About me

Kia ora/ Kia Orana/ Fakaalofa Lahi Atu 

My name is Kahu, and I am (if not obvious already) the founder of Tide by Kahu. I am of Maori, Cook Island and Niuean descent. I was born and raised in Wainuiomata in Wellington and later moved to Auckland to finish high school and then completed my degree in Health Sciences. 

Lots of people always ask me "who inspired you?", for me, its always been my Mum. Even as a single mum, my mum always managed to turn heads with the most fashionable outfits, proving that style and strength go hand in hand. My most fond memory of my mum was when she came home with these snake skin boots, one red and one pink pair. I never took them off, from clothes to shoes, there was never a dull moment. 

About me: During the day, I am a Locum Occupational Therapist working in Australia. I help people both in hospital and in the community to find solutions to their everyday issues - getting dressed, showering, looking after yourself at home, thinking, getting back to work and of course, equipment prescription. So, you could definitely say that I have a passion for helping people! I specialised in Mental Health and Addictions and hope to come back to this one day when I return to New Zealand.

I have owned and still own to this day, a dress rental business, One Fit Hire that focuses on providing plus size rentals for all shapes and sizes. Through this business, I saw the lack of options that are provided for everyday wear and thus Tide was born.

I officially launched this business in March 2025, however I had been working on it for a year or so before launching. I created Tide by Kahu in hopes to bring "more" to the New Zealand and Australian market. 

More to me means: colourful, bold, statements, size inclusive, easy to put together outfits that make you feel good, effortless, comfortable, easy to reach for. 

I have been working on designs and concepts since early June 2024, sampling, sending garments to and from different manufacturers, testing the market on which manufacturer was best to use.

I was able to meet with different manufacturers, tour their workplaces and get a better idea and understanding about the ethics related to bulk production of our products. Through this, I found a manufacturer and toured the fabric markets where I fell in love with many patterns and settled on our first two designs. 

I hope to bring you core collections with staple and bold pieces that you can mix and match in your wardrobe as well bringing the comfort factor.

If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Nga mihi,

Kahu