Kauri and Skyla Wawatai are making an impact in the sports and fashion industry.
Their brand, KBS, is now seen on sports uniforms across Australasia and has become the unofficial go-to brand in the touch scene. The couple, who both come from a touch background themselves, say the journey has taught them invaluable lessons about business, resilience, and whānau.
For Kauri, one of the biggest hurdles was stepping away from financial security and taking a leap into the unknown.
“In terms of business, the biggest challenges for me was making that step from leaving a stable income to moving into a space of the unknown and not knowing, you know, if I was gonna make it and not knowing, if I was gonna have money.”
The couple, originally from Porirua, have been together since they were 13 years old. In the past financial year, KBS reached a seven-digit turnover, a remarkable achievement for a brand that started in far more humble circumstances.
When Kauri and Skyla made the move to Australia, they lived with Paula and Tama Wanakore, a well-known couple recognised for supporting Māori living in Queensland. It was there, working out of a bedroom in the Wanakore home, that KBS was born.
“She’s actually played a massive role in us being business owners and starting our business. We actually started KBS in her home. So, we lived with her and Uncle Tama when we first moved over for about half a year. That whanau, I can’t even put into words how grateful we are for them. She’s literally like our Mama, you know, when you are moving away from home, it’s so important to keep your culture alive and she installed that in us. We started our company in our room with her and yeah, she pushed us to do better every day.”
The Wanakore whānau also supported the couple through the toughest chapter of their lives. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Skyla gave birth to their first child at just 20 weeks.
Reflecting on that heartbreaking period, Skyla became emotional as she recalled the isolation they experienced.
“2020 was the COVID year. That’s no family coming to see you. Borders were closed. So, at that time we’re in hospital dealing with like the grief and then our parents couldn’t be there. So just none of that support that you’re looking for like your family to get you through these tough times. That was frustrating.”
For Kauri, the loss of his son Culture became a turning point and the driving force behind their determination to build something meaningful in honour of their son.
“It changed everything for us both. From almost giving up and then from that happening, just trying to make our boy proud. He was our first child that we had. So yeah, that’s the main driver. And I believe that’s what got us to where we are today.”
Today, KBS continues to flourish. Alongside running a successful clothing brand, the couple have recently opened their own gym and are continuing to expand their vision. Just last week, they were in China researching clothing styles and materials as they look to take the brand even further.
Watch the full episode of Te Ao with Moana on Māori+.
