Competition

Garments

Resources

2027 Section Themes

Each year there are six section themes or ‘worlds’ for designers to be inspired by when entering the WOW Competition. This includes three recurring sections; Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open, plus three unique themes which are announced each year.

Thaliora, Abhishek Chauhan, India

Buttercup Buttercup, Paula Jackson, New Zealand

Child Section - Figments of Imagination

Shine, Alina Garcia, University of Saint Joseph, Macau, China

Rococo

Black White

Ko Au Ko Harakeke, Ko Harakeke Ko Au, Anna Hayes-Moeau, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, New Zealand

Aotearoa

Avant-garde

Meine Erste Liebe, Fifi Colston, New Zealand

Open

Child Section - Figments of Imagination

Draw on your own childhood memories or drawings; or be guided by a child in your life as you enter a secret make-believe world filled with imaginary friends and fantastical creatures. Breathe life into dreamlike or nightmarish characters. Consider colour, scale, and storytelling. Evoke a child’s sense of wonder and discovery. Garments must be suitable for comfortable wear by a child aged 6–12 years. Entries must be made by adults over the age of 18, as per Competition Rules.

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No items found.

Rococo

Step into a world of opulence and unapologetic excess. Celebrate the lavish drama, spectacle and glorious rebellion of the Rococo age with gilded ornamentation, sumptuous textiles, and theatrical silhouettes for the grandest of entrances. Draw inspiration from an era at its most extravagant; whether through costume, architecture, furnishings, or the decorative arts.

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No items found.

Black White

Create from the starkest palette and be inspired by how these opposites manifest in cinematography, nature, art, and symbolism. Explore duality, contrast or monochrome. Your wearable art creation can be black, white or a combination of both. There is no grey area here.

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No items found.

Aotearoa

Reach into your unique connection, perspectives, original creativity and imagination to tell a story of your personal relationship with and aspirations for Aotearoa New Zealand.

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No items found.

Avant-garde

Break the rules of fashion and push it into a world that is experimental, radical, and unorthodox. Create a work of wearable art that breaks new ground through innovation, form or structure.

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No items found.

Open

A world with no thematic boundaries, offering a platform for complete freedom to explore and create. The only limit is your imagination.

See Examples

No items found.

What judges look for

At the epicentre of WOW’s universe is an international wearable art competition that challenges artists and designers from all around the world to take art off the wall and onto the human form. The most innovative and outstanding entries are chosen to appear on stage as part of the annual World of WearableArt Show.

Learn more

Science Fiction, Fifi Colston, New Zealand

The Organ Farmer, Fifi Colston, New Zealand and Sir Richard Taylor

Keep Reading

Awards & Prizes

The World of WearableArt Awards offer over $185,000 in prize value. Learn about the wide range of prizes and awards that you can apply for.

Designer resources

Find a library of resources including useful blogs and videos, tips, and advice from the WOW team on garment photography, guidelines for electrics, packing your garment, and more.