New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has caused a sartorial stir on her visit to the UK, attending a state dinner at Buckingham Palace in a traditional Maori cloak.
The kahu huruhuru is the most prestigious of the many varieties of korowai (cloak) which denote status and meaning within Maori communities. The garment was loaned to Ardern by Ngati Ranana, a London society for Maori people and those interested in Maori culture.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 37-year-old largely avoided the ridicule and accusations of cultural appropriation often levelled at white leaders who don indigenous costume, as befell Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on his Indian tour earlier this year.
Mark Sykes, guardian of Maori special collections at New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, told The Guardian that Ardern’s wardrobe choice “shows how she is portraying herself as a leader of Maori, of all of New Zealand, of everyone”.
“It made me feel proud. She wore it well. She wore it so well.”
The sentiment was reflected on social media, where the striking image of Ardern strolling the halls of Buckingham Palace in the incongruous garment went viral.
Many observers were particularly struck by the image of a pregnant female leader wearing a garment conveying power and status which was traditionally the preserve of male chiefs.
Ardern continued to pay her respects to New Zealand’s indigenous culture during the banquet, quoting a Maori-language proverb as she rose to propose a toast to fellow Commonwealth leaders.
She then translated: “What is the most important thing in the world? The people, the people, the people.”
-
Political cartoons for November 2Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the 22nd amendment, homeless camps, and more
-
The dazzling coral gardens of Raja AmpatThe Week Recommends Region of Indonesia is home to perhaps the planet’s most photogenic archipelago.
-
‘Never more precarious’: the UN turns 80The Explainer It’s an unhappy birthday for the United Nations, which enters its ninth decade in crisis
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
