KEY POINTS:
It was a Bro Town reunion in the frontrow at Tav today, with the boys along to support Cook Islands designer Ellena Tavioni who since she began showing at Fashion Week several years ago has begun exporting her island attire to Japan, Australia, London and across the Pacific.
Tavioni is also soon to open a store come gallery in Mt Eden Rd. This year, she twinned island prints with merino wool and used traditional fabrics in muted and darker colours for pieces that can be more than holiday wear.
The show started with a graceful swaying model with black pearls in her hair and wearing a simple black sheath with mother of pearl discs threaded into a cross-over back.
It ended with the designer's 5-year-old granddaughter, Hunaarii Tavioni-Poila shyly walking the runway.
Hand-painted fabrics were crafted into a wrapround stole-style top and dresses and fringing featured.
Twinned with a simple black blouse, a tapa-style fabric skirt looked more abstract than ethnic.
