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Māori-owned textile company Noa Blanket Co.’s newest collection for 2025 is inspired by the creation story of Hineahuone, the first woman.
In the Māori creation story, Hineahuone was the first woman, formed from the red earth in a place called Kurawaka. This reflects our human connection to the land, ancestral wisdom and the threads that tie together a community – and it’s the inspiration for Kurawaka, Māori-owned textiles company Noa Blanket Co.’s first limited collection of 2025.
The collection features a trio of blankets, each celebrating a part of our origin story, drawing on our shared values and grounded in Māori heritage while interweaving the stories of the other cultures that call Aotearoa home. Each tale is told through blankets woven in Auckland from 100 per cent New Zealand wool that’s been ethically sourced.
Te Hā is a tribute to the nature of creation, and reflects humankind’s connection to the natural world and one another. The Te Awe blanket is a celebration of intuition and transformation and an homage to those who walk head-first towards change. Finally, there’s Kauhou, which is inspired by the power that flows from the ancestors and between generations, and the balance between the masculine and feminine.
“The collection is a reminder of our humankind-ness – our interconnectedness, our innate power to create, to care and to grow together.”
“This collection is a return to the source, a recalibration to the deeper knowing of our shared purpose” says Noa Blanket Co.’s co-founder, Josh Te Kani. “It’s a reminder of our humankind-ness – our interconnectedness, our innate power to create, to care and to grow together.”
The rich elemental tones of the Kurawaka blankets echo the raw beauty of Aotearoa’s natural landscapes and draw a line between the nature-based creation story that’s celebrated in the collection and the very fibres from which the blankets are woven.
Like each of Noa Blanket Co.’s products, the creation of the blankets themselves also tells a story: one of respect for nature, people and history. Aotearoa’s heritage is intricately bound with wool; sheep farming has been integral for centuries, and wool blankets – like those created by Noa – have been intrinsic to local culture, whether wrapping early settlers, keeping soldiers warm or playing a role in the modern home.
Wool has had a tangible impact on Māori craft culture, too, as over the centuries the textile has been incorporated into traditional weaving. Noa Blanket Co. continues these traditions with its products, which are created in New Zealand by suppliers and makers dedicated to preserving and enhancing the country’s unique environment – values embedded in the Māori connection to nature celebrated in the Kurawaka collection.
The intricate beauty of the Kurawaka collection reflects Noa Blanket Co.’s ongoing commitment to celebrating Māori culture and craft through beautifully made blankets that make a distinctive impact.
