Post WOW

Well, WOW is over for another year and what a fine season it was! After last year's disappointment of not getting into show (lesson here: don't do something that is 'just a bra', do something that is THE bra), 2013 has turned up great times. Wearable Wonders has gone into reprint,  I did talks at Te Papa to school groups, a presentation to over 300 people at the Designer's Forum, a pre show dinner talk at Shed 5 for 90 corporate guests, a pre show showing of a private WOW commission for Finishing Touch made from their fabulous stationery products, the exhibition of some of my past garments at The Roxy Cinema, a Bizarre Bra workshop there and a charity auction of Vena Immaculata, my 2011 entry- which raised $1000 for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.

So I feel I have been given and given back. And with 'Angel's Trippy Trumpet' getting an honourable mention at the awards, I also received the completely stunning new WOW book. It is a must for anyone considering entering or simply to drool over. You get to see such glorious details- this really is a fabulous book. I'd love to see it and some of the garments at The V&A in London. They would fit right in and stand right out all at the same time.

So what now that this month of wearable art indulgence is over? Well, I was in the studio on Sunday with my $2 shop Barbie doll, spray painting her a particular colour for my 2014 creation... yes, I have been bitten early. I might also do another bra too. And in the meantime I'm working on an idea for Bling My Bra- there are talks of a catwalk and guest entries; I can't enter the competition myself because I'm a judge, but I do have some exciting materials to play with and I need to keep my hands busy, and this is a fabulous event in aid of The Breast Cancer Foundation and this year there will be a groovy band at the exhibition night. Interested? Consider it a prelude to the 2014 WOW Bizarre Bra section. Go on, you know you're busting to have a go!


This post is decicated to Joanne Cunningham, my good buddy and seeker of adventure at Wellington Polytechnic Design School back in the day. She passed away September 22nd 2013 from breast cancer. She was 54 and it was too soon.

Awards, rewards and paying it forward

Angel's Trippy Trumpet

Well! It's been a pretty exciting week full of WOW- World of Wearable Art. I was absolutely thrilled to get an Honour Award for my piece 'Angel's Trippy Trumpet' in the Man Unleashed- Psychedelic Revival section. It's a Datura flower that opens up to reveal the trippy journey inside! No models were harmed (or stoned) in the making of this ;)

The show was as usual absolutely incredibale and I was was stoked to spend a day with the international designers, have a peek behind the scenes at my old work haunt Weta Workshop and then talk to a very large crowd of over 300 at Te Papa. Hopefully I've inspired them to enter next years show! That evening I did a dinner talk for a corporate group and we had Vena Immaculata, my 2011 entry (which also recived an Honour Award) modelled by Ria Simmons, a wonderfully talented dance and drama student for the duration. The client was also a sponsor of The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation, so it was fitting to have Vena there, as it is about "A battle to keep fatigue and anaemia at bay; red blood cells are knocked back by the treatment. Photos of the cancer cells reveal them to be like delicate frilled bouquets.Beauty Disguising the Beast?"

Last week an old friend of mine from design school days, Joanne Cunningham, a talented artist and photographer lost her battle with breast cancer. She was 52. Two other close friends have undergone treatment for this and it seems that so many people I know have had brushes of varying strokes with the disease. It is hard to know what to do other than make casseroles for family when someone you know is going through this. And heaven knows, I am no great culinary provider. I wondered what I could do effectively to make a useful difference. And then I had it- I could auction off a relevant artwork and have the proceeds go to The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation, who support so many who are affected.

So,Vena Immaculata is going up for auction- with ALL the proceeds going to The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. We are holding it at The Roxy in Miramar with an auctioneer and if you aren't in town you can participate on Trademe for the bidding. We will have a big screen with the auction page live on the night. Preceeding the auction, I'll hold a workshop on Bizarre Bra making- a hands on fun event with bubbles and canapes.

Go to the Trademe auction page here:

and here is more info on the workshop and night :)