The World of WearbaleArt (WOW) is a world-renowned event, where designers create unique outfits and show them off in a big yearly contest. It features "wearable art", which refers to clothing that is 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 WOW Award went to Nelson designer Gill Saunders for her garment titled "Earthling". Continue scrolling and explore all of the amazing works!
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Third Prize Award In The Mars And Beyond Section: "Entanglement"
"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 that the event is a great place for people to make their creative dreams come true. “WOW finalists come from all corners of the globe and a broad spectrum of creative and technical disciplines. Our designer community is made up of fashion, textile, and industrial designers, jewelers, costumers, architects, engineers, sculptors, painters, crafters, gardeners, doctors, and even boat builders! All you need is a strong creative concept and a commitment to robust, quality execution.”
Winner Of The Sustainability Award And Second Prize Award In The Open Section: "Tears Unseen"
"Tears Unseen"
Designer: Carena West, New Zealand
"Tears Unseen embodies the tears that go unnoticed, shed by women who are mothers and caregivers."
Winner Of The International Design Award And The Gold Section: "Digital Ascension Of Kitsune"
"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."
“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.
Second Prize Award In The Gold Section: "Seraph"
"Seraph"
Designer: Sasha Wisniowski, Australia
"From the opulence of the church to the radiance of the sun, gold is a symbol of the sacred."
Okay but this is stunning. Also looks like something straight from the Hunger Games, but still stunning.
Third Prize Award In The Aotearoa Section: "Rusalka"
"Rusalka"
Designer: Nikola Carouso, United Kingdom
"Fish-like bones speak to Maui's fish and to the marine life at the root of Aotearoa and its evolution and cultural development."
I honestly love the poses and facial expressions the models are showing. Fashion is usually so stoic.
"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."
Winner In The Avant-Garde Section: "Samurai Girl"
"Samurai Girl"
Designer: Chiaki Shimizu, Japan
"The contemporary woman who paves the way for the times is expressed in ancient Japanese armor."
Third Prize Award In The Gold Section: "The Golden Chakra"
"The Golden Chakra"
Designer: Akhilesh Gupta and Dimple Gandhi, India
"Inspired from the Chakras system that helps in finding inner peace."
We were curious to learn how the 2023 competition compares to previous years. Nathan shared that 2023 was a big year for garments with 110 on stage with the main reason being it was a Bizarre Bra year! "The Bizarre Bra section only happens every few years or so and it’s a huge crowd favorite. Designers love it too – as they get the opportunity to work on something on a smaller scale and there’s always the opportunity for an excellent bra-pun. This year we had Boobie Trap, Potatoes Pota-ta’s, Prop Em’ Up amongst many others. The show finished with a massive Bizarre Bra retro disco funk party and the audience lost their minds!"
Winner Of The Stuff People’s Choice Award And The Mars And Beyond Section: "Blooming Proof!"
"Blooming Proof!"
Designer: Erna van der Wat, Joanne van Wyk and Lena van der Wat, New Zealand
"There's life on mars and beyond - alien has been yarn bombed."
That's my kind of alien... take me back to your planet of many colors please
Winner Of The International Design Award: Australia And Pacific: "Birth Of The Babel Fish"
"Birth of the Babel Fish"
Designer: Lynnette Griffiths and Marion Gaemers, Australia
"Regenerated life enfolds a queen as she births fluorescent Babel fish."
We asked the head of competition, Sarah Nathan, what was the most striking aspect of the 2023 entries. "Probably this year was the global reach from which we got entries. In the end we had finalists from 23 countries in including Croatia, Lithuania, Iran, Japan, Poland, Canada, Romania, Ukraine, Vietnam and many more," she told us. "Not bad for the world’s biggest wearable art competition tucked away in little old New Zealand."
Winner Of The Student Innovation Award: "Flame Dance"
"Flame Dance"
Designer: Eva Chan, Hong Kong
"Life only burns for itself."
Second Prize Award In The Mars And Beyond Section: "Celestial Body"
"Celestial Body"
Designer: Jagoda Matecka and Zofia Brunarska, Poland
"The Celestial Body, something between living creature and plant. An active, transforming creature."
So that's what Oscar looks like when he's away from his garbage can home. ;)
According to Nathan, designers are inspired to use their art to convey a message that is important to them. "This year there were a number of themes that came through, however, the biggest one was environmental damage through waste and fast fashion. Birth of the Babel Fish was a stunning Mother Earth figure who was made entirely from Ghost Nets and Ocean waste, while Waste Mountain talked about the crushing impact of fast fashion on 3rd world countries and manifested as a huge pile of old clothes that moved around the stage and made the audience gasp as six human harms reached through the layers."
Winner Of The International Design Award: United Kingdom And Europe: "Metamorphosis"
"Metamorphosis"
Designer: Juliet Dodson, United Kingdom
"From cocoon to bloom, embodying various complex metamorphoses which occur in nature."
Winner Of The International Design Award: Asia: "Shadow Warrior"
"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."
Winner Of The Wearable Technology Award: "Virtually The Same"
"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."
Third Prize Award In The Avant-Garde Section: "Love Me Tender"
"Love Me Tender"
Designer: Antoaneta Tica, Romania
"Society pushes us to fall in love with more and more objects, then to buy them for a happier life."
Second Prize Award In The Bizarre Bra Section: "Eyes Up Here"
"Eyes Up Here"
Designer: Rebecca Bond, New Zealand
"Eyes up here! This simple phrase holds a powerful message about the way we see and treat others."
"Futuristic Fashion Technology"
"Futuristic Fashion Technology"
Designer: Fatemeh Delkhah, Iran
"Embark on a futuristic voyage that culminates in a garment that becomes your very own sanctuary."
They must have wider doors in the future based only on these outfits.
Second Prize Award In The Avant-Garde Section: "Sen No Hida (1000 Folds)"
"Sen No Hida (1000 Folds)"
Designer: Carolyn Gibson and Joelle March, New Zealand
"A fusion of folds and funky fashion."
Winner Of The New Zealand Design Award: "The Golden Age Of Queens"
"The Golden Age of Queens"
Designer: Georgia Chalmers-Jones, New Zealand
"Armor fit for the queens of the Golden Age of Europe."
Winner In The Aotearoa Section: "Child·hood"
"Child·hood"
Designer: Craig McMillan, New Zealand
"Forgotten logs dredged from the lake of childhood summers transformed into what lurks in dark spaces."
Is that a person wearing red and blending into the background centered over the log come to life? Or is that my mind
Third Prize Award In The Open Section: "Once Upon A Time"
"Once Upon a Time"
Designer: Marianne van Heeswijk, Netherlands
"A fairy tale invitation to all to reconnect with your soul, the other, and nature."
Winner Of The Supreme Wow Award And The Open Section: "Earthling"
"Earthling"
Designer: Gill Saunders, New Zealand
"Earthling celebrates the natural wonders of our planet in the form of an adult coloring book."
These all look like wondrous musicals I would love to hear right now
Winner Of The First-Time Entrant Award: "Oizys - Goddess Of Emotion"
"Oizys - Goddess of Emotion"
Designer: Abhishek Chauhan, India
"But feelings can't be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem."
"The Pattern Maker"
"The Pattern Maker"
Designer: Vicky Robertson, New Zealand
Winner Of The Bizarre Bra Section: "Groundbreaking"
"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."
Second Prize Award In The Aotearoa Section: Wellington "The Skin I Am In"
"The Skin I Am In"
Designer: Katherine Bertram, New Zealand
"Finally, I have found my place. I know every detail moving and shifting. wellington, it is my skin."
Third Prize Award In The Bizarre Bra Section: "In Case Of Emergency"
"In Case of Emergency"
Designer: Deborah Bassett, New Zealand
"In an emergency, break glass and give that baby some milk!"
What a great article! Something from really creative people, and it happens every year!
So creative... many would make great costume designs for movies, specially Sci-Fi ones.
What a great article! Something from really creative people, and it happens every year!
So creative... many would make great costume designs for movies, specially Sci-Fi ones.
