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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#1 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#2 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#3 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#4 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#5 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#6 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#7 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#8 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#9 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#10 Winner Of The Student Innovation Award: “Flame Dance”
“Flame Dance”
Designer: Eva Chan, Hong Kong
“Life only burns for itself.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#11 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#12 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#13 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#14 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#15 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#16 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#17 “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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#18 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#19 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#20 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#21 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#22 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#23 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#24 “The Pattern Maker”
“The Pattern Maker”
Designer: Vicky Robertson, New Zealand
Image source: worldofwearableart
#25 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#26 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.”
Image source: worldofwearableart
#27 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!”
Image source: worldofwearableart
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