By Kai combines traditional Fijian silhouettes with a resortwear edge

as told to daisy henry

“I hope the clothes become part of people’s stories: pieces they live in, dance in, fall in love in.”

Few fashion designers get to launch their label with a solo show at Fashion Week, yet this is exactly how Makaira Lee released By Kai into the world. Debuting a 29-look collection at New Zealand Fashion Week, the creative director and stylist put together the entire show (with the help of her family) in just over six weeks. “It was honestly a huge undertaking,” she tells us.

Characterised as sensual and grounded with a “tomboy edge”, By Kai was a natural next step for Makaira after growing up surrounded by a family of talented seamstresses. In fact, she worked alongside her mum, Jeannie, to bring the label’s debut collection, When are you coming home?, to life. From fabric to design, every piece was made locally in Aotearoa.

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Makaira’s Fijian heritage is woven throughout the collection. Textured fabrics like raffia, shell and wood reflect the landscape and culture she grew up around, with silhouettes inspired by the draping of saris and men’s sulus.

The collection also took inspiration from resortwear and Makaira and her husband Kane’s Fijian wedding. “The show opened with natural cotton-canvas looks that nodded to our bridal party, finished with traditional Fijian accessories – including the salusalu Kane wore on our wedding day,” she says. Natural fabrics feature throughout, with weighty, utilitarian materials like calico and drill offset by the softness and breathability of cotton and silk.

Arriving just in time for summer, By Kai’s first drop is expected to launch in November. From fringed camisoles, bikini tops and sheer dresses, to two-piece cargo sets, a selection of styles from the runway will be available as ready-to-wear.

Fashion Journal: Hi Makaira! Tell us a little about yourself. What’s your fashion background?

Makaira: I’m an art director and stylist, and now, though it still feels somewhat surreal to say, the founder and creative director of By Kai. Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, I come from a family of gifted makers and have created alongside my mum, Jeannie, who is an incredibly talented seamstress.

What was the catalyst behind creating By Kai?

I don’t think there was a single defining catalyst. By Kai grew naturally from years of making clothes with my mum – her instinct for fabric and construction, and my love of building worlds through clothing. I’ve always had quite a distinct style and in recent years, I found myself designing more and more of what I wanted to wear but couldn’t find. The response to those pieces always made me think one day it might live in a world beyond our home. After more than a decade in the fashion industry, I feel ready to create By Kai with the intention and integrity it deserves.

What are you hoping to communicate through By Kai?

The first collection is really an introduction to who I am and where I come from. It naturally lent itself to resort wear through both my Fijian heritage and the season we’re heading into, but at its core, By Kai is about thoughtful design, beautiful craftsmanship and clothing that feels effortless yet elevated. We’re looking to launch our first drop this November, featuring a handful of favourites from the show.

How would you describe By Kai’s aesthetic or ‘feel’ to someone discovering it for the first time?

I would say By Kai’s aesthetic is quietly sensual, effortlessly cool and grounded by a tomboy edge.

This year marked your debut at New Zealand Fashion Week. Can you tell me about your Resort 2027 collection?

When are you coming home? was conceived as a 30-look collection, though 29 ultimately appeared on the runway. We had the opportunity to dress Sopha Dopha for the show, so with such a small team, we reallocated one of the looks to create something special for her.

The collection was inspired by Kane’s and my wedding in Fiji and unfolded almost like the story of that celebration. The show opened with natural cotton-canvas looks that nodded to our bridal party, finished with traditional Fijian accessories – including the salusalu Kane wore on our wedding day. From there, it moved into modern resort and effortless occasion-wear, designed for the moments that surround a destination wedding. The collection then came full circle, closing with a reimagining of my wedding two-piece.

It was deeply personal – a love letter to home, to the people who become home, and to the significance clothing holds in all of life’s moments, big and small.

How did the casting for the show come together?

The casting is something I am incredibly proud of. Led by Apela Bell, it included eight models who walked exclusively for the brand, including Evie Ashby and Annie Rose, who flew in especially for the show. Apela and I have worked together for many years and many of the models have shared significant moments in both of our careers. The cast was built not only around the clothes but around the history, trust and community Apela and I have fostered over the years.

Do you have a favourite outfit from the collection?

There are honestly so many! But if I had to choose, it would have to be the Kai Cargo Set. It feels quintessentially me: relaxed, refined and a little tomboy.

You’ve said before that it’s an ode to your home in Fiji. How does your culture show up in your designs?

My Fijian heritage is woven throughout the collection, from saree-inspired draping and the traditional men’s sulu to relaxed silhouettes, an island-led colour palette and patterns drawn from tropical flora. Natural fabrics and tactile details such as raffia, shells and wood further connect each piece to the landscape and culture I grew up with.

I know you designed and worked on the collection with your mum, Jeannie. What was that process like? Did you two develop a routine?

We had just over five weeks to bring the collection to life, so it was intense. Mum worked full-time, then came home, had a moment to reset and sewed into the early hours, while weekends were spent sourcing fabric and working side by side. A few weeks in, we realised there was no way we would get to the finish line alone, so we brought two more incredible women into production. I don’t know if there was too much method to the madness, or a routine as such – we simply did not stop working.

I also collaborated with local bag designer Georgia Jay on a series of custom pieces for the show. The bags incorporated woven leather, wooden beads and shells that felt completely at home in the world of By Kai. It’s pretty special that every element, from the clothing to the bags, was designed and made here in Aotearoa.

What kinds of materials do you most love working with?

I’m naturally drawn to fabrics with a bit of weight and integrity, like canvas, calico and drill. I love their practical, utilitarian qualities and the natural strength and structure they can bring, but also the contrast of shaping these humble materials into pieces that feel refined and unexpected. I also love cotton and silk for its breathability and ease in warmer climates. My mum has always worked with them, so they’re deeply connected to my upbringing and the way I understand clothing.

Where and when do you feel your most creative?

I don’t think it ever really switches off for me. I’m constantly creating or thinking about what I want to create next. But I am really productive at night – when my son is asleep, the world is quiet and I have my favourite album blasting through my earphones. Music is a huge part of my creative process. I had Blood Orange, Mk.gee and Dijon on repeat in the By Kai studio while I dreamt up and brought this collection to life.

What are you most proud of so far?

I’m most proud of this body of work. Not many people can say they debuted their brand with a solo show at their country’s Fashion Week. To be entrusted with that opportunity before By Kai had even officially existed was an extraordinary honour and an unforgettable way to mark its beginning.

The entire show came together locally in just over six weeks. It was honestly a huge undertaking, and my family put their own lives on hold to help make it happen. It was a true labour of love and I’m incredibly proud of what we created and of how the first expression of By Kai was received.

Where are your hopes for By Kai over the next five years?

Without giving too much away, I hope By Kai finds its place in the world and becomes a name people truly connect with. Much like its unexpected beginning, I want to keep pushing creative boundaries and allow the label to evolve alongside me. I don’t think it will ever be just one thing. More than anything, I hope the clothes become part of people’s stories: pieces they live in, dance in, fall in love in, and return to for years to come.

How can people support and engage with the label?

Right now, By Kai lives on Instagram, where we share BTS moments and collection updates. This is only the beginning!