Feel the Glow: Naomi discusses the inspiration behind her awesome new look
September 30, 2016
One of the most must-see elements of any SmackDown LIVE broadcast has become Naomi’s entrance. The “Total Divas” star has embraced “The Glow” for an “am-ay-yay-yay-yay-zing” arrival that few Superstars on any brand can replicate. In an interview with WWE.com, Naomi discussed assembling the look, the reaction from Mr. McMahon himself, and the cult-classic movie that inspired her in the first place.
WWE.COM: Where did you first come up with the idea for this new look?
NAOMI: It was actually inspired from a movie a lot of people probably don’t even know about. It’s called “The Last Dragon.” It’s a movie from the ‘80s.
WWE.COM: What about that movie inspired you?
NAOMI: The whole philosophy and concept behind “The Glow” [a mystical force that hero Bruce Leroy must unlock to achieve martial-arts mastery] is pretty much about believing in yourself and being confident, no matter what you go through or experience. The good times and the bad. You always have to believe in yourself and not let your confidence fade.
WWE.COM: “The Last Dragon” is a martial-arts movie. Did you incorporate any of those moves into the dance, or was it more about the spirit of the film?
NAOMI: No, it was more the concept of “The Glow” came from that. But everything else I wanted to take that philosophy and make it something physical. I wanted to physically show that I have “The Glow.” Not only metaphorically, but physically I’m showing you that I’m glowing.
WWE.COM: Your outfit is obviously very crucial to that. How did you go about picking the materials for the look?
NAOMI: For me, it all started with the sneakers. The glowing sneakers. It actually took me close to two years to get this entrance on TV. This is something I’ve been thinking of and creating, and it’s slowly been evolving over the past two years. It started with the shoes, but on TV it wasn’t enough. I needed more stuff that glowed so when the lights went out you could actually see me the whole time. So I slowly built it from there. I wanted everything to glow. I want my hair to glow, I want my nails to glow, I want my eyes to glow, I want my lips to glow, you know?
WWE.COM: Was your original idea for the entrance any different?
NAOMI: Oh, yeah. [Laughs] I’ve done so many different variations. It started without me wearing any light-up stuff. I was wearing this really expensive fabric I found that actually glows in the dark, but you have to charge it. We started with that – before I’d go out, I had to charge it, and I’d glow all the way to the ring. But it didn’t portray as well on television, so that’s when we started thinking about the UV-reactive stuff. The original entrance was supposed to be pitch-black, like a blackout. No lights, just my gear glowing.
WWE.COM: After a two-year process, what finally pushed the concept over the edge to where it was time to try it on TV?
NAOMI: After Team B.A.D. split and the Brand Extension, I got injured and took some time off. Tamina got injured [too] and took some time off. So our team was done, and both of us were off TV. Coming back after being off for several months, I needed to come back with something new, something refreshing, and it was time for me to evolve on my own. That’s what I wanted to come back and do. So I pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed. I talked to Vince [McMahon] about it, and he finally said, “Okay, we’ll let you try this out.” That was nerve-wracking.
WWE.COM: What did they say when they first saw it?
NAOMI: They loved it! Vince told me great job and he was excited to see it evolve. He actually didn’t like the first gear I wore, the crazy one-piece. [Laughs] I didn’t really like it either, but we were still figuring the gear out, which I’m still doing now! I wear something different every week, because I haven’t found that one look that I really like. But I also like the idea of wearing something different every week, because I think that keeps it fresh and new. I think people like wondering and waiting to see what crazy outfit I’m going to have on each week.
WWE.COM: You’ve had a couple of periods in your career now where your intro was a dance. What is it about a dance that appeals to you?
NAOMI: Dance is universal. I think everyone enjoys dance. You can express yourself through dance; the audience can see through dance that you’re happy and you’re excited. Me being a former dancer makes it second nature to me. It’s something I’m good at, and it’s something people enjoy watching me do, so why not do it? There have been parts of my career where I didn’t dance, and I feel like I’m most entertaining and at my best when I’m just being me. Dance is a part of me.
WWE.COM: You mentioned that the look is always changing and you want people to see something different every week. When do you know you’ve found the perfect look, or are you always looking for that?
NAOMI: I think I’m always looking for it. I think I’ll know and the fans will let me know, but I’m still fishing it out right now. I want it to be colorful and I want it to be exotic. When I come out, I want people to be wowed at what I’m wearing. I don’t want it to look like anything that you’d see normally. I want it to go with the whole concept, like EDM and rave and bright colors. I want it to be fun. Always be fun and out of the box.
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