Rarotonga Fashion

Cook Island fashion is about mixing together the bright vibrant colours of the beautiful island surroundings with comfortable garments ispired by the Polynesian designs and influences.

Three well known local fashion designers Kay George, Annie Bonza and Ellena Tavioni have used the Polynesian influences to create elegant garments all different but all with the Polynesian design.

Kay George’s hand painted garments can be found at her studio ‘The Art Studio’ in Arorangi.

This year, 2007, Annie Bonza has the Te Papa Museum in Wellington New Zealand, paying tribute to her 50 years in the fashion industry with a retrospective exhibition of some of her fabulous garments she has designed and made over the years.

Ellena Tavioni’s fashion label is TAV and specilises in handprinted, painted and dyed fabrics. Ellena has impressed the fashion world with the exhibition of her garments in the 2005 and 2006 Air New Zealand Fashion week. The TAV label garments can be found at her shop in Avarua.

Polynesia By Design store on the outskirts of Avarua township has a variety of individual styles with one of a kind pieces which incorporate contempory and taditional island dress.

Their unique creations are inspired by beautiful Polynesia and are locally designed and created in Rarotonga.

Special Polynesian inspired gifts can also be purchased from ‘Polynesia by Design’.