World of Wearable Art, Design competition venue in Nelson, New Zealand
World of Wearable Art is a museum and design competition venue in Nelson, New Zealand, dedicated to garments that function as wearable sculptures. The pieces on display are made from a wide range of materials, from natural fibers to industrial elements, and are exhibited alongside classic cars in the adjoining Classic Car Collection.
The event was founded in 1987 by Suzie Moncrieff as a small local exhibition in Nelson, drawing only a few hundred visitors at first. Growing demand eventually led the annual competition to move to Wellington, while the museum stayed in Nelson.
Participants from many countries submit pieces made from unusual materials like paper, metal, or natural objects. The result sits somewhere between fashion, sculpture, and stage performance, and is hard to place in any single category.
The museum in Nelson is open year-round and displays pieces from past competition years as a permanent collection. Those who want to experience the annual competition itself should note that it takes place in Wellington and requires separate planning.
Each piece in the competition is judged not only as a static object but also on how it moves and transforms on stage under lights. Seeing a piece still in a display case and then watching it move on stage can feel like looking at two completely different works.
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