The World of Wearable Art Competition (WOW) is a world-renowned event where designers create unique outfits and show them in a big yearly contest. It features “wearable art,” which refers to clothing made mainly as a piece of art, not for everyday use or going out.
WOW invites creators from around the globe to amaze the world with their incredible works. For more than 35 years, captivating artworks created by the finalists have been shown in the annual WOW Show in Wellington’s TSB Arena, New Zealand.
The 2023 Supreme World of Wearable Art Competition (WOW) Award went to Nelson designer Gill Saunders for her garment titled “Earthling.” Continue scrolling and explore all of the fantastic works!
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01. Third Prize Award In The Mars And Beyond Section: “Entanglement”
Designer: Celia Ledon, United States
“A sort of breathing-aid war costume, drawn from a dystopic and ethereal darkness.”
Sarah Nathan, the Head of Competition, says the event is an excellent place for people to make their creative dreams come true. “World of Wearable Art Competition (WOW), finalists come from all corners of the globe and a broad spectrum of creative and technical disciplines. Our designer community comprises fashion, textile, industrial designers, jewelers, costumers, architects, engineers, sculptors, painters, crafters, gardeners, doctors, and even boat builders! You only need a strong creative concept and a commitment to robust, quality execution.”
02. Winner Of The Sustainability Award And Second Prize Award In The Open Section: “Tears Unseen”
Designer: Carena West, New Zealand
“Tears Unseen embodies the tears that go unnoticed, shed by women who are mothers and caregivers.”
03. Third Prize Award In The Aotearoa Section: “Rusalka”
Designer: Nikola Carouso, United Kingdom
“Fish-like bones speak to Maui’s fish and the marine life at the root of Aotearoa and its evolution and cultural development.”
“To see their vision come to life on stage through world-class performance at the WOW Show is incredibly rewarding and often emotional for WOW designers. The creative team and models pour immense passion and care into understanding the garments, their inspiration, and stories,” Nathan says.
04. Winner Of The International Design Award And The Gold Section: “Digital Ascension Of Kitsune”
Designer: Dawn Mostow and Snow Winters, United States
“The mischievous nine-tailed fox spirit, a thousand years old, ascends to digital heaven.”
05. Winner Of The International Design Award: Australia And Pacific: “Birth Of The Babel Fish”
Designer: Lynnette Griffiths and Marion Gaemers, Australia
“Regenerated life enfolds a queen as she births fluorescent Babel fish.”
“WOW was born from the idea of taking art off the wall and onto the moving body, and we see that year after year in the entries – both in terms of the visually striking and the important storytelling. We can’t wait to see what comes through for 2024.”
06. Third Prize Award In The Gold Section: “The Golden Chakra”
Designer: Akhilesh Gupta and Dimple Gandhi, India
“Inspired from the Chakras system that helps in finding inner peace.”
07. Second Prize Award In The Gold Section: “Seraph”
Designer: Sasha Wisniowski, Australia
“From the church’s opulence to the sun’s radiance, gold symbolizes the sacred.”
08. Winner Of The Stuff People’s Choice Award And The Mars And Beyond Section: “Blooming Proof!”
Designer: Erna van der Wat, Joanne van Wyk and Lena van der Wat, New Zealand
“There’s life on Mars and beyond – the alien has been yarn bombed.”
09. Winner In The Avant-Garde Section: “Samurai Girl”
Designer: Chiaki Shimizu, Japan
“The contemporary woman who paves the way for the times is expressed in ancient Japanese armor.”
10. Winner Of The International Design Award: Asia: “Shadow Warrior”
Designer: Karin Chiu, Cathy, Sin Wei Chow, Choy Yuk Nga, Hong Kong
“The Shadow Warrior’s feminine elegance shines through with gold sparkles on calligraphic-painted preserved leather, creating a captivating sight.”
11. Second Prize Award In The Mars And Beyond Section: “Celestial Body”
Designer: Jagoda Matecka and Zofia Brunarska, Poland
“The Celestial Body, something between living creature and plant. An active, transforming creature.”
12. Winner Of The International Design Award: United Kingdom And Europe: “Metamorphosis”
Designer: Juliet Dodson, United Kingdom
“From cocoon to bloom, embodying various complex metamorphoses which occur in nature.”
13. Winner Of The Wearable Technology Award: “Virtually The Same”
Designer: Dylan Mulder and Juliette Thomson, New Zealand
“Digital wearables are here. With AR, Web3, blockchain – this garment can be owned and worn digitally.”
14. Winner In The Aotearoa Section: “Child·hood”
Designer: Craig McMillan, New Zealand
“Forgotten logs dredged from the lake of childhood summers transformed into what lurks in dark spaces.”
15. Third Prize Award In The Avant-Garde Section: “Love Me Tender”
Designer: Antoaneta Tica, Romania
“Society pushes us to fall in love with more objects, then buy them for a happier life.”
16. “Futuristic Fashion Technology”
Designer: Fatemeh Delkhah, Iran
“Embark on a futuristic voyage culminates in a garment that becomes your very own sanctuary.”
17. Winner Of The Student Innovation Award: “Flame Dance”
Designer: Eva Chan, Hong Kong
“Life only burns for itself.”
18. Second Prize Award In The Avant-Garde Section: “Sen No Hida (1000 Folds)”
Designer: Carolyn Gibson and Joelle March, New Zealand
“A fusion of folds and funky fashion.”
19. Winner Of The New Zealand Design Award: “The Golden Age Of Queens”
Designer: Georgia Chalmers-Jones, New Zealand
“Armor fit for the queens of the Golden Age of Europe.”
20. Third Prize Award In The Open Section: “Once Upon A Time”
Designer: Marianne van Heeswijk, Netherlands
“A fairy tale invitation to all to reconnect with your soul, the other, and nature.”
21. Winner Of The Supreme Wow Award And The Open Section: “Earthling”
Designer: Gill Saunders, New Zealand
“Earthling celebrates the natural wonders of our planet in the form of an adult coloring book.”
22. Second Prize Award In The Bizarre Bra Section: “Eyes Up Here”
Designer: Rebecca Bond, New Zealand
“Eyes up here! This simple phrase holds a powerful message about how we see and treat others.”
23. Winner Of The First-Time Entrant Award: “Oizys – Goddess Of Emotion”
Designer: Abhishek Chauhan, India
“But feelings can’t be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem.”
24. “The Pattern Maker”
Designer: Vicky Robertson, New Zealand
25. Third Prize Award In The Bizarre Bra Section: “In Case Of Emergency”
Designer: Deborah Bassett, New Zealand
“In an emergency, break glass and give that baby some milk!”
26. Winner Of The Bizarre Bra Section: “Groundbreaking”
Designer: Kristy Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick, New Zealand
“Inspired by our two-year-old who expresses joy and awe when he spots a digger at work.”
27. Second Prize Award In The Aotearoa Section: Wellington “The Skin I Am In”
Designer: Katherine Bertram, New Zealand
“Finally, I have found my place. I know every detail is moving and shifting. Wellington, it is my skin.”
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