When they were selected to take part in the prestigious New Generation show at NZ Fashion Week, Dmonic Intent – aka Glen Innes siblings, Maxine, Samara, Kris and brother-in-law Joe – were ecstatic.

Nek Minnit.

They were told how much they had to pay.

Not the kind of whānau with thousands of dollars spare and with the bank not coming to the party, the payment deadline was just days away. Desperate and with nothing to lose, for a laugh they took their mum’s advice and went with her to their first game of housie down in Māngere.

Nek Minnit.

Many of their fans are breathing a sigh of relief their housie gamble won. With one fashionista blogging: “Their design structure is sharp, maintaining an extroverted hard edge whilst working with the body taking Māori weaving techniques, Japanese structure and dragging it kicking and screaming into the 21st Century: Kia ora!”

Living and working together, they’re a tight bunch, loud and hard-case, finishing each other’s sentences, bursting into laughter. Of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Maniapoto whakapapa, they’re proud of “G.I: it’s part of our package”.

While the siblings have taken different paths towards high fashion – Kris was a beauty therapist, Max is a Whitecliffe Art & Design College graduate and Samara a qualified goldsmith and jeweller – what motivates and inspires them is the same.

“We are really conceptual with everything we design and sometimes quite political. We design for strong, powerful women with attitude,” says Samara.

They’ve stuck with their name, Dmonic Intent, in spite of a cool reception from some in the industry who refused to work with them because of it.

“Dmonic Intent’s about not being influenced by others, by what’s going on overseas. It’s about being influenced by what’s going on in your own head and in your own life,” says Max.

As Dmonic Intent amps up their business arm, they are working one of the many Te Puni Kōkiri mentors who help thousands of small businesses through the Māori Business Facilitation Service across the country.

With awards dating back to 2007 for Villa Maria Couture, Westfield Style Pasifika, Miromoda and Hokonui Fashion Designs, one critic has described them as “totally out there, rock-star cool”.

Right now they’re working on launching an online store, “it makes sense to sell our own pieces”. Up there on their wish list would be having someone like Nicky Minaj wearing their pieces. Many in the fashion scene predict the Glen Innes whānau are set to give long-standing fashion designers a tough run for their money.