Entries are open for the world’s ‘Oscars of wearable art’!
The designers and creators of the world are invited to unleash their imagination, with the launch of the 2026 World of WearableArt (WOW) Competition.
The 2026 Sections for the world’s leading wearable art competition include Kinetic, Metallic and Bizarre Bra, alongside the annual sections of Aotearoa, Open and Avant-garde.
WOW Head of Competition Sarah Nathan says 2026 provides opportunity for everyone, from designers new to the wearable artform, to the boldest creative makers.
“The WOW Competition offers the creators of the world the opportunity to unleash their imagination without the bounds of commercial constraint. This year being a Bizarre Bra year offers a fantastic opportunity for designers new to the artform, or under time constraint, to work on a smaller creation, while Kinetic provides a platform to really push the boundaries of performance wearable art through movement and design. And of course Avant-garde is always a platform for fashion and design that defies convention and demands attention.”
For almost four decades, WOW has invited designers and creators to challenge the conventional and create the unimaginable through wearable art.
WOW finalists come from all corners of the globe and a broad spectrum of creative and technical disciplines – from fashion and costume designers, to jewellers, architects, and engineers.
Awards & Prizes:
With a total prize pool of over $200,000 NZD, the WOW Competition also offers exceptional career opportunities, including the Designer Development Award for future artistic growth and an exclusive internship with Wētā Workshop (Wellington, New Zealand).
Read more: https://www.worldofwearableart.com/competition/awards-prizes
For more about the WOW Competition, visit: https://www.worldofwearableart.com/about-the-competition
Image credit: Straw-ry Eyed, Bethany Cordwell, Australia
Article source: Arts Hub