Despite trying really hard, I struggle to find museums and art galleries interesting. I never find the work is really that creative or impressive, and am often left thinking I could do more impressive work. Anyone could! Usually, I walk out and wish I hadn’t wasted my time. But this time was different.

I was in Nelson, New Zealand, on my working holiday and mum and dad had come to visit for a couple of weeks. It had been recommended to us that we make sure to visit the World of Wearable Art, as mum would enjoy it and it had a classic car section for dad so great all round although I really wasn’t bothered. We got there and the building wasn’t anything like the rest of New Zealand, it was contemporary and impressive, again I knew nothing about this so it was all new to me. We got our tickets and headed through the curtain to the exhibition.

I had honestly never been so in awe in my life. There were mannequins thoughtfully arranged throughout the walkway, with beautiful, intricately detailed outfits on, each made by a different designer, from all over the world. I learn’t that in actual fact, WoW art was not the small exhibition I thought it was, it was actually a world renowned fashion show that took place in Wellington yearly, in which designers all over the world can submit their work in the hope of getting a place on the runway.

There was a section in the museum that gave you the chance to sit down and watch the show from the year before, but it’s not just walking down a runway, the show it like something out of the theatre, with smoke and dances making each outfit stand out in its own unique way.

Then after the show, the outfits are taken back to Nelson to display in the WoW art museum.

My favourite section was the neon room, in which all the outfits had neon elements to them, making them stand out or look completely different like stick figures. There was a quote on the wall that summed up the place perfectly – “‘WOW’ creates a platform for people’s wildest imaginings. We need more quirky things in life – ‘WOW’ gives the world colour’.

I had never felt so inspired in my life. Coming out of that exhibition I just wanted to create, I wanted to make the craziest dresses possible, and take amazing photographs, and I could see all these photo ideas popping up in my head. I’ve now added to my bucket list ‘Go watch the WOW show in Wellington’ and I 100% plan to upon my return. If you ever find yourself in the area, or even heading to New Zealand & you are a creative person, I definitely, definitely recommend you take a visit. It is so worth it.   

If you’re curious, here’s a video of the show from youtube: