There is something quite special when The World of Wearable Arts season lands in Wellington. Shop windows transform and restaurants do delightful meal & cocktail specials and the City Council puts on free events around town. Then for almost 3 hours every night those of us lucky enough to see the show are whisked away into a stunningly executed world of imagination and delight.

The garments that make it to the stage are a feast for the eyes and mind, and feature a stunning array of skills and materials to make moveable artworks. The Supreme WOW® Award “Diva’s Dreamscape” by Nelson based designer Peter Wakeman was the ultimate example. Made of stainless steel, wood and fibreglass, it’s strong simple clear lines disguised what in reality is a mind bendingly complex creation.

Diva’s Dreamscape, Peter Wakeman, New Zealand. Photo credit: World of WearableArtTM Ltd

WOW always, always sells out, because it’s always, always an exciting, wonderful show and 2015 was no exception. One thing that’s now happened to me  is the immediate desire to go home and start making things. If you feel a bit of creative inspiration rumbling and think you have a WOW garment inside you (some people have books inside them some of us have WOW garments) information for 2016 entries is available now over at WWOW Entry Kitt – yup they have a whole separate website devoted to the entry process and helping you through it.

If you haven’t had the chance to see the show, or score some of the precious single tickets available each day at the box office from 11am till 2pm. You can take a step back in time and check out a display of garments outside the TSB Arena until 11 October. Or set a reminder to buy tickets for the 2016 Show season which runs from Thursday 22 September 2016 – Sunday 9 October 2016.