WOW - World of WearableArt

Ornitho-Maia

Nadine Jäggi

New Zealand

2008 Supreme WOW Award Winner

2008 South Pacific Section Winner

Inspiration

Ornitho-Maia (The Bird Mother) is the ethereal protector of the beautiful feathered creatures of our world.

Ornitho-Maia was born from a desire to explore leather as a medium and push the boundaries of this material. With so many of our Earth’s birds on the verge of extinction, Nadine Jäggi felt they needed a guardian, someone who would ensure the survival of nature’s birdsong for generations to come. 

This garment was a labour of love for Nadine. By day, she was working for Weta Workshop on film projects; by night, her own extraordinary creation was taking shape. 

Materials

Leather – wet moulded, embossed, carved, hand dyed, copper foiled & hand sewn; bronze buckles, steel rings

More about the garment and the designer

Nadine Jäggi studied Fashion Design at Massey University and after graduating, completed a short stint working in a theatre in Europe. When she returned home, she was offered a position with Weta Workshop. This multi-talented designer has done costume construction, textile manipulations, leatherwork, creature suit fabrication, muscle suit fabrication and hair/fur work. She has also produced her own jewellery collection, and continues to specialise in working with leather.

Nadine entered the World of WearableArt Awards Competition for the first time in 2003. ‘It was such a treat to have my wearable art seen by so many thousands of people, in such a fantastic environment,’ she says, ‘and then winning the Supreme WOW Awards in 2008 gave me the funds to travel overseas for research and inspiration.’ More pertinently for Nadine, winning the Supreme WOW Award gave her recognition as an artist, leading to sales and commissions. Ornitho-Maia, became a great portfolio piece. ‘It helped me to continue to secure jobs within the film industry and in the creative world in general.’