Although the history of using the human
body as a mannequin for art display surfaced occasionally in the
twentieth centure with Atsuko Tanaka's Electric Dress in 1956, it was
not until 1987 that Wearable Arts became celebrated in New Zealand as
an annual extravaganza. It was the brainchild of Susie Moncrieff and
for the first few years it was held in the small, artsy city of
Nelson. Once it had become more and more popular, it eventually
transposed itself to the capital, Wellington, usually around the end
of September and early October, spring in our hemisphere.
These days, Wow is an internationally
known spectacular that attracts designers from all over the world
such as Canada, Japan, USA, India, Thailand, UK, the Netherlands,
Israel, Fiji and Germany.
Even though the art costumes are the
reason for being, WOW has become a cross between an art show, a
fashion show and the Cirque du Soleil. Lighting, acrobats, music,
ballet and other media all combine to make the show truly
spectacular. The downside for people who want to see the art costumes
up close, is that they become ever more remote and incorporated into
the 'fabric' of the show. The only way to see some of the costumes in
detail is at the permanent exhibition in Nelson.
There are several categories: Pacifica,
Children, Bizarre bra, Avant garde, and sometimes lighting or this
year it was inflatables!
The entrants have instructions about
the garment and any accessories having to be robust to stand quick
changes and several shows, with maybe a tour at the end. Any material
can be used, including metal, wood and plastic. Paper can be tricky,
and needs lots of reinforcement.
