\n<\/p>\n
The outfit is distinctly Victorian. A high, vintage lace collar with ruffles cascades over the lapel of a black tailcoat. But it is not meant to be a throwback.<\/p>\n
For Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, the co-leader of Te Pati Maori, a New Zealand political party, it is a reclamation of the era when her ancestors first engaged with the British, who began colonizing New Zealand in the early 1800s. She has worn this attire, plus a top hat, in Parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you want to get a message out fast, fashion is a way to do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The message is largely the same since the party had a surprise return to Parliament three years ago: keeping issues of its minority community in the public eye and building political support. Its members are feeling particular urgency now because the future of several pro-Maori policies is on the line. In Saturday\u2019s election, Te Pati Maori is expected to win as many as five of the 120 seats in Parliament. It currently controls two.<\/p>\n
The party \u201chas been great at getting a disproportionate amount of media attention,\u201d said Lara Greaves, who teaches political science at the Victoria University of Wellington. \u201cThey play that as a positive for their voters that they\u2019re really out there representing Maori politics.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Te Pati Maori\u2019s policy proposals have included decoupling New Zealand from the British monarchy and enacting a wealth tax. It has faced criticism from the right that it exhibits too much political showmanship with few concrete results.<\/p>\n
A recent poll showed a slip in support for Te Pati Maori, which, like other minor parties in New Zealand, often struggles for significance. It is unlikely to be a major political force or kingmaker, because New Zealand\u2019s next government is all but certain to be a conservative coalition led by the National Party, which has promised to defund pro-Maori programs such as a health agency for the community and has ignited racially charged debates.<\/p>\n
Below Ms. Ngarewa-Packer\u2019s mouth is a traditional tattoo called a moko kauae. Around her neck is a large hei-tiki, carved out of jade, for protection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re up against some yucky nastiness,\u201d Ms. Ngarewa-Packer, who gave her age as \u201c50s,\u201d said of the race-baiting that has become more overt with this election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
About 17 percent of New Zealand\u2019s population identifies as Maori, and a significant portion of the community has long supported the incumbent center-left Labour Party. Te Pati Maori was formed in 2004 when two Maori politicians left Labour after a dispute.<\/p>\n
In 2021, the Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi made headlines when he forced a rule change<\/a> that no longer required male politicians to wear neckties, which he called a \u201ccolonial noose.\u201d His choice of parliamentary footwear \u2014 Air Jordan sneakers \u2014 was widely criticized.<\/p>\n But Mr. Waititi has remained defiant, walking the runaway at New Zealand Fashion Week for the Maori designer Kiri Nathan in his signature sneakers and a carved jade necktie.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must continue to decolonize our spaces down to our shoelaces.\u201d Mr. Waititi, 43, wrote on TikTok after the show.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Far from being trivial, these acts of defiance are probably speaking to Te Pati Maori voters, according to Ms. Greaves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMaori is an ethnicity, but it is also a culture, and people who feel connected to their cultural side are more likely to support Te Pati Maori,\u201d she said, adding that many Maori voters still have an affinity for the Labour Party.<\/p>\n The Te Pati Maori co-leaders heard about the tie rule during an induction into Parliament in 2020. Ms. Ngarewa-Packer wore a tie during the ensuing controversy because female politicians were not subject to the rule.<\/p>\n Ms. Ngarewa-Packer\u2019s style has been called \u201cpost-colonial.\u201d The high collars, lace and ruffles of the Victorian era coincided with a period of trauma for the Maori that included land confiscation and wars with British colonizers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is something that is incredibly Western and incredibly English, and, at the same time, it is incredibly powerful and incredibly Maori,\u201d Bobby Luke, a designer and university lecturer, said of how Maori artists and designers have reclaimed the look.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Takutai Tarsh Kemp, a Te Pati Maori candidate, is a counterbalance to Ms. Ngarewa-Packer\u2019s near-gothic style. She favors bold patterns, bright colors and streetwear like sneakers and tracksuits, which reflect her involvement in New Zealand\u2019s hip-hop dance community.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is all about being proud to be Maori,\u201d Ms. Kemp, 49, said at a recent campaign event in Auckland with the party\u2019s reggae theme song blasting in the background. She wore a dress from Jeanine Clarkin, another Maori fashion designer. The dress combined a printed cotton sheet with a vintage denim vest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It is also an example of sustainability common to many Maori designers. Ms. Nathan, the fashion designer who featured Mr. Waititi, uses organic materials like native flax.<\/p>\n