Introducing the 2022 Finalist Designers

From 29 September to 16 October this year, the capital city will host Aotearoa’s most spectacular theatrical stage production, showcasing the finalist entries from around the world, with an audience of over 60,000 people expected to attend.  

The finalist designers will vie for awards and prizes across three recurring sections – Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open – as well as three new sections – Architecture, Elizabethan Era and Monochromatic.

WOW Founder and resident judge, Dame Suzie Moncrieff says, “I feel incredibly privileged to witness such amazing and inspiring creativity from our designers.”

“The entries are of an exceptionally high standard once again and selecting award winners from such a strong group of finalists will not be an easy task for the judges.”

“The skills, wide range of materials and techniques used in creating their work is breath-taking and I look forward to seeing the garments individually choreographed in all their glory on the WOW stage in September. Our audience can expect to be wowed!”  

WOW Competition Director Heather Palmer says, “despite the very obvious challenges of these times, WOW continues to connect with designers from every corner of the globe and we’ve seen this reflected in the extensive range of countries that we’ve received entries from.”

“I have been delighted to see our designers continue to push the boundaries of innovation and invention by creating works of art with extraordinary materials.”

“The passion and determination shown by designers has been humbling and makes us prouder than ever to be offering this unique creative platform for their works of wearable art to be seen.”

The first round of judging took place between 9 and 11 July 2021. This year’s judges include WOW Founder and resident judge, Dame Suzie Moncrieff, designer and co-founder of Zambesi, Elisabeth Findlay, and acclaimed New Zealand sculptor Jeff Thomson.  

Alongside the main judging panel for 2022 is International Guest Judge, Academy Award-winning costume designer, Alexandra Byrne, The Residency Experience Award Judge, Swedish-born fashion activist and celebrity stylist, BÅkerlund and Weta Workshop Emerging Designer Award Judge, co-founder, CEO and Creative Director of Weta Workshop, Sir Richard Taylor.

The finalist entries will go through two further stages of judging, where they are assessed on stage, before debuting on opening night of the WOW Show on 29 September.  

2022 Finalists Designers:

Australia (7 finalist designers)

Bethany Cordwell

Hanna Smith

R. R. Pascoe (two finalist entries)

Tara Morelos, Nelia Justo, Judit Szukacs (three finalist designers in a design team)

Tatiana Sheverda

China (4 finalist designers)

Yanlin Zhu

Sun Ye, Ma Yuru, Zhou Honglei (three finalist designers in a design team)

France (1 finalist designer)

Maria Friese

Hong Kong (2 finalist designers)

Leung Wing Tung

Lo Louise Tam

Hong Kong (2 finalist designers)

Leung Wing Tung

Lo Louise Tam

India (2 finalist designers)

Devika Kumar

Jayati Saraf (two finalist entries)

Indonesia (1 finalist designer)

Monica Ivena

Indonesia (1 finalist designer)

Monica Ivena

Japan (1 finalist designer)

Natsuki Hanyu

Netherlands (1 finalist designer)

Saar Snoek

New Zealand (58 finalist designers)

Allison MacKay, Gabrielle Edmonds (two finalist designers in a design team)

Anna Potton-Grapes

Brittany Glassey

Bronwyn Olley

Carolyn Gibson (one finalist entry in her own right)

Carolyn Gibson, Joelle March (two finalist designers in a design team)

Christopher Davis

Cushla O’Connell

Dinah Walker, Mark Walker (two finalist designers in a design team)

Donna Dinsdale

Erna Van Der Wat, Karl Van Der Wat (two finalist designers in a design team)

Fi Colston, Bruce Mahalski (two finalist designers in a design team)

Gill Saunders

Ian Bernhard (two finalist entries in his own right)

Ian Bernhard, Jaimie Hutton (two finalist designers in a design team)

Jackie Butterworth

Janet Reid

Janice Elliott

Jayne Boesley

Jean Valentine

Jenni Carlton

Jennifer Lambert

Jenny Sutton

Jill Benson

Jo Marie Odgers

Kate MacKenzie

Kelly Kim Harrouk

Liz Ritchie

Luiz Fernando Sereno Penna

Lynda O’Rorke

Lyndal Linton, Brett Linton, Harvey Linton (three finalist designers in a design team)

Mary Turner

Meg Latham

Natasha Macaulay

Oliver Cain

Philippa Stichbury

Rodney Leong

Ruth Arkless

Sharon Painter-Arps

Shelley Scott, Ashley Scott, Jaime Scott (three finalist designers in a design team)

Stephanie Cossens

Steve Brown, Conor Brown (two finalist designers in a design team)

Taralee Freeman, Marie Wright, Zach McDonald-Wright (three finalist designers in a design team)

Tracey Murphy

Vanessa-Amy Greenwood

Vicky Robertson (one finalist entry in her own right)

Vicky Robertson, Ula Rademeyer (two finalist designers in a design team)

Poland (2 finalist designers)

Edyta Jermacz

Nika Danielska

Romania (1 finalist designer)

Antoaneta Tica

Spain (1 finalist designer)

Cecilio Castrillo (three finalist entries)

Taiwan (4 finalist designers)

Cai Min Yan, Liu Yan-Ling (two finalist designers in a design team)

Chuang Yu-Hsuan

Claire Lee

Ukraine (1 finalist designer)

Anna Zigel

United Kingdom (2 finalist designers)

Agnes Olah

Freyja Sewell

United States (10 finalist designers)

Colleen Muscha, Christina Marullo (two finalist designers in a design team)

David Walker

Dawn Mostow, Ben Gould (two finalist designers in a design team)

Julian Hartzog, Sandy Schwartz (two finalist designers in a design team)

Miodrag Guberinic

Sherri Madison

Veritée Hill

Vietnam (1 finalist designer)

Thao Nguyen