awatere, all the while entering fashion contests like World of Wearable Art.
Becoming a stay-at-home mum after welcoming the couple’s daughter Te Aria, Kiri continued entering competitions and was thrilled when an outfit inspired by her grandfather took out the supreme award at 2008’s Style Pasifika show.
The win prompted Kiri to start her own label. It was a risky decision – money was tight, she lacked business knowledge and she unexpectedly became pregnant again, with her son Kaiawa.
“I took my little girl and she freaked out,” tells Kiri of meeting Demi Lovato. “It was hilarious. Demi was lovely.”
“We had nothing,” she recalls of the early years, juggling three children under four with a new company, while 45-year-old Jason worked as a courier and developed his pounamu-carving skills. “It was tough, but we’d committed ourselves to starting a business that could work around the kids.”
Kiri says she also faced a “nasty backlash” from local designers who watched with “disgusted looks from the front row” when she hit the catwalk barefoot and heavily pregnant at NZ Fashion Week, then allegedly forced her label out of its very first stockist.
“We were so excited because the store was on High Street in Auckland – the street to stock on – but the shop ended up letting us go because another designer said if they didn’t drop us, she would pull her label from their store. And I thought this girl was my friend!”
Shoulder to shoulder with Kiwi film legend Taika Waititi, who wrote the original script for Moana.
Persevering, Kiri completed business courses and slowly found success, with Jason’s pounamu creations providing a jewellery line for the label. She dressed Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rena Owen, then was invited to show at London Fashion Week.
After joking on Facebook that she’d love to dress Beyoncé, she was put in touch with the singer’s manager, and was able to gift her a korowai cloak and pounamu necklace backstage in Auckland.
‘Kia ora, Beyoncé. My name’s Kiri.’ I heard the words coming out of my mouth, but it just seemed insane! I explained to her the significance of the pieces, including one cut from the same stone for Blue Ivy, and she got emotional. She was really genuine and kept saying, ‘Thanks so much!’”
Kiri has since given gifts to Demi Lovato, Mariah Carey and Ed Sheeran, and continues building the brand. And while flying to LA to present the most expensive dress she’s ever made to Disney was a career high, she believes such opportunities come with a responsibility to be the kind of role model she lacked growing up.
Kiri with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: “I really admire his process and how he seems so grounded. He was really nice.”
Kiri tells, “When I was kid, how I wished that someone said, ‘These are the options out there for you, and these are the people who have already done it and come from the same place you do.’ Opportunities like Moana mean I have a voice, so I’m passionate about working with young Maori girls who are falling through the cracks.
“The label’s still growing and we’re dedicated to making it work so that our kids grow up with options we didn’t have – so they learn that if you’re passionate about something, the only time you fail is if you give up.”
