Welcome to the first Designers newsletter for 2005. We trust that you had a restful and enjoyable Christmas break, and are now inspired to enter this year’s Awards. Thank you to all Designers involved in making the 2004 Montana World of WearableArt Awards a huge success. Every year you inspire us with your vision & creativity & renew our passion to make this Awards Show the very best it can be!
2005 Montana World of WearableArt™ Awards Due to unprecedented demand there will now be seven performances in the 2005 season held at The Events Centre in Wellington: Friday 23rd(Awards Night), Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th September Thursday 29th September, Friday 30th September, Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd October
Friday 23rd is Awards Night & we will again be holding a block of seats for designers. If you still need to order your tickets, please ensure you mention in the on-line comments box, that you are a Designer as this helps us seat you in the correct area.
Special Designer Ticket Price – As announced in our December 2004 newsletter we are delighted to offer 2005 successful designers a discount on the price of their ticket. Every designer who has an entry selected for the 2005 show will receive a discount of their entry fee on the ticket price. E.g; If you buy 2 x $95 tickets and you paid a $45 entry fee; you will pay 1 x $50 & 1 x $95 for your tickets.
All shows start at 8pm except for the Sunday performances which start at 6pm.
Just in case you are still unsure what section you are entering, here is a reminder for the 2005 shows:
Air New Zealand South Pacific Section Gather your inspiration from the traditional cultures of the South Pacific & create a contemporary work of art. Celebrate what it is like to live in New Zealand – the richness of our traditional Maori culture, the seas, beach, flora & fauna or celebrate the cultures of our South Pacific neighbours.
Children’s Section Adult artists & designers are invited to make works of art to adorn children. Let your imagination run wild! There are no thematic boundaries. Garments inspired by fancy dress are not encouraged.
Scenic Circle Hotels Bizarre Bra® Section Though normally hidden, the bra has shown itself in past WOW® Awards to have enormous potential for highly creative & witty reinvention. Garments must be bra only & not include accessories. Entry must be a bra that fits the beast, not a bustier.
Illumination Illusion Section® – Black & White Create a Black & White work of art using the illusion of UV light to challenge the audience’s visual conception. Entries must be made from material/paint that glows in the dark when lit by ultra-violet stage light. Self-lit garments are not permitted.
Shades of Grey Section * From darkness to light * Monochromatic tones * Cold greys, i.e; blues, greens * Warm greys, i.e; ochre, red * From almost black to almost white – and everything in between! From this limitless palette, create a wearable work of art using either a single colour or a mixture of greys. Check out a colour chart at your local paint shop for inspiration!
Tourism New Zealand Avant Garde Section Art & fashion collide head-on! Create WearableArt garments that are revolutionary, extravagant & extrovert, but still stylish & made with skill. Be driven by dreams & fantasies, not commercial reality.
American Express Open Section No thematic boundaries, giving the Designer complete freedom in concept, construction & materials. This section encourages a high degree of originality and innovation.
Creative New Zealand Artistic Excellence Award For 2005, past judges & Supreme Award Winners can enter into any of the seven sections. This differs from previous years where these designers were restricted to entering one themed section. Although they can enter any section, they will still be vying for the Creative New Zealand Excellence Artistic Award, not section Awards.
2005 After-Show Get-Together & Judges Talk We have had lots of positive feedback about how much you all enjoy getting together to enjoy the “vibe” after the Awards Show. We are continuing this new tradition for the 2005 Show in Wellington. Details on where & when will follow at a later date.
Wellington Planning Planning is well underway for staging the 2005 event in Wellington. The Wellington venue (The Events Centre) is providing a whole host of exciting opportunities for WOW.
A number of designers have asked whether the Judging will remain in Nelson. The preliminary Judging (9-10 July 2005) will remain in Nelson. With the ongoing support of Mainfreight, the freighting of the garments continues to be easier (and cheaper!) for designers. We thank Mainfreight for their continued support of designers.
Designers Tips We have put together some tips to help you construct your entry. These tips are designed to assist you with some of the curlier issues you may encounter, and also to ensure your garment can withstand the rigors of show time.
• Spray on F2 Adhesive as undercoat for flexible, non-porous fabrics, especially on sealed surfaces. (eg shoes)
• Use silk reinforcing on papier mache stress points.
• For paint that needs to be flexible, try additives such as latex or silicone.
• No self adhesive Velcro please.
• Where possible – use adjustable fasteners.
• Garments need to be safe. Please consider using padding to cover screws that can protrude and come into contact with the model.
• Also take into account the garment has to be able to sustain movement over two weeks each of performance and rehearsals.
• Headpieces need to be balanced. Especially heavier pieces where a suitable helmet or fastenings may need a support strap. This may need to come from two points – behind and in front. Look at a bike helmet for ideas.
• Wire once bent will stay bent, as opposed to fibreglass rod. Also think about will it burst through the material used. It may need a rubber stopper.
• Where possible, please use detachable feathers for maintenance sake.
• Care instructions would be helpful, especially where there may be special treatments in the production of the garment.
• If a special stand is needed for the garment, it needs to be supplied at the time of entry as well.
• Please do not use invisible zips as they are too lightweight and the teeth break and snag. Use heavier weight and disguise in some other way.
More Chances to win with New Awards for 2005!!!
WOW is thrilled to announce not one, but three new Special Awards to be included in the 2005 show.
The Hewlett Packard ‘Planet’ Award will be presented to the design across any of the seven sections which makes the best use of recycled materials. This is in keeping with Hewlett Packard’s environmental stance and the company’s extensive efforts in having as little impact on the sustainability of our planet as possible. The Award Winner will receive a $4,000 cash prize, with the Highly Commended entry winning $1,000. The winning garment will become part of the permanent WOW collection and will be displayed at World of WearableArt and Collectable Cars Museum in Nelson.
The WETA Award is sponsored by the internationally renowned WETA Workshop. Richard Taylor (or his representative) will choose this Award. As this is hot off the press, the criteria have yet to be finalized, but will probably be along the lines of ‘the garment that best crosses the creative boundaries of film and WearableArt. The WETA Award Winner will receive a $4000 cash prize, with the Highly Commended entry receiving $1000. WETA will also provide the winner with a WETA trophy and the opportunity to have a special WETA experience.
The Wellington International Award will be presented to the designer that the Judges believe is best international entry. The Award Winner will receive a $4,000 cash prize with the Highly Commended entry receiving $1,000. The winning garment will become part of the permanent World of WearableArt collection and will be displayed at the World of Wearable Art and Collectable Cars Museum in Nelson. Wellington City Council is the proud sponsor of this new Award and will also provide the winning designer with a special Wellington trophy.
Designer Functions
By now many of you may have attended one of WOW’s Designer Get togethers in either Nelson, Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland. These informal evenings were to meet, network and exchange information. They have proven to be a valuable communication tool for everyone involved. It’s a great way for WOW to meet you away from the madness of show time, and also for designers to have any questions answered. If you did not manage to make it to the 2005 round, make sure you do in 2006! Should you like to go on the invite list for one of these functions next year please contact Jackie@worldofwearableart.com
Workshop – Whitireia Community Polytechnic
At the end of March WOW presented a workshop for designers in association with Whitireia Community Polytechnic in Porirua. The workshop on site at the Polytechnic was designed to give our up and coming design students an insight into entering the Montana WOW Awards, including a video and slide presentation, as well as the active involvement of successful WOW designers, Deb Price of Golden Bay and Jan Kerr of Waikanae.
WOW goes to Asia!
More than a hundred WOW garments will feature in a 30-minute mini show in Singapore in May. Staged at the prestigious Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, the taste of WOW is part of a New Zealand Festival, aimed at showcasing New Zealand as a destination, as well as this country’s talent, products and services. WOW will open the festival on the 12th of May at the ‘Travel to New Zealand’ showcase dinner for 300 VIP invited guests. The following day the New Zealand Singapore Business Council is hosting an annual ball, which will also feature some WOW models and garments.
A full colour catalogue with the name of the design, designer, inspiration and materials, including images is being produced to accompany the Mini show. The designer of every garment included will receive a letter of confirmation.
WOW is also featuring at the New Zealand Trade Day at the World Expo in Aichi, Japan, in June. This will feature a selection of some of the garments showcased in Singapore. Again, designers will be advised if their garments were included. Both events are expected to attract significant media attention.
Designer Feedback Please feel free to contact WOW anytime with any suggestions, comments, news, or just to keep in touch. We love to hear from you! Your main contact at WOW is Heather – heather@worldofwearableart.com or call 03 547 0861 or 0800 4 WOW SHOW.
Please remember us when you move house and email Jackie, Jackie@worldofwearableart.com or call Jackie on 03-547-0863 or 0800 4 WOW SHOW to let her know your new address, phone number and email. This helps us to keep you informed of the latest happenings.
We look forward to receiving your entries for 2005!
