WOW - World of WearableArt

International Touring Exhibition

In 2019, after a five-year journey overseas, our flagship exhibition that featured 32 award-winning garments returned to NZ. Almost 650,000 people visited the exhibition in Australia, the United States and Russia. It was a joy to showcase our incredible collection in front of fresh eyes and have new international audiences embrace our vision of wearable art. 

Where did we travel?

Here are some of the museums and institutes that hosted WOW’s International Touring Exhibition over the last five years: 

Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Australia

Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI

EMP Museum, Seattle, WA

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

Erarta Museum, St Petersburg, Russia

Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO

World of WearableArt Up Close | Ao KākahuToi – Kia Tata

Te Papa Museum, Wellington

World of WearableArt Up Close featured 38 incredible works of wearable art created by designers from around the world in an exhibition at Te Papa Museum, Wellington across 2020/21 summer season.

World of WearableArt Up Close gave people the opportunity to experience World of WearableArt like never before, an exhibition that translated the theatricality of the annual WOW Awards Show into an unforgettable immersive experience.  

From 500 abandoned music festival tents transformed into avant-garde works of art, to a wearable Axminster carpet inspired by Frida Kahlo, to a cathedral made from more than 2300 individually cut pieces of laser etched felt, visitors had the opportunity to learn about the unique stories behind the designs and be inspired by the incredible detail in these works of wearable art.

National WOW Museum

Nelson

The National WOW Museum in Nelson sadly closed in May 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. 

The facility is now home to the Nelson Classic Car Collection.