Kōtuku wool ensemble

Paul Chaplin named this garment, 'Kōtuku', after the rare bird also known as the white heron. There are three parts to the garment. The long sleeved blouse has tie cuffs which are embellished with hei matau – Māori bone carvings in the shape of fish hooks. This also reinforces the  connection to New Zealand fauna – fish hooks for the heron to catch its food. There is also a miniskirt and a long sleeveless waistcoat that wraps around the blouse and mini skirt. "The pockets on the waistcoat are a signature style of mine and they appeared on the other two garments I have in the collection."