Preparing Your Garment | WOW Competition

Competition

Garments

Resources

Labelling

The label for your garment needs to include the Garment Name, Section Theme, and Designer(s) Name. Find a place to position your label so it is not seen when the garment is worn. It must not be visible as we don’t remove these from the garment.

Attach the label in the centre back of each component by stitching or ironing it on. If that is not possible, use a safety pin to attach the label. We recommend using school clothing kits as they are great as they are a good size and easy to read. If you’re using a pen to label, laundry markers are great so the ink doesn’t run or rub onto the garment or the model's skin.

Each component of your garment needs a label and if they look similar you can use clear wording such as ‘right arm,’ and ‘left arm.’ Please remember when naming your shoes to put the label on the inside of the shoe and not on the under sole as this can be seen when the model walks across the stage.If your entry needs more than one model, you also need to label each garment, and component, like this: Model 1 of 3; Model 2 of 3; Model 3 of 3.

label example — Label example from: Glistening Gothic Tracery, Colleen Muscha & Christina Marullo, United States

labelling example — Label example from: Madame Paon Doré, Veritée Hill, United States

‍

Dressing instructions

We know how much time, effort and passion can go into creating a garment for WOW so it is imperative that we do your entry justice and present it correctly. Concise and clear dressing instructions, assisted by well labelled components, will direct the wardrobe team and WOW dressers as to how your garment should be worn. Please use the dressing instruction template as provided in Step 3, available after successful Preliminary Selection.

Important notes to include in your dressing Instructions:

List the components of your garment in the most logical order that they go onto the body.
Include advice on dressing techniques. This is helpful especially if there is a trick or it is not obvious how to dress the components your garment includes.
Adding photos of your garment in stages, as each component is dressed, is best. Please include full-length, colour photographs of your completed garment from all angles – the front, both sides and the back.
If you know the height or measurements of your ideal model then please include that information too.
If your entry consists of more than one garment, ensure the instructions are very precise as to which garment each component belongs to.

Here is an example of excellent Dressing Instructions.

‍

Garment care

The WOW Wardrobe team takes the utmost care of each garment. If the components of your garment are not washable, it is very helpful to add undergarments or removable sweat pads. If you have any particular advice about cleaning or maintaining your garment, please include this information with the dressing instructions.

‍

Spare parts & repair kits

These are worth their weight in gold; please provide wherever possible. Our expert technician team will take excellent care of your entry, but if maintenance is required it is extremely important to have easy access to rare or bespoke materials.

Include specific material samples such as fabric (hand dyed or unique), matching thread, paint and any surface embellishments e.g. feathers, beads or sequins. Please send a small sample of the material you have used with your entry. A4 size pieces of fabrics are great; even a smaller piece is useful.
If your model requires pantyhose, please provide three spares.
If your garment is battery operated, please email photos of the electrical components and batteries to sambrown@worldofwearableart.com or add to your dressing instructions document. International entrants should NOT send batteries with their garments. Mainfreight will not send them internationally, nor will most freighting companies.
If you can't send glues, paints, etc., include a paint swatch or provide specific details of the product/s used.
Package your repair kit in a small plastic container or thick durable plastic zip lock bag.
Label your repair kit with your garment name, section and your name
WOW® has the basics covered, please do not send scissors and basic sewing supplies.

‍

Packing

It is important to pack your garment carefully and securely so that it arrives in Nelson, New Zealand looking the same as when it left your studio. It is important to use the correct box size, packing materials, wrap each component individually to avoid rubbing, and ensure your package is clearly labelled. Here are our top tips on how best to package your entry.

Learn more