Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa - EAT || ATE

The system is broken. The promises that were made to us are no longer being kept. We were promised that studying hard and working harder would secure a future worth having. But no matter how many jobs we obtain or how qualified we are, we’re all barely staying afloat.

Creatives refuse to work for conglomerates that care more about turning profits than cultivating the arts. This leaves us the margins and footnotes of every conversation - and we left a lot unsaid in our past show week.

This March’s Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa FW 2025 continues to focus on promoting and platforming emerging and early career artists from all areas of Aotearoa’s creative scene.

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EAT || ATE

In a world where art is both a necessity and a luxury, EAT is a performance art fashion show that unravels the paradox of creative survival under capitalism. As the night unfolds, so does the spectacle, moving from curated elegance to beautiful chaos, mirroring the tension between artistic expression and economic survival.

Creatives are often forced to commodify their work, navigating a system that demands productivity over passion, sustainability over spontaneity. Yet, despite these constraints, artists remain the architects of freedom, building worlds where identity, politics, and marginalized voices take centre stage. Smorgasbord challenges the notion that art belongs only to those who create it. Its extravagance is not exclusionary; instead, it invites all to witness the raw, unfiltered power of self-expression.

As fashion meets performance, Smorgasbord is both a rebellion and a revelation, a reminder that even within the capitalist framework, creativity refuses to be contained.

The Show will feature selected looks from all the designers presenting over Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa with over 70 looks being presented.