In sickness & health: DESIGNER KIRI'S SILVER LINING

Her relationship with Jason and their kids has got her through a crippling condition

-  Kasia De Vydt-Jillings

It’s been 20 years since award-winning fashion designer Kiri Nathan married the love of her life, Jason, and 15 years since she launched her self-titled label.

As she celebrates the two passions she has poured so much of her heart and time into, Kiri is refreshingly honest. Yes, there is a lot to celebrate, but there have also been many hurdles to tackle and in some ways, she confides, they’re hustling just as hard as ever.

“It feels longer than 15 years for the business and I wouldn’t say we’ve made it – it certainly doesn’t feel like that right now,” shares Kiri, 52. “It feels like a grind. But there are moments where my heart feels really full and I know something great has happened.”

There was the honour and responsibility of being the first Māori designer to open New Zealand Fashion Week in 2023 to great acclaim. But since then, Kiri has been repeatedly disappointed to miss out on funding proposals and a major uniform contract, while her clothing line, like so many Kiwi businesses, experienced its most challenging year in 2024.

By September, she and Jason had no choice but to let their staff go.

“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in business, because they are whānau to us,” she says.

Around Christmas, things were looking up, especially with the opening of a Kiri Nathan store in Britomart.

“The stars aligned and we feel so grateful.”