WOW® 2016 First Judging Complete

WOW® 2016 First Judging Complete

Judges have selected entries for the 2016 WOW® Awards– but the garments will be kept strictly under wraps until opening night on September 22 when the world created for this year’s show will be revealed.

The judging panel, WOW Founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff, Zambesi co-founder Elisabeth Findlay, and sculptor Gregor Kregar, selected one hundred and thirty-three designs (133) from two hundred and sixty-one (261) entries at a three-day judging weekend in Nelson on July 8-10.

The selected garments have turned out to be a 50/50 split between those from New Zealand and the rest of the world, with entries from Australia, China, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The entrants come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from fashion designers, jewelers to full times students and home makers, one competitor listed their occupation as a carpenter.

The selected garments will now move to the second stage of judging in early September when they are assessed again after they have been individually choreographed. Final placings will be decided at a technical rehearsal just prior to the show opening when the judges see the work come to life on stage in the world created for this year’s World of WearableArt Awards.

Competition Director Heather Palmer leads the judging process and is responsible for ensuring that all entries are given careful consideration. “I am an advocate for the designers communicating all facets of each garment to the judges, this includes the inspiration, materials used and any aspect of construction or movement that the entrant has highlighted. Armed with this information the judges can then fully assess each garment against the competition criteria.’

Elisabeth Findlay likes judging this type of event, “first of all I am honoured to be invited to join the judging panel of WOW for the second time. I remember the first time I could not stop smiling or gasping because it was so inspiring. I feel transported to another world.

The level of creativity blows me away. We are presented with extraordinary vision, incredible craftsmanship and use of technology. As judges we all have a lens of our own experience that we view the work through, and interestingly enough we are often on the same page. I am looking forward to the next stage where we see these wonderful entries again!

It is also the second time judging for Gregor Kregar, and he says it is great to be back in the WOW environment. “I didn’t think it was possible but the quality and creativity has moved up a level since 2012. Even over the weekend I feel that each section we are seeing keeps improving. The reference point keeps moving as sections go from strength to strength. Just when I feel like I have seen the very best garment of the weekend, something else comes in that makes all the judges go “WOW!”

ENDS

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