Meet Our Makers
Behind every TAV piece are the hands of many. Our makers are skilled artisans whose knowledge has been passed down through generations.
Founder & Designer
Ellena Tavioni
Ellena Tavioni is the visionary behind TAV, a pioneer of Pacific fashion whose island-crafted creation is now an internationally recognised brand.
Born on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, Ellena was raised to appreciate the value of hard work, creativity and cultural pride – influenced by her family of artists, carvers, painters and poets.
At 15, she moved to New Zealand, where she first learned to sew – the beginning of a lifelong creative journey. After returning home to work alongside her uncle, artist Mike Tavioni, and studying design in Melbourne, she founded TAV in Rarotonga in 1987.
For decades now, Ellena’s work has helped shape Pacific fashion on an international stage, turning traditional motifs into bold, contemporary statements of pride. A Pacific story – shared with the world.
Artist & Taunga
Mike Tavioni
With a deep, resonant voice and flowing white hair, Mike Tavioni is a storyteller, master carver, painter, poet, and cultural guardian. For over fifty years, his hands have expressed the soul of his people through the shaping of wood, stone and words.
It was Mike who taught our founder Ellena the block printing techniques that would become the heart of TAV. His carvings – bold, precise, and full of ancestral knowledge – bring traditional akairo or motifs to life and preserve the voices of generations gone before us, for the future. Recognised across the Pacific yet grounded in the Cook Islands, Mike proves that art is never just decoration – it is declaration.
Artist & Taunga
Henry Tavioni
Henry Tavioni is the quiet anchor of the TAV family. Craftsman, mentor, and keeper of tradition, he leads with his heart and a keen eye for detail.
Amongst his many skills, Henry guides ceremonial protocol, restores artifacts for the Cook Islands Library Museum, tests ancient woodworking techniques, and mentors emerging artists. He has shaped many of the boards TAV uses today, ensuring that ancestral knowledge and creativity endure.
Henry’s dedication is a testament to tradition carried not for recognition, but for love of culture, family, and the enduring spirit of the Pacific.
“Creating is a lot of fun, it’s an addiction for me.”
- Henry Tavioni
Artist & Master Carver
Taputu Tavioni
(1952-2002)
Like his brothers Mike and Henry, the late Taputu ‘Tang’ Tavioni was an artist always forging his own path. Cartoonist, radio DJ, and master carver, he wielded humor, wit, and culture with equal force.
His work – like the Maire board still used at TAV today – reflects a spirit that was joyful, fierce, and free. A mentor and teacher, a generous soul taken from us too soon, Taputu’s legacy lives on in the TAV anau and as a thread in the greater fabric of Cook Islands creativity.
Our Printers
Our printers are easy to recognise – their hands carry the work with them. Speckled with paint from rollers and trays, their palms reflect the rhythm of a craft practiced daily.
Using hand-carved printing boards created by our Tavioni uncles, each printer works with steady, practiced movement. Layer by layer, colour builds into depth, bringing our akairo to life with intention and care.
Our Cutters
Once the fabric is printed, our cutters take the next step in shaping a TAV garment.
You’ll still find our founder, Ellena Tavioni, at the long wooden cutting tables – focused, precise, and intrinsic to the process. Alongside her are Tamua and Melissa, who together hold more than five decades of experience at TAV.
Their work determines how a piece fits, moves, and ultimately how it makes someone feel. A clean, accurate cut is essential; it’s the foundation of every garment we create. With each pattern placed and each line followed, they bring form, balance, and confidence to the design.
“I’m still enjoying working, after thirty-odd years. When TAV started it was so small. But now, after all these years, we’ve picked up.”
- Metua Brown, Sewer
Our Sewers
The sewing room is the heartbeat of TAV. Dozens of machines hum in constant motion as fabric pieces become garments through steady, focused hands.
Surrounded by reels of thread and prepared bundles of cloth, our sewers bring structure and refinement to each piece. Among them is Aunty Metua, who has been with TAV for so long that even she and Ellena can’t recall the exact year she joined. Like Ellena, she learned her craft in New Zealand and continues to sew with dedication and pride.
Every stitch they make strengthens the legacy of TAV, carrying forward the knowledge, care, and identity that define our work.
“I’m so happy to be part of it; I’m so proud to be a part of TAV’s fashions. My boss – she’s been with me all the way.”
