WHO WE ARE

We’re Tawera and Kahutea, two brothers from Waiheke Island, raised on the beach, shaped by our Māori roots, and always building something creative.

Our dad, Paora Toi Te Rangiuaia, is a Māori artist. We didn’t grow up visiting galleries, we lived inside one. His sketchbooks were everywhere: full of kōrero, designs, and stories passed down through blood and time.

That’s how we learned to see the world, through art, identity, and responsibility.

We whakapapa to Ngāti Porou.

We come from a line of artists and carvers who told stories with their hands. That connection to iwi, whenua and whakapapa has always been in us, even before we had the words for it.

Starting a clothing brand together wasn’t just a business idea. It was a way to create something that felt like us.

  • WHY WE STARTED WHETŪ

    In 2024, it all clicked.

    After receiving our tā moko, we felt a deeper responsibility to carry our culture with more intention. We asked ourselves:

    What if this art, this living identity, could move from skin to clothing?

    What if people could wear culture with pride and mana?

    That question became Whetū.

  • WHAT MAKES WHETŪ DIFFERENT?

    Every Whetū design comes straight from our dad’s original sketches.

    No edits. No trend-chasing. No watered-down inspo.

    Just real designs, real stories, straight from the source.

    The name Whetū reflects what we stand for:

    Aiming high. Backing yourself. Moving through the world with confidence and purpose.

    Whetū isn’t fashion for fashion’s sake.

    It’s identity.

    It’s legacy.

    It’s something you can wear and feel.

  • THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US

    Whether you’re rocking your first Whetū piece or just here checking us out. Thank you.

    This kaupapa means everything to us.

    Every order, message, tag, and share helps us keep building something real. Something Māori. Something ours.

    We’re just getting started, and we’re stoked to have you with us.

    Arohanui,

    Tawera & Kahutea