PROTOTYPE
In Moorea, pareo production is mostly done by hand. The fabrics—often cotton or rayon—are dyed and printed locally. Artisans use various techniques: stencils, wax batik, stamps, or screen printing. The patterns are inspired by Polynesian nature: hibiscus, tiare flowers, turtles, and plant motifs. After dyeing, the pareos are rinsed, sun-dried, then ironed before being sold. Each piece is unique, sometimes hand-signed by its creator.
A tīfaifai is, above all, a meticulous piece of work crafted step by step. It begins with drawing the motif, often inspired by nature: breadfruit leaves, tiare flowers, stylized waves. Then comes the cutting: one piece of fabric is applied onto another and pinned with careful symmetry to create a harmonious composition. Next, the basting ensures everything stays in place during sewing — a discreet but essential step. Then comes the stitching, done by hand or sometimes by machine in modern workshops, point by point. The process ends with pressing and careful finishing, ready to accompany a birth, a celebration, or simply to decorate a home.
The tīfaifai requires patience, precision, and repetition. It binds the artisan to the fabric, to the history of their family, to inherited patterns. The motif that emerges today may be the result of several generations of practice — passed down, adapted, re-created.
