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2024

The winners of the 2024 WOW Competition will be announced at the WOW Awards Night on Friday 27 September.

Please come back soon to find out about this year’s incredible winners.

2023 WOW Show Beyond Awards Night
On one level, the World of WearableArt is the most lavish catwalk show in the world. On another level, it’s an art exhibition blown up to epic proportions. And on yet another level, it’s theatre at its finest; it’s as close as New Zealand gets to Broadway.
"
"
Sam Brooks
The Spinoff

Six worlds, six themes

Each year there are six section themes for designers to be inspired by when entering the competition. This includes three recurring sections; Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open, and an additional three sections which are unique to each annual competition.

Aotearoa

Aotearoa

Avant-garde

Avant-garde

Open

Open

Air

Air

Myths & Legends

Myths & Legends

Neon

Neon

Featuring 90 garments created by 112 finalist designers from throughout the world, DREAM AWAKE mesmerised an audience of over 63,000 with world-class wearable art, musicians, circus acts, and performance.

An extravaganza of the highest calibre.

"
"
2024 Audience Member
Supreme winner icon

Supreme winner

Curves Ahead

Grace DuVal

,

United States

Curves Ahead is inspired by the strength and resilience of the rebuild efforts following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. Grace DuVal first conceptualised Curves Ahead while on a road trip around New Zealand, just after being named the runner up to the Supreme WOW Award with her 2017 finalist garment, Refuse Refuge. She was inspired by the juxtaposition between the natural landscape of Aotearoa and the neon signage and garb of New Zealand road crews.

“Curves Ahead promises a colourful future beyond devastation and leads the charge to rebuild what once was and what is yet to be,” she says.

Curves Ahead, Grace DuVal, United States

Creative Team

Each year there are six section themes or ‘worlds’ for designers to be inspired by when entering the WOW Competition. This includes three recurring sections; Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open, plus three unique themes which are announced each year.

Read More
Brian Burke

Brian Burke

Executive Creative Director
Malia Johnston

Malia Johnston

Show Director
Eden Mulholland - Ngāti Porou

Eden Mulholland - Ngāti Porou

Composer & Music Director
Robin Rawstorne

Robin Rawstorne

Production Designer
Trudy Dalgleish

Trudy Dalgleish

Lighting Designer
Drop the Spoon

Drop the Spoon

AV Content Designers
Gabrielle Stevenson

Gabrielle Stevenson

Costume Designer
Bart Barkman

Bart Barkman

Sound Designer
Paul McLaney

Paul McLaney

Musical Producer
Hil Cook

Hil Cook

Character Make-Up & Wig Designer
Kayla Paige

Kayla Paige

Choreographer
Holly Newsome

Holly Newsome

Choreographer
Jenny Ritchie

Jenny Ritchie

Aerial Director

2024 Designers

This year's designers

Casting Crew

This year's crew

2024 section themes

Six worlds, six themes

Each year there are six section themes or ‘worlds’ for designers to be inspired by when entering the WOW Competition. This includes three recurring sections; Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open, plus three unique themes which are announced each year.

Read More

Aotearoa

Wellington 'The Skin I Am In', Katherine Bertram, New Zealand

Avant-garde

Love Me Tender, Antoaneta Tica, Romania

Open

Waste Mountain, Jessie Curry, London College of Fashion, United Kingdom

Crazy Curiosities of the Creature Carnival

Natural World

 Geometric Abstraction

2024 Award winners

Accor Live Limitless First-time Entrant Award

Winner

Hold

,

Taiwan

Dai Jia Chang
,
Taiwan
view garment

Absolutely Positively Wellington International Design Award: UK & Europe

Winner

Ethereal Shift

,

Turkey

Ece Özalp
,
Turkey
view garment

Absolutely Positively Wellington International Design Award: Americas

Winner

GiGi the Wyrm of Spinelesque

,

United States

Sean Purucker & Tony Rivas
,
United States
view garment

Absolutely Positively Wellington International Design Award: Asia

Winner

Soundscape

,

India

Ashish Dhaka
,
India
view garment

Absolutely Positively Wellington International Design Award: Australia & Pacific

Winner

Triptych Fashionistas

,

Australia

Jill Perry
,
Australia
view garment

Absolutely Positively Wellington International Design Award: Overall

Winner

GiGi the Wyrm of Spinelesque

,

United States

Sean Purucker & Tony Rivas
,
United States
view garment