Review: Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa 'Rot and Reverence' 25th March 2025 [Web Exclusive]

WEB EXCLUSIVE | REVIEW | ĀHUA | FASHION

Written by Rosanna (she/her) | @strangeandmisguided | Contributing Writer

Rot and Reverence - 25th March 2025

As the music swells, models emerge. Pulled from the dirt, wrapped in gauze and set down the runway, a serene sort of destruction. Soft knits in neutral tones, ripped and ragged, highlight the beauty of the body.

Tucked in the widely forgotten Cross 8 Arcade, a space often overlooked by regular passers-by, Kulture Ink, bathed in red, casts us aglow. We’re squished like sardines along the runway - a transformation of the tiled hallway that connects the Wilsons' carpark and Karangahape Road. Bright lights that have become an Āhua staple blind me, as I have the misfortune of being parallel to a bulb. A woman with a cane sways, and I can’t help but think, “Did anyone consider accessibility?” I’ve been to four Āhua shows over two years and have noticed a lack of flash warning for the pre-show performance, nor warning if venues are accessible for disabled patrons - things I would like to see considered in the future.  

Perfect jackets and shorts over pants leave me thinking about how I’m going to style my wardrobe from now on.

Violent dancing between two streetwear-clad artists starts the show, moving between two sections that are distinct from each other. Only knowing the production is continuing due to the “whoo’s” of the audience. As the music swells, models emerge. Pulled from the dirt, wrapped in gauze and set down the runway, a serene sort of destruction. Soft knits in neutral tones, ripped and ragged, highlight the beauty of the body. Sex in a song blasts loud, then the tone shifts. Airship ambience plays and characters from a fantasy war spill out: soldier, medic, the Madonna they pray to.  The atmosphere is tense, a cold shock from the chatter before. The story being told ends with a sigh of relief; the shock of war is now over - they’ve found peace. As soon as it's serene, we get lost in a corporate hellscape. The turnover between collections is swift, leaving my head bobbing as I keep whipping it around to get a better look. We’re treated to denim perfection, the variety of the designers truly shines in this line up.  Nothing is quite like the other, a poor joy to behold as a collective. Perfect jackets and shorts over pants leave me thinking about how I’m going to style my wardrobe from now on. A vast difference with the next designer's look, as the office girl is turned cannibal, eating her evil boss. Pinstripes and ruffled silk splattered as if a cup of tea was overturned in rage. Big, busy hair, strong eyes -  these workers looked ready to kill.  For the final collection, we're left gasping as models made monsters stomp down the tiles, fur swaying methodically - beauty transformed to beast.  The collections were as distinct as they were collaborated, achieved beautifully in this group show that truly suits the title Rot & Reverance, an altar to the beauty of fashion and the decay of society.  

Pinstripes and ruffled silk splattered as if a cup of tea was overturned in rage. Big, busy hair, strong eyes -  these workers looked ready to kill.