Zenith Sionefaneva Jacobsen

“The theme “colours of change” with ‘my assigned colour’ Resene Aloe Vera, made me think about what's close to my heart. I thought about music and my culture, and I landed on my mother.

Because she has gone through the most change, and reflects the meaning of this theme to me. My mum wanted to be a nurse as it aligned with her kind-hearted nature and her wanting to help others, and being from the south, she knows how to keep people in line. But in 2014, the people who were going to be her colleagues had dismissed her pains as “a bad stomach ache” or a “headache.” She had a brain bleed. When I was told at age 9, it was the first time I had prayed for protection over her. As time passed, she had come back from the hospital, and that's when I was told that she had changed. My mum has short-term memory loss, yet with this change in her life, she manages to be able to find the joy and happiness in life, and I asked her, “how have you changed?” and she said, “I'm still your mother you idiot, but I do miss thinking about my old life and who I was. But I'm glad I still have my old memories because I would be sad if I didn’t know who you were, my son.” Her favourite colour is green, because Heineken (her favourite drink). She wanted me to create something about our culture. So with this in mind I had a lot to play as we’re: Niuean, Samoan, Tongan, Māori, Chinese. Change is constant, but love will remain the same.

For the dress itself, I drew inspiration from my mum's love of her culture. She's a mixed salad of diverse cultures, which makes it hard. But in the end, I knew that “The Rock of Polynesia” (Niue) was going to be the winner. I wanted to convey this concept in three parts: the skirt as the “moana,” curved to show the sense of a flow and movement and a high slit to show the inside as of Niue’s underwater caves and to cover the slits are layered stalactite-esque shape. The corset is Niue Island, for it is a coral island, showing the sturdiness against the waves. Lastly, the top area is the greenery, replicating the coconut trees, and layered flounces would replicate the breeze as it moves.”

Resene Whitecliffe Colour of Fashion clothing - 2025

Photography by Natasha Boshkovski Photography

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