World of WearableArt Awards, Wellington, New Zealand
Clothes used to be animal hides and fur; art used to be stick figures painted on cave walls. Times have changed. Now fashion is a major industry and art can be a lucrative field, too. Today we're celebrating 'wearable art,' which blurs genres and has passionate devotees. Curious? Well, check out the World of WearableArt (WOW), which is WOW-ing (sorry) fashion and art fans with its Awards Show in New Zealand right now. The competition runs till October 16 and features work by global designers, artists, and costumers—it's New Zealand's largest theatrical production. The competition is just part of the theatrical event, though—there are dancers, musicians, and aerialists, too.
Our photo shows Infini-D, a 2019 winner that is, according to a press release, 'a homage to Yayoi Kusama—a meditation on geometry, dimensionality, and cinematic postmodern gothic,' by Australian designers Tara Morelos, Ahmad Mollahassani, and Nelia Justo. It's not just the look that's unconventional: The outfit was created using electronics, acrylic, cardboard, and fabric. We suspect it's not designed to be worn in the rain.
WOW is the brainchild of Dame Suzie Moncrieff, a sculptor who envisioned art displayed on the moving human body rather than static, dull gallery walls. She organized the first event in 1987, in the rural New Zealand area of Nelson, where she lived. Now it's indeed a worldwide phenomenon, with 103 designers from around the globe delighting audiences this year.