Flower Power: Where Couture Fashion Meets Traditional Maori Clothing

Flower Power: Where Couture Fashion Meets Traditional Maori Clothing

13 November 2017, 4:43PM
Lily & Louis

Trish Peng and the National Flower Promotion Group collaborate together a second time.

Melissa Connor from Melissa Jane Flower Studio covered a Maori korowai/cloak in New Zealand Grown lilies, completing the look with a Trish Peng classic wedding gown.

The collaboration is to celebrate New Zealand Flowers Week 2017 on 20-26 November 2017.
November 2017 – In their second collaboration together National Flower Promotion Group (NFPG) and famous Kiwi couture fashion designer Trish Peng join forces to create a fresh perspective on traditional Maori clothing.

NFPG and owner of Melissa Jane Flower Studio sought a contemporary Trish Peng gown to be modelled at a special shoot day held on October 25 and 26 in the lead up to New Zealand Flowers Week. Peng’s ‘Hope’ gown was selected, and now a style infusion of historic with the modern, amplified by a botanical twist is the source of inspiration for the rest of the world.

Melissa Connor, one of New Zealand’s top florists who is based in Wellington, completely covered a Maori korowai/cloak in New Zealand grown lilies which she said represent feathers.

The challenge was taken on to celebrate New Zealand Flowers Week, which kicks off on 20 November, and was completed with one of Trish Peng’s classic wedding gowns, to finish the look for Connor’s piece of art.

Taking a less conventional approach, Connor’s sketch for New Zealand Flowers Week saw a new interpretation of a Maori cloak and traditional bridal.

Peng, who’s most recent Bloom collection has been released, celebrates the feminine beauty of flowers in her exquisitely designed and made flower-inspired wedding gowns, exhibiting a meticulous level of detail in each design.

“Flowers are intoxicating and diverse in their beauty as a universally accepted representation of femininity and beauty. Translating that into gowns which celebrate women at their finest, imbuing a deep sense of beauty and elegance was a creative process that I enjoyed immensely,” says Peng.

Recently, Peng made headlines for her wedding dress design that was made entirely out of flowers and only lived for three hours out of water. The dress took hours to create and was displayed on the catwalk at this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week and used 12 different types of flowers to make the dress, including carnations, hellebores, roses and chrysanthemums.

NFPG Representative says they are delighted to see flowers used in different industries, drawn on for inspiration and unleashing creativity.

“Flowers are one of the rare things in life you can never have enough of. No amount of beauty is too much, and it gives us great pleasure to see them used in this way, celebrating one of nature’s finest gifts,” says Rebecca Jones, NFPG Marketing Manager”.

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