The Wonder of WOW
Glorious garments, awe-inspiring performances and a live show that will leave your jaw on the floor - it can only be The World of Wearable Art (WOW). Ahead of opening night in September, we met some of the talented behind-the-scenes team helping to make the magic happen.
From sequins and feathers to leather and latex, there's no end to the wild and wonderful creations sashaying the stage at WOW. Add in the dancing, music, circus-style acrobatics, light projections and high energy vibes, and it's no wonder this arena spectacle draws the crowd.
But of course, the preparations for each show begin long before audience members take their seats. Every year, a team of more than 300 people - from choreographers and lighting experts, to models, music composers and set designers, come together to make every show unique. And with 25 coveted awards and a $200,000 prize pool on offer, WOW attracts design entries from throughout Aotearoa and the globe - with plenty of past finalists from Wairarapa, including 2024’s mother and daughter team Jann Lenihan and Waea Walden-Moeung.
The 2025 WOW Show: RISE (on from 18 September to 5 October), will be set in a metaphorical city, with a focus on spreading joy through creativity. There will be all the mesmerising dance moves and wearable creations that makes WOW special, plus large-scale light projections and an enhanced stage design to let audiences feel even closer to the action.
As we count down to opening night, we asked some WOW insiders what it’s like to work on one of the country’s most popular shows, what keeps them coming back for more, and why there’s nothing else quite like WOW.
Jenny Ritchie: WOW’s Aerial Director: I was a gymnast as a kid, and after doing a circus training course in my 20’s, I fell in love with aerial performing. I started with WOW in 2007. There have been too many incredible WOW moments to name, but one of my favourites has to be my first show, when we as the performers were pulled out of a trap door to perform this mirror dance in fluoro orange onesies. When you’re performing, you’re all in, you’re so focused. The only time I would get nervous was if someone I knew was in the audience! Since 2019, I’ve moved from performing in WOW to choreography. I’m involved from the early concept, working with the show director. I love the teamwork at WOW, and being in a creative space where you’re supported and given freedom to explore new ideas. We all can’t wait for this year’s audience to see RISE!
Sarah Nathan, WOW’s Head of Competition: Part of my role at WOW is attracting designers from around the world and inspiring them to enter. It’s exciting when garments arrive ahead of a new show, we start by cataloguing them all in Nelson, and it’s a bit like Christmas! At the end of June we have final selection and it’s the first time we see the garments being worn, which is really exciting. Then the finalist garments are shipped to Wellington for rehearsals and award judging. We have a WOW archival collection of garments that we keep from every show, including every WOW Supreme winner since 1988. These garments need museum-level care, so we have a great team of experts looking after them. It’s an amazing privilege to work in such a creative environment, with the world’s best wearable art.
Libby George: WOW’s Associate Producer (Creative) : I owned a dance studio in Wellington for 24 years and we worked a lot with WOW, so I knew quite a bit about the performance side of the show. Since joining the team here I’ve learnt so much more about the production side of things. And it's just as choreographed backstage as it is onstage – it’s a very smooth operation! Part of my role is looking after contracts for performers, and I also help with casting and the audition process. We all work together and it's great to be able to connect with people across all the different facets of the show. WOW is a really inspirational environment to work in; this is a show that takes in circus arts, dance, music, and of course the world’s best wearable art; it’s very high calibre and done on a large scale. I get to see the show develop at each stage, from early creative meetings through to the finished product— it’s exciting to see how it all comes together.
More info
The 2025 WOW Show: RISE, is on at Wellington's TSB Arena from 18 September - 5 October. Tickets are on sale here.
