World Of WearableArt™ Awards Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday September 19th 2007

The Whole World’s Watching New Zealand’s Montana World Of WearableArt™ Awards Show

Over one third of the extraordinary entries for this year’s Montana* World of WearableArt™ (WOW®) Awards Show are from international designers.

A new way to experience art and fashion was created in 1987, when Suzie Moncrieff came up with the idea of taking art off the wall and adorning the moving body. That world now attracts designers from the UK, USA, India, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Iceland, Israel, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand. Over one third of the 2007 entries are international injecting a variety of cultural perspectives into the event and turning many creative eyes towards New Zealand.

“The success of WOW® has always been dependent on new artists participating and our pool of talent is growing as more and more countries discover us,” explains Suzie, WOW® Founder and Director.

Many entries are coming from fashion and design schools in the US, Australia and parts of Asia as there is nothing quite like WOW® around the world for designers to exhibit their creativity.

Receiving entries from offshore has its’ challenges - like the chocolate frock ‘Swiss Maid’ from Sydney, which was held up by Australian customs officials because it truly looked just like chocolate.

‘Prehistoric Princess’, an ensemble made entirely from wood veneer panels by an Alaskan carpenter had to be shipped over in its’ own special container and cost over $1400 to send.

“The range of materials and inspiration behind the entries are as varied as the countries they come from,” says Suzie.

A USA entry ‘Vacuity’ made out of knitwear and horsehair, which recently strutted down the catwalks of New York Fashion Week draws its’ inspiration from comic books and robots.

An Indian creation, stirred by childhood memories of the Weaver Finch Bird creating its’ nest is cleverly woven out of coconut and banana fibre, bamboo shoots, cotton fabric, fusing and rubber.

Recycled photographic paper from Germany is the inspiration behind a colourful 3D depiction of the human body called ‘Cosmic Couple’.

An abstract sculptural garment from Dubai, titled ‘Motion And Stillness’ symbolizes the characteristics of Multiple Sclerosis, and the designer hopes that the entry creates awareness of the disease and to inspire others living with MS.

WOW® can be an opportunity to celebrate traditional techniques. A professor in costume technology from Kentucky used tambour beading, which was very popular in Paris in the 1920’s to create his garment ‘Flight Of Fantasy’. The delicate craftwork took two years to complete.

Or celebrate an expression of desire. A Dutch graduate from the Academy of Modern Arts’ motivation for entering ‘Aimless’, made out of sheepskin and paper boats was, “to take the garment to Peter Jackson and ask him for a job as a costume designer.”

Some of the designers are taking the opportunity to follow their garment’s journey and visit New Zealand for the first time too, joining a host of international journalists.

CBS Evening News from New York, Marie Claire, L’Officiel from India, Canada’s Elle, China’s Modern Weekly, U from Hong Kong, Notebook from Australia, and Zink and Tokion magazines from the US are just some of the confirmed media for this year.

The judges for the 2007 Montana WOW® Awards are the leading fashion designer Trelise Cooper and renowned Christchurch sculptor Neil Dawson, along with WOW®’s Suzie Moncrieff. Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of Fashion from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, is guest judge for the International Designer Award. Richard Taylor of WETA Workshop will present the Special Award for the garment that best crosses the boundaries of film and WearableArt™.

The chosen creations are showcased in the annual theatrical extravaganza interwoven with every facet of performance, from music, dance, lighting and theatre to comedy, beginning Thursday September 20th at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington.

WOW® has been show cased in Asia, The Middle East, Japan and Australia, inspiring and delighting all who see and experience it.

*Montana Wines from New Zealand are avid supporters of creativity, and are the naming partner of the WOW® Awards Show.

New Zealand’s Montana World of WearableArt™ Awards Show is more than an art exhibition, it’s more than a fashion show and more than an awards show. It’s an extravaganza that twists conventional perceptions of both art and fashion and weaves them into a performance that has been described as “Mardi Gras meets Haute Couture at a Peter Gabriele concert directed by Salvador Dali”. There is nothing quite like it around the world and New Zealand is proud to have this incomparable event on local soil.

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