Ellena Tavioni
Founder & Designer
Cook Islands
Ellena Tavioni designs and produces the TAV range, a fashion line that features traditional motifs and modern elements related to the Pacific people. All designs are carved onto boards created by the Tavioni family artists, which are then used for block printing, painting and dip dyeing, all done by hand, using various fabric paints and techniques on natural fibres of cotton, silk and linen plus lycra and rayon. “The process means that no two garments are the same, an artisanal piece inspired by our heritage,” says Tavioni.
Born in 1960, Tavioni says “nothing was happening around here in the 1970s. A few ladies made dresses, but we had no idea about fashion.” After high school and working in a bank in New Zealand, Tavioni returned to the Cook Islands and fell into fashion by accident. “Then I realised I could make a living from it and opened a little store with a plan to go to design school, which I did eventually, three years later.
“TAV is very influenced by our environment and our traditional motifs, not only from the Cook Islands, but from around the Pacific.”
The creation of TAV was not easy. “It’s been a really difficult journey from the beginning” says Tavioni, “now it seems easy, but we have to be on top of it, because anything can happen. It’s taken 40 years to get here. A lot of my family have been involved, my uncles, who are artists as well, have helped, many people have helped throughout this journey. We are very fortunate with the internet, that we’re able to sell our product globally, because trying to find markets to sell our product has been hard. The other challenge is because it’s all handmade, there’s a lot of wastage. I encourage the mamas to take our leftovers, and make them into little purses, bed covers, cushions, toys – things they can sell at the market. I get excited when they do that because it helps them make more income and reduces waste.”
TAV made worldwide headlines in 2012 when the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton was photographed wearing a fuschia pink beach dress designed by TAV, and the Prince donned a blue and white TAV-designed shirt. The Prince and Princess were on a royal tour to the Solomon Islands for the Diamond Jubilee when she wore the dress, however it caused a stir as she was expected to wear something from the Solomon Islands, not the Cook Islands.
“When someone from the consular office came in to order a dress for the little girls to give Kate flowers, I also gave them a strapless dress and a shirt with a note saying, ‘Welcome to the Pacific, this is a little gift for you from the Cook Islands’. I didn’t expect her to wear it. After that, everybody wanted to be at our shop, trying to talk to me. I do feel the weight of keeping up, keeping our customers happy, making sure everybody looks good. Don’t ask me what size range we do, we do everything, and I’m happy to be able to do that. I try hard to make sure everybody’s happy. The garments are well made, they last a long time because the quality is good.”
Tavioni says that, if you want to start a business, make sure you understand how businesses runs: “Don’t be like me, I started a business with no knowledge, it’s a miracle that I survived. I’m hard-working and I’ve put in the hours. I don’t waste money, whatever I make, I put it back into the business. If you want to be a designer, go to design school, learn everything you can about it. We’re a team here, there’s no way I can do everything by myself. I’m not going to mislead anybody and say it was easy. It was really hard, but if you’re determined, work hard, and look after your customers, it can work. I love working, I cannot wait for the sunrise every morning.”
To discover all 49 SHE LEADS videos in the series, view them at pacifictradeinvest.com
