National identity, tradition and decoration combine as a fashion icon

Tiki jacket from Workshop.

From plastic tiki salad-servers to diamante-outlined tiki printed knits, there is no mistaking that the traditional Maori ornament is back in vogue.

"We just love the tiki," says Denise L'Estrange-Corbet, of World. "I think it's a great New Zealand icon, and something that all New Zealanders recognise, wherever they are in the world. If you see the tiki you just think of home, and for me it's just a great symbol of New Zealand - not just Maori, but the whole of New Zealand."

Not only is it an icon, it seems that the tiki is one of this season's top fashion embellishments.

This winter's Workshop collection sees them adorning everything. Prints abound on denim and cotton, hanging alongside some clever pieces which take the tiki outside its usual sphere. There is a tiki belt (a brass tiki serving as the buckle), and a merino knit which has a tiki femininely traced with diamantes.

Workshop owner and designer Chris Cherry has a personal love of the tiki.

"I love the tiki's strength and simplicity," says Cherry. "I respond to it on a very basic instinctive level. It is believed that the tiki represents the first man - maybe it's something to do with that.

"It's an iconic symbol which we have always loved but it's also part of an ongoing fascination and exploration of various New Zealand and Pacific symbols and artforms which have featured throughout our collections for many years now."

The tiki comes from the name of a male demigod of ancient mythology, and is said to symbolise fertility and creativity.

Before European settlement in New Zealand, the tiki was carefully carved from bone or pounamu (greenstone) and was an item of prestige in traditional Maori society.

While the arrival of technology has turned the tiki into a much more commercial symbol, its sacred status remains. It is sometimes used in traditional Maori ceremonies, and the presentation of a tiki is often a part of state occasions, such as the settlement of the Ngai Tahu tribal claim, the 1999 Apec conference and royal visits.

Cherry agrees that the tiki's place in pop culture is perhaps an indication of our growing acceptance of ourselves as a country.

"It's part of a growing national pride and an interest in where we come from and a recognition of what makes us unique."

L'Estrange-Corbet says: "It's an interesting clash of pop culture, fashion and tradition - but somehow it works. A few years ago, people would have said: 'No way, I'll never use a tiki on a print, because of the connotations and now it seems a bit more out there and people are open to it.

"It's great that it's not taken too seriously. If you were buying a gift you'd get something beautiful and carved. We're all very comfortable about it now.

"It's not just something for special occasions or presentations- its an every day icon of New Zealand, probably more so than the Kiwi."