Hey, I Like Your Style! Maioha Murupaenga doesn’t dress to impress
image via @maiohaaaa/instagram
as told to lara daly
“I hate the idea of buying something for one occasion.”
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years) and our series Hey, I Like Your Style! dives into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives and It girls. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.
These are the stories behind the wardrobes, exploring how we develop our own personal style. There’s a brilliance behind the way we choose to express ourselves and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story. This week, we’re diving into the colourful wardrobe of Naarm-based model and fashion creative, Maioha Murupaenga.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
Like all the best dressers, Maioha always had the confidence to experiment. “I’ve always kept an open mind with clothing and never felt like I had to stick to one sense of style,” she tells us. Growing up in Auckland, her taste was shaped by her parents, as well as ’90s icons like Aaliyah, André 3000 and Pharrell, artists who “had so much swag”.
“Through them, it felt simple for me to understand that style is personal and also serves a purpose,” she explains. “Dressing to impress isn’t always what makes me like my outfit, but knowing it reflects some sort of unapologetic or creative part of myself is what makes me love what I’m wearing.”
Right now, Maioha describes herself as a maximalist, favouring feminine silhouettes, statement jewellery and outfits that can keep up with her busy working life. “I hate the idea of buying something for one occasion,” she adds.
Her wardrobe is a considered mix of local labels, secondhand Marc Jacobs bags, vintage Alannah Hill, and New Zealand-made knitwear she’s worn into the ground.
Hey Maioha! Tell us about yourself and what you like to wear.
Kia Ora! My name is Maioha Murupaenga. I’m originally from Tāmaki Makaurau, now living in Naarm. I’m a 23-year-old proud Māori woman who does fashion freelancing. My work includes modelling, styling and my weekend retail job at Somebuddy Loves You. I’d describe my style as colourful, feminine and intentional. Every outfit serves a fun and practical purpose for the work and social ventures I get up to in a day.
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Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit a particular aesthetic?
I’ve never felt like I had to fit into a specific fashion ‘box’ or style. My parents were a big influence on developing my confidence. My mum always has a clean, feminine approach, and my dad has more of hip/street style. Both of my parents are social workers, so I grew up seeing them go to mahi (work) in casual yet stylish outfits.
They really helped me understand early on how to mix and match outfits for each day of the week. I have always kept an open mind with clothing, and never felt like I had to stick to one sense of style.
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Take us back to your childhood and teenage years. Who was influencing your style at the time?
I grew up loving ’90s and early 2000s celebs like Aaliyah, André 3000 and Pharrell. They all had so much swag in their style and creativity. I always loved the way they all embodied themselves with their clothing, for every era of their music and career. Through them, it felt simple for me to understand that style is personal and also serves a purpose. I admired their fashion for that sole reason.
Dressing to impress isn’t always what makes me like my outfit, but knowing it reflects some sort of unapologetic or creative part of myself is what makes me love what I’m wearing.
I won’t describe all my cringe or flop outfits from high school. But I do have a memorable moment where I wore a mustard yellow Carhartt hoodie to kapa haka practice. I rocked up thinking I was so skux, for the boys to just take the piss out of me the rest of the night. I really thought I ate though, so I admire my younger self for not caring too much in that random phase.
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How would you describe your style now?
I dress quite feminine these days, keeping it as practical as possible with a statement piece of jewellery or shoes. Nearly every outfit I wear, I also work in. Whether it’s retail, hospo, or modelling and freelance jobs. I hate the idea of buying something for one occasion.
Where do you sit on the minimalist-to-maximalist spectrum?
Maximalist for now, but it changes each season.
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What local brands do you love wearing?
Since I’ve started modelling here in Melbourne, I’ve been lucky to work with really amazing local designers. A few brands I always look forward to trying are Permanent Vacation, PAM and Maroske Peech. They all have very unique pieces that are also comfortable and wearable for most settings.
A local brand I’m really looking forward to purchasing from is Tô Genesis. They make the most unique jewellery I’ve ever seen. I’m super excited to see this brand be stocked somewhere in store hopefully soon!
What’s a fail-safe pairing you know always works?
A knee-high boot, loose fitting pants and a bright skate or graphic tee. Or a fitted top with a huge shell necklace.
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What are some of the ‘investment pieces’ in your wardrobe that have stood the test of time?
I will have to rep New Zealand for this question, because NZ is a whole other natural fibre game. By far the most worn pieces of mine are from Marle and Wixii. They both have a really strong ethos and philosophy around safe working environments and fibre sourcing.
Their designs are usually more on the minimalist side, with a natural colour palette. The pieces I’ve bought over the years from these labels have always paired well with each other, and helped style statement clothes I’ve bought more recently.
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What about your favourite secondhand find?
My best designer secondhand vintage finds would definitely be my Marc Jacob bags. Truly the best affordable designer bags I’ve owned over the years. All 100 per cent leather with importantly, gold hardware.
My best op shop finds over the years from living in Tāmaki and Naarm would be my Alannah Hill and Betsey Johnson clothing. Think old Glassons or Supré, with more ’90s pop silhouettes.
Where do you find style inspiration?
When I was a teenager, I would look up Paloma Elsesser, A$AP Nast and Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s best outfits. I loved how they all wore strong structural and colourful clothing. I felt like all their pieces were classic and timeless. As an adult, I’ve taken inspiration from local artists and creatives like Erika Kamano, Raukura Turei, Clara Mary Joy, Jade Townsend, Donovan Green and Eni Subair.
My workplace (Somebuddy Loves You) has made a significant influence on my style today. I feel lucky to be around a female-led team as well as surrounded by beautifully curated brands. Working here has really helped me think of new ideas with my style, and shopping locally!
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Whose wardrobe would you steal if you could and why?
My best friend Sahara’s shoe collection. She’s the queen of a knee-high, kitten-heel boot. And every single outfit from Madonna. No explanation needed.
What pieces do you currently wear on repeat?
My Levi’s jeans, Paloma Wool belt and a long-sleeve top. I also wear a brown lip combo every day – MAC ‘Greige’ lip liner as the base, topped with ‘Yash’ lipstick and finished with ‘Chestnut’ lip liner.
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Keep up with Maioha here.
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