WOW, It’s Wearable Art!
Contributed by Carmen Summerfield
In preparation, or a lead-up, to our 2023 Wearable Art and Runway Fashion Show “Unlocked” on Saturday, February 18, 2023, Niki Pease has offered to give a presentation about her attendance at the World Of Wearable Art, or WOW, in New Zealand, in both 2015 and 2022.
Her WOW presentation will be at the Turkey Red banquet room in Palmer, on Saturday January 21, 2023, at 2pm, admission is free.
Here are some notes written by Niki of her WOW experiences…
“For some people, just a little exposure to something can become addictive. And that is the way wearable art has been for me.
“I was first exposed to the WOW, World of Wearable Art, by a dear friend whose friends from New Zealand had brought her a program from a show from around 2007. I was flabbergasted by the creations I saw and knew that someday I had to see a show for myself.
“A tarp and carhartt ball lead to the creation of my own first outfit, a tarp and duct tape Cinderella dress. And an art grant collaboration with Carmen Summerfield lead to an invitation to wear that dress in the Valley Arts Alliance Wearable Art and Runway Fashion Show in 2009.
“Many outfits and runways later, I still wanted to see the amazing WOW show in New Zealand. So I bought tickets and I attended my first WOW show in Wellington, NZ in September 2015.
“What an amazing experience! At the WOW museum in Nelson, NZ there was a traveling exhibit of some of the most iconic winners from past years, especially a wooden outfit from an Alaskan artist called Lady of the Woods that I wanted to see.
“In 2016, I managed to catch the traveling exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle during a flight layover.
“I always wanted my daughter to see the show (and my grandson). When Fiji Airline offered an extraordinary deal on flights, I knew where we were going. And I attended my second WOW performance on October 12, 2022 with the both of them.
“At my first WOW I bought a memento that says, ‘WOW- Against all odds follow that dream. If you are passionate it will happen.’ And I am passionate about wearable art.”
To see exciting photos of our Wearable Art creations from 2008 to 2022, including our photo of Niki at our show in 2018, visit our Archive Pages at www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com.