Freedom: New Zealand

“What you wear is a big part of your identity—it’s a conscious decision you make every day. For some, it’s being part of a group or tribe, for others, it’s about being independent. I like the way cultures borrow and mix with each other—it’s a kind of symbol of acceptance and respect. The area around St. Paul’s College was historically populated by people from the South Pacific, such as Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands, until the early 1980s when the area became popular because of its location close to the city center, forcing out the existing residents to South Auckland, where a lot of the boys now commute from to attend the school because their fathers did. There are still a few families from the islands living in the area and this is what I wanted to capture: the feeling of the South Pacific and its peoples in New Zealand.” Derek Henderson

MODELS Sione Kamosi Moala, Fatu-Ki-Motulalo William Andrew Gordon Tupou, Ethan Steven Ngamata Puletivatoa, Antonio Justice Tuipe’a, Boston Edward Harry Viliami Schaaf PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT Anton Maurer