Model and creative director Cheyenne Kokaua says being Rarotongan, Māori and Tokelauan makes her a natural storyteller — and her clothing rental business, House of Koka, is her vehicle to do it.
“Our people are storytellers, so for me, this is pretty natural,” she says.
We caught up with Kokaua in July 2025 for her latest shoot, It Was All a Dream, which she created after winning a photoshoot at Gray Space Studio in Hamilton, Waikato. The project was a success — and more than that, it pulled her out of a creative rut and reignited her spark.
With Levi Santana as the main photographer, Glam By Bailey on makeup, Shanaia Stewart from Splendid Hair on hair, Aleyna Martinez from Digital Serum, and Aaliyah Ali on camera assist, Kokaua says executing the vision was like “itching a scratch that had been there for a long time.”
Inspired by the late Notorious B.I.G. and the music her dad played growing up, the 28-year-old creative represents the fourth generation of her family living and creating in Enderley and Fairfield, Waikato — something she’s deeply proud of.
House of Koka
Starting House of Koka during the Covid pandemic, her approach to business has evolved with the digital landscape ever since. Drawing on her background in retail and her sharp eye for detail, she says everything she produces is rooted in family values and cultural pride.
Representing her heritage through fashion remains central to her purpose. She believes Aotearoa’s fashion scene still overlooks the regions, and she’s determined to change that.
“I’ve always said, when I come out with my own collection, I’ll do my runway show in Enderley where I grew up, on those streets,” she says.
“I’ve even got a journal lying around with the layout — how I’d have everyone walk, where the stages would be — I thought of everything.”
Kokaua wants to see more elite fashion shows and creative events held outside the big cities.
“People out here still love fashion. When it comes to fashion, like, bro — don’t colonise it.
“Especially here in NZ, we’re known for making the best out of the bare minimum. We’ve got perfect landmarks, cities and neighbourhoods here — why not put them on show and bring money back into the communities that need it?
“Bring it back to the communities where all of this started.”
Inspired by Disney
Coming from Enderley and Fairfield, she says, “it isn’t easy to be a princess” — but she’s proud of the creative wahine she’s evolving into.
Family members would “tell me I’m too vain sometimes. But there’s always been a voice in my head that rejected that,” she said.
“As a model, you have to study your angles. Don’t let anyone tell you looking in the mirror isn’t cool — study your angles, because only you know.”
For Kokaua, creative shoots are about more than photos — they’re about empowerment and narrative control.
“Being on set is like…it means I’m in control of the narrative. I control the perspective, which I love.”
Through House of Koka, Kokaua wants to remind women of who they were before the world labelled them.
“I want House of Koka to capture who you were before all of this — before you were a mum, before you were an auntie, before you got a job, before you were a provider, before you were a wife. That’s so important. I want to keep that part of being a female.”
“I keep it close to my heart because I truly believe the happier your younger self is, the happier your older self will be.”
Reflecting on one of her first shoots, Kokaua smiles.
“It’s about living out my princess fantasy, sis — literally. That’s all it is. Just honouring that little girl in me.”
“It stems from dress-ups. That’s how it all started.”
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