HEAVY TAMA

Welcome to the first blog post.

We'll begin with the origins of the Heavy Tama t-shirt because it was the first design and concept for our apparel. The MANUIA brand concept is another story for another blog post, but we'll begin our journey here.

If you haven't yet seen, our first set has 3 t-shirt designs, the Manuia Classic, the Heavy Tama and the Iron Teine. Being the first, the Heavy Tama inspired the rest of the collection and others that are to come.

Firstly, the phrase "Heavy Tama" was coined by the late Tone Pa'o from the village of Lufilufi, who started a band in the 1960s called "Heavy Tama". Pa'o is the grand uncle of Manuia's founder, and this collection seeks to celebrate the phrase in a new light and time, while honoring and continuing a family legacy. 

Our Heavy Tama figure is inspired by Samoan soga’imiti, who are symbols of service, honor, love and respect; leaders and warriors in their own right, who serve and protect the interests of the aiga (family) and nu’u (village). 

This design pays homage to family history and cultural history; it highlights Pasefika strength and mass, while serving as a reminder that true strength is not solely based on appearance, but encompasses the whole being and character.