It has been one of the biggest weeks on the fashion calendar in New Zealand. There have been double bookings, and busy yet beautifully dressed ladies rushing from one city to another. While ANZFW closed on Friday night, a whole other Fashion extravaganza begun: the 21st Montana World Of Wearableart™ (WOW®) Awards Show.
Once again Suzie Moncrieff and her team have created a Masterpiece. Every year, the Montana WOW® Awards Show never fails be anything other than utterly indescribable. WOW® is so much more than simply a competition, fashion show, or art exhibition. It transcends boundaries: a mix of art and sartorial styling all sewn together with a carefully selected soundtrack, incredible dancing and entertainment. 2009 was no exception, this year had the audience up and dancing in their seats with male dancers dressed in sequinned chaps and hot pants! Oh and I must mention the Topp Twins open the show with some comedy, and they do return with those sequinned cowboys!
Despite the spectacle and entertainment, it is the garments which shine through. How designers come up with such incredible ideas, and then manage to make them wearable leaves me lost for words. Each of the seven categories were breathtaking in their own unique way. For me, it was the first and last sections which blew me away: the Children’s Section ‘At the Bottom of the Garden’, and the Tourism New Zealand Avant Garde Section.
Once again Suzie Moncrieff and her team have created a Masterpiece. Every year, the Montana WOW® Awards Show never fails be anything other than utterly indescribable. WOW® is so much more than simply a competition, fashion show, or art exhibition. It transcends boundaries: a mix of art and sartorial styling all sewn together with a carefully selected soundtrack, incredible dancing and entertainment. 2009 was no exception, this year had the audience up and dancing in their seats with male dancers dressed in sequinned chaps and hot pants! Oh and I must mention the Topp Twins open the show with some comedy, and they do return with those sequinned cowboys!
Despite the spectacle and entertainment, it is the garments which shine through. How designers come up with such incredible ideas, and then manage to make them wearable leaves me lost for words. Each of the seven categories were breathtaking in their own unique way. For me, it was the first and last sections which blew me away: the Children’s Section ‘At the Bottom of the Garden’, and the Tourism New Zealand Avant Garde Section.
The Children’s Section, has always been a personal favourite of mine. Maybe it is a combination of the gorgeous little models and the themes... this year it was “At the bottom of the garden”. ‘The Dandelion Clock’ which won the section, stole the show, with its three little models replicating a dandelion blowing in the wind. And ‘The Daisy Chain’, which did not place, took my heart. I have a love affair with the hippie girl in me as soon as Spring hits, and this piece was so pretty and sweet.
The Avant Garde section is really where fashion and art collide. The pieces are revolutionary, extravagant and extrovert, but still stylish without the commercial reality and restrictions of fashion. This year there was a dress entitled ‘Afternoon Tea’ which had a cake trolley built into the skirt!! It really was a combination of the best things! Cupcakes and sweets in a gorgeous skirt! The Montana Supreme WOW® Award winner came from this category. ‘Lady of the Wood’, designed by David Walker a carpenter from Alaska, was a 17th century ball gown made entirely from wood. This dress was exceptional, looking so perfect, and as if made from some strong fabric from afar, yet up close the extreme skill and spectacle was clear: this really is a wooden dress.
While these categories made a mark on me, all seven were incredible, and each of the winners entirely deserving.
So although these garments were all on the catwalk, they won’t be making their way onto the streets as many of the fashion week trends will be. But as Annah Stretton, a judge this year mentioned in her prize giving speech, this is show that everyone should add to their bucket list.
WOW® runs until Sunday October 4th at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington.
For more information and full results see: http://www.worldofwearableart.com/
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