Source: World of WearableArt™ (WOW)
New Zealand’s most spectacular theatrical stage production, the beloved World of WearableArt™ (WOW) Awards Show, is back. Tickets for the hottest event on the Aotearoa events calendar are now on sale.
Over 100 designers from 20 countries and regions around the world were selected as the finalists for the 2021 WOW Awards Show, with the event devastatingly cancelled just weeks before opening due to COVID-19.
Those finalists will now get their moment to shine as the iconic event returns from 29 September to 16 October in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington. The capital city will host an audience of over 60,000 from across the country, with designers coming from across the world.
More than $185,000 of awards and prizes are up for grabs, across three recurring sections – Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open – as well as three new sections in 2022 – Architecture, Elizabethan Era and Monochromatic.
The Show itself is legendary. With a new cutting-edge creative vision this year by Executive Creative Director – Las Vegas show-maker, creative producer of America’s Got Talent, and co-executive producer of American Idol, Brian Burke – alongside Show Director New Zealand’s Malia Johnston, each night the stage will come alive with incredible works of wearable art, dancers, aerialists, and foot-tapping beats created by music director Paul McLaney and composer Eden Mulholland. A digital effects team from Belgium, Drop the Spoon, will add to the spectacle with breath-taking AV creations.
The first round of judging to select finalists took place in 2021 by a panel comprising WOW Founder and resident judge Dame Suzie Moncrieff, designer and co-founder of Zambesi Elisabeth Findlay, and acclaimed New Zealand sculptor Jeff Thomson.
WOW Founder and resident judge, Dame Suzie Moncrieff says, “After two difficult years of having to cancel WOW shows, we are looking forward to bringing back the magic of our theatrical event, and celebrating our amazing designers from all over the world and their incredible garments. We welcome our audiences back to Wellington and can’t wait take them on a spectacular journey of theatre, art and design.”
Alongside the main judging panel for 2022 are:
International Guest Judge – Academy Award-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne
The Residency Experience Award Judge – Swedish-born fashion activist and celebrity stylist, B Åkerlund
Weta Workshop Emerging Designer Award Judge – Co-founder, CEO and Creative Director of Weta Workshop, Sir Richard Taylor
WOW Competition Director Heather Palmer says, “I have seen thousands of entries over the past 30 years, and the innovation and imagination of our designers never ceases to amaze me. Every year we see new perspectives and fresh approaches to wearable art, and just when I think I might have seen it all, a garment comes in that is completely unexpected and like nothing we’ve seen before.
“Creating an entry for WOW is a significant creative challenge for designers at the best of times but it is especially humbling to look at the work of our 2022 finalists and know about the resilience and determination that they’ve all needed to complete their works of wearable art in the midst of a pandemic.”
The finalist entries will go through two further stages of judging, where they are assessed on stage, before opening night of the WOW Awards Show on 29 September at TSB Arena.
Tickets are now on sale now at www.worldofwearableart.com
“We don’t get spectacle often in New Zealand. Real, huge, fall-in-love-with-it spectacle…it’s rare to see something where the intent is to ‘wow’ you. The World of WearableArt does that.” – The Spinoff
WOW Awards Show 2022 key dates
Thursday 29 September: Opening night
Friday 30 September: Awards night
Sunday 16 October: Closing night
WOW by the numbers
2022 marks the 32nd Competition and Show, in 35 years of operation
Of the 2022 finalist designers, 55% are New Zealand designers and 45% are international
There are over 100 designers in the 2022 competition, across 88 finalist entries (NB: some entries have multiple designers).
Every year, WOW receives entries from more than 40 countries and regions around the world. 20 countries and regions are represented in the 2022 finalists – Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.
Ticket options
VIP Table $4,400.00 | Stageside Experience from $255.00 | Platinum from $189.00 | Premium from $145.00 Standard from $99.00 | Restricted View from $50.00. Any ticketing enquiries, please contact tickets@worldofwearableart.com
Video: https://www.youtube.com/c/WorldofWearableArtAwardsshow
About Brian Burke
Brought on for a three-year term as an artistic consultant, Brian brings an impressive wealth of producing and directing experience across a range of genres from multi-media stage productions to smash hit tv series. His experience spans the international stage from Las Vegas and Broadway to the Sydney Opera House.
In 2002 Brian partnered with former Cirque Du Soleil mastermind Franco Dragone and served 10 years in his company as Artistic Director of Las Vegas Resident shows Celine Dion – A New Day, which became the highest grossing residency of all time, and Le Rêve – The Dream, which won Best Production Show for nine consecutive years.
Brian is the creative producer of the world’s most successful TV format, America’s Got Talent and co-executive producer of American Idol. He creatively produced numerous shows internationally including Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, The Latin Grammy Awards and earned an International Emmy Nomination as Co-Executive Producer of La Banda. He has produced hundreds of live TV performances for music superstars of all genres and his combined work to date has over five billion views.
Brian says, “I have fallen in love with everything about WOW, the creativity, the garments, and especially the people. Crafting unique live experiences with an incredible creative team has always been my passion, so I am truly honoured and humbled to become part of this very special WOW family. I am enthusiastic about the future and know the alchemy of our creative collaboration will bring new, exciting, and unforgettable experiences to WOW audiences.”
FINALIST DESIGNERS
NEW ZEALAND FINALISTS
Auckland region (18 finalist designers)
Carolyn Gibson, Joelle March (two finalist designers in a design team)
Carolyn Gibson (one finalist entry in her own right)
Christopher Davis
Dinah Walker, Mark Walker (two finalist designers in a design team)
Erna Van Der Wat, Karl Van Der Wat (two finalist designers in a design team)
Ian Bernhard, Jaimie Hutton (two finalist designers in a design team)
Ian Bernhard (two finalist entries in his own right)
Jayne Boesley
Jennifer Lambert
Luiz Fernando Sereno Penna
Oliver Cain
Philippa Stichbury
Rodney Leong
Shelley Scott, Ashley Scott, Jaime Scott (three finalist designers in a design team)
Wellington region (18 finalist designers)
Allison MacKay, Gabrielle Edmonds (two finalist designers in a design team)
Fifi Colston (in a design team with Bruce Mahalski from Otago)
Jennifer Carlton
Jenny Sutton
Kelly Kim Harrouk
Liz Ritchie
Lyndal Linton, Brett Linton, Harvey Linton (three finalist designers in a design team)
Natasha Macaulay
Sharon Painter-Arps
Stephanie Cossens
Taralee Freeman, Marie Wright, Zach McDonald-Wright (three finalist designers in a design team)
Vicky Robertson, Ula Rademeyer (two finalist designers in a design team)
Vicky Robertson (one finalist entry in her own right)
Northland region (1 finalist designer)
Jackie Butterworth
Taranaki region (2 finalist designers)
Bronwyn Olley
Tracey Murphy
Waikato region (1 finalist designer)
Jill Benson
Bay of Islands region (1 finalist designer)
Lynda O’Rorke
Bay of Plenty region (5 finalist designers)
Donna Dinsdale
Janet Reid
Jo Marie Odgers
Steve Brown, Conor Brown (two finalist designers in a design team)
Hawke’s Bay region (2 finalist designers)
Anna Potton-Grapes
Kate MacKenzie
Manawatū-Whanganui region (1 finalist designer)
Jean Valentine
Nelson Tasman region (3 finalist designers)
Gill Saunders
Mary Turner
Meg Latham
Canterbury region (4 finalist designers)
Brittany Glassey
Cushla O’Connell
Janice Elliott
Vanessa-Amy Greenwood
Otago region (2 finalist designers)
Bruce Mahalski (in a design team with Fifi Colston from Wellington)
Ruth Arkless
INTERNATIONAL FINALISTS
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
Hungary (1 finalist designer)
Anna Weszelovszky
India (2 finalist designers)
Devika Kumar
Jayati Saraf (two finalist entries)
Indonesia (1 finalist designer)
Monica Ivena
Italy (2 finalist designers)
Laura Maggioni, Giulia Bazzu (two finalist designers in a design team)
Japan (1 finalist designer)
Natsuki Hanyu
Netherlands (1 finalist designer)
Saar Snoek
Poland (2 finalist designers)
Edyta Jermacz
Nika Danielska
Romania (1 finalist designer)
Antoaneta Tica
Russian Federation (1 finalist designer)
Elena Kovalchuk
Spain (1 finalist designer)
Cecilio Castrillo (three finalist entries)
Taiwan (4 finalist designers)
Cai Min Yan, Liu Yan-Ling
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.
