Creating Your Garment

"WOW rewards the curious, the courageous and those who are passionate enough to stand in the face of self-doubt and embrace creativity no matter the cost." Dame Suzie Moncrieff, WOW Founder

To enter the World of WearableArt Competition you need to create a complete garment. You can start making your garment at any stage. Some designers will work on an entry for years, whilst others start on their entry when the competition opens that year and unique categories are announced. Simply decide the section theme/s that most inspires you and get creating!

Every entrant needs to first create a WOW designer profile in order to begin the entry process. Design teams are welcome to enter a garment together, teams can comprise up to three designers. Each team is asked to nominate a lead designer to complete the online entry process and is the main point of contact, however all designers in a team need to create their own individual WOW designer profiles.

Top Tips

Read the Competition Rules

The competition rules are both a great resource for creating your garment but also the place to check that all your hard work is eligible for the WOW Competition.

Read the Competition Rules here.

Materials

Before creating a garment that uses animal or plant products, establish whether the products are protected or allowed into New Zealand. You may not use perishable materials, unless properly treated. Think about innovative ways to use and manipulate your materials.

Time Management & Key Dates

Make sure you build in time for deadlines, for example photographing your garments, freighting your garment. Plan backwards from the deadlines we have supplied. Discover the key dates, deadlines and freighting dates here.

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Use of Branding

No obvious or dominant trade marks, logos or brand names can be used in an entry.

Garment Dimension Guidelines

Your garment must be no more than 1.5m wide in order to enter and exit the WOW stage and must be able to walk up a 12 degree ramp. Once onstage, the garment may extend or expand in size up to 3 metres, but must be able to retract and exit the stage safely.

Model requirements

WOW provides all models from Final Selection through to the WOW show. We carefully select the right model for your garment. If you have a particular creative vision that impacts model selection, please reach out to us and also note it in your entry. We provide guidelines for measurements in our competition terms and conditions.

Visibility

Your garment must be safe to wear and allow the model to see clearly and move easily while wearing your work of art. Think about the vision of the model on stage - stage lighting is very different to home or studio lighting; it is much brighter and comes from many directions. Jewels around the eyes can cause a kaleidoscope effect impeding vision. Garments cannot block more than one of the following vision fields: Peripheral, central, and ground (up to 1.5m ahead of feet).

Breathability

The stage can get very warm and movement can also restrict breathing, there needs to be sufficient breathing holes and breathing space in headpieces; insufficient breathing holes can fog up eye coverings and become very dangerous. Balaclavas need to be open or have mesh for the nose, mouth and eyes.

Shoes

Shoes complete the look of a garment. Please use new shoes, especially if they are high heels. Well-worn shoes can be dangerous or have damaged parts that soon become broken.

Electrics

All electrical wiring used in a WOW entry must be safe and simple to operate in New Zealand. WOW encourages designers creating entries with electrical components to have them checked by a qualified electrician prior to sending them to Nelson for judging. Here are guidelines to consider when creating your entry and preparing your dressing instructions.

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First Time Entrants

When you are entering the WOW Competition for the first time there are lots of things to think about. As you work on your concept, remember that wearable art is all about using the human body as a site for art. It is a wonderful opportunity to really think outside the square, challenge yourself to innovate and push the boundaries.

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Photographing your Garment

A critical part of the online entry process is photographing your garment for our selectors to see your work. You need to provide 10 images that show your garment clearly. You can upload up to 15 images. It is essential that you provide images of the front, back, and side views with a plain background. Do not photograph your garment outdoors as the background is distracting and makes it harder for the panel to assess your garment. While studio photography is great, you can achieve good results photographing your garment in your own home using a smartphone to take photos and a plain wall or a pinned up sheet as a backdrop.

It is also important to photograph your garment on the human body and not on a mannequin. The selection panel needs to see that the garment is wearable.

The following page provides a guideline to capturing and uploading your photos, including tips for the best outcomes.

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Video your garment

You must provide a short video showing the garment from all angles that demonstrates how the garment moves. This is a very important part of your design entry. Video from your smartphone is perfectly acceptable. Ask the model to walk towards the camera, turn slowly, and walk away from the camera. Do this indoors, not outdoors.

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