Author(s): World of Wearable Art (photography Craig Potton, Martin de Ruyter & Neil Price)

NZ Art

One of the most interesting cultural phenomena in New Zealand over the past 20 years has been the spectacular success of the World of Wearable Art, an annual competition and award show that explores the intersection between fashion and art, through a genre popularly known as wearable art. This unique event, which draws an audience in Wellington of around 35,000 people, has encouraged an explosion of creative activity, inspiring a wide range of fashion designers, artists, costume makers and other craft artists from all over the world to participate. The range of garments produced for this event is breathtaking, as the rules of competition mean that anything of quality that is in any way wearable can find a place on the catwalk. What this also means is that the garments are constructed from an extraordinary array of materials - car parts, wood shavings, zips, silk, potato chip packets, seaweed, slices of toast, old telephone posts, paper clips, corrugated iron, gloves, feathers - the list is endless. As well, the thematic range is impressive, with a dizzying amalgam of ideas and influences, including metamorphism, concepts around entrapment and blindness, eroticism and fetish, pacifica, fantasy and flight. The World of WearableArt is the second edition of this inspirational and truly original visual design sourcebook. Completely revised with all new photographs, it features the best garments that have been entered over recent years in a remarkable celebration of the diversity and creativity of wearable art. Any one with an interest in fashion, design and the craft arts will find this book inspirational.