Monday August 15, 2011

The Brancott Estate World of WearableArt™ (WOW) Awards Show judges are one step closer to deciding who will take out this year’s top honours, and a share of the $150,000 prize pool, after the second round of judging in Wellington this week.

The Brancott Estate WOW Awards Show, which runs from August 25th to September 10th in Wellington, has a tough judging process involving three judging rounds.

WOW Competition Director Heather Palmer says that as well as an art showcase, WOW is a major competition.

“WOW is an internationally renowned competition, giving designers an opportunity to be recognised as the best in the world,” Palmer says. “The robustness of our judging processes makes the winners’ achievements at WOW all the more remarkable.”

The first judging round of 273 entries was held on June 12th, and after close analysis of how well their materials, craftsmanship and design were executed, 160 finalist garments were chosen.

Given that WOW showcases these works of art on the human form, the second judging round reviews their stage performance – how each moves as a choreographed piece.

Palmer says for this judging round, lighting, make-up and special effects are kept to a minimum to allow judges to focus on each garment, viewing them from each side.

“The second judging round is an exciting part of the process, as you can see how the garments move on their own, and together,” Palmer says. “This process also acts as the first full dress rehearsal, allowing stage management to finalise the show’s timing, the choreographers to make any adjustments, and the back stage team to ensure the quick garment changes are faultless.

“The judges saw some likely winners start to emerge after this week’s second judging, and they will make a final decision at the final judging round in two week’s time.”

The 2011 judges are WOW Founder Suzie Moncrieff, fashion designer Trelise Cooper and artist Nigel Brown. The Brancott Estate World of WearableArt™ (WOW) Awards Show winners will be announced on Friday 26th August. This year there are seven main award category sections:

• The Air New Zealand Kiwi Icons Section.
• Gen-i Creative Excellence Section: ‘Under The Microscope’.
• The Children’s Section.
• The CentrePort Illumination Illusion Section.
• The Tourism New Zealand Avant Garde Section.
• The American Express Open Section.

There are also seven special award categories:

• Sustainability
• First Time Entrant
• Student Design
• Wellington International Award
• WOW Factor
• Packing Award
• Weta Award

ENDS

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