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The Auckland Museum Store presents Kōkōwai, a one-night-only, evening of fashion, art, live music and performance on Friday, September 12, at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Kōkōwai, named for the sacred red ochre pigment once used to adorn bodies and mark the tapu, will showcase the work of two acclaimed wāhine ringatoi Māori, Shona Tāwhiao (Ngāi Te Rangi) and Stevei Houkāmau (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui).
Shona Tāwhiao is know for her distinctive “Harakeke Couture” style, which has been presented at fashion weeks in New Zealand, London, Malaysia, and beyond. Tāwhiao will present a special showing of her woven couture and streetwear, and will showcase new works that fuse traditional weaving with contemporary design, highlighting her unique blend of heritage and innovation.
Stevei Houkāmau carved uku (clay) works speak to whakapapa, whenua and tīpuna, and have earned national and international recognition, including winning the 2023 Kiingi Tūheitia Portraiture Award and representing Aotearoa at Munich Jewellery Week.
At Kōkōwai, Houkāmau’s clay forms will be brought into dialogue with movement and ritual, extending her practice into a live performance setting.
The evening will culminate in a performance taking place under the Museum’s tanoa. Invoking the sacred, the ancestral, and the earthly, Tāwhiao and Houkāmau’s works will be brought to life through movement and ritual.
Charged with the sonic force of 2025 Taite award-winner Mokotron’s live fusion of hiko (Māori electronic music), with taonga puoro, and expertly woven together by director Te ‘Okota’i Paitai, Kōkōwai is no ordinary night at the Museum.
Hokohoko Musuem Store retail manager Karyn Watson invites visitors to be curious.
“Kōkōwai is a chance to experience firsthand the powerful creativity of two extraordinary wāhine ringatoi we represent at Hokohoko Museum Store. Along with DIVA open late for the evening, audiences can immerse themselves in artistry, story telling and cultural expression. A stunning selection of Shona and Stevei’s work will be available to purchase on the night. Come and explore, come adorned, be inspired!”
Tickets also include entry to DIVA, the spectacular international exhibition direct from London’s V&A. Featuring more than 50 looks rarely seen by the public, DIVA showcases costumes worn by some of the world’s most iconic performers, some from their own collections.
Highlights include Maria Callas’ stage ensemble as Norma (1952), Marilyn Monroe’s fringed black dress from Some Like it Hot (1959), and the only known surviving dress worn by silent film star Clara Bow. Visitors can also see Bob Mackie designs worn by Tina Turner, P!nk and Cher; Elton John’s Louis XIV–inspired 50th birthday costume with a towering powdered wig and train, designed by Sandy Powell; and Shirley Bassey’s couture pink gown by Julien MacDonald, complete with diamanté-studded wellington boots, worn at Glastonbury in 2007.
