Behind the Design Eye See You Fluffy Kōwhai

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Tina Hutchison-Thomas is a freelance costume designer and over the last 20 years, has been privileged to work in theatre, film, television, ballet and opera across Australia, China, South Africa and New Zealand.

Tina first entered the World of WearableArt Competition in 2017, and her entry Geogami – a futuristic ballgown – was a finalist in the 2017 Avant-garde Section. Then she started to dream about what she could create for the 2018 Competition. "‘I wanted to challenge myself with dying a non-traditional fabric like faux fur … ’

After looking at many insect images for inspiration, Tina was drawn to the poodle moth, with its beautiful fluffy body, which reminded her of luxurious opera cloaks from the 1920s. The garment was created using cotton, leather, faux fur and crystals creating patterns and design based on an up-close look at the insect world.

Eye See You Fluffy Kōwhai was awarded the 2018 New Zealand Design Award. The judges described the work of art as surreal and sensuous, praising Tina for the beautiful balance of different mediums used in the construction of the garment.

An Up Close Top Tip:

Eye See You Fluffy Kōwhai took around 150 hours to construct, and there are approximately 3,500 crystals on the wings that were glued on by hand. See how many you can count when you get up close to this award-wining garment!