World of WearableArt (WOW) is an international design competition, attracting entries from more than 40 countries each year. The competition features wearable art entries, which are judged on durability, the safety and comfort of the models, and the impact of the design on the stage. During the three weeks of the competition, around 60,000 people attend the event in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

. The Gala show for 2020 was cancelled due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

and was replaced by an exhibit in Wellington. It returned in 2022.

History

WOW was founded in Nelson in 1987 by Suzie Moncrieff. The first show was attended by 200 people at the William Higgins Gallery. In 1990 the show moved to Trafalgar Centre, and in 2005 it moved to Wellington because the show became too big to hold in Nelson. Moncrieff's sister Heather Palmer was the competition director. In 2022 Moncrieff and Palmer sold WOW to Hideaki Fukutake. In 2019, Sarah Foster-Sproull, was the festival's choreographer. Meg Williams, formerly executive director of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts, was appointed WOW's chief executive in 2023.

Exhibition

The World of WearableArt and Classic Cars Collection exhibited garments from the World of WearableArt Awards Show, along with a collection of around 140 classic cars up until it was closed due to pressures resulting from COVID-19 in May 2020. The vehicle side of the collection remained and was reopened on the same site in August 2020 as the Nelson Classic Car Museum. The original WOW exhibition opened in in

Nelson, New Zealand Nelson () is a List of cities in New Zealand, city and Districts of New Zealand, unitary authority on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the oldest city in the South Island and the second-old ...

References

External links

* * Art museums and galleries established in 2001 Automobile museums in New Zealand Art museums and galleries in New Zealand Nelson, New Zealand Wearable art 2001 establishments in New Zealand Museums in the Nelson Region Fashion museums Events in Wellington {{NewZealand-museum-stub