The World of Wearable Art show in Wellington is a celebration of artistry and craft but it is not the only show in town.
Wearable arts is a Big Thing in Aotearoa New Zealand. While WOW is the largest event, smaller exhibitions have recently happened in the South Island, one in Karamea and the other in Kawatiri/ Westport.
The Westport show was held in the NBS Theatre last weekend and it featured entrants from young children up to adults of eighty. Some of them were first-time entrants, some experienced, but all embraced the theme of “Earthworks of Creativity” enthusiastically. The materials used in the show ranged from feathers and wool to tubes and cables and there were robots, birds, butterflies, knight, an old-fashioned telephone and incredible irises. Some of the pieces were macabre (there was a decaying deer complete with mushrooms and gory organs), some witty, and all were thoughtful and cleverly put together. They showed up on the runway beautifully.
Here are some photographs of some of the costumes at the event.
A new book has been added to the library. Off The Wall: The World of Wearable Art. This is the third edition of this design source-book, featuring garments from the ten years before 2011 when the book was published. It has photographs of some of the most iconic outfits from WOW, the Wellington Show, which is the most successful of its type in the world, attracting 50,000 people yearly and entries from across the globe. The book is available to browse in the library.