Suzie Moncrieff
Suzie Moncrieff founded World of WearableArt as a promo at her little gallery in rural New Zealand—now it’s an extravaganza held annually in Wellington with a 50,000-strong audience each season. Moncrieff chats with Leanne Mirandilla about the show, which is being performed outside of New Zealand for the first time.
HK Magazine: How would you describe World of WearableArt to someone who’s never seen it before?
Suzie Moncrieff: The inspiration behind World of WearableArt is to take art off the wall and [place it] onto the human body in wildly wonderful ways. This creates many possibilities, from walking paintings to sculptured pieces with wooden masts and sumptuous silks. Each piece is an elaborate, original work of art. Many have taken up to a year to make. There’s nothing like it in the world.
WOW is not a walk down the catwalk or a fashion show; it’s a theatrical, big-stage extravaganza of many layers, where 124 extraordinary art-inspired costumes are each individually choreographed. Some [models] dance, some perform. There’s a magical theatrical stage setting with amazing lighting effects and an emotional soundscape, live opera, dance performances and a procession of theatrical characters.
HK: What were you doing before you started up WOW?
SM: It’s hard to remember! In the 1980s I was working full time as a sculptor—I was working with stone and ceramic. I started an art gallery in the countryside in New Zealand, in an old 1870s mud cottage. It ran very successfully, and in 1987 I decided to up the profile of the gallery and create an awards show.
Two hundred people came to the first art show held in 1987, and now, in 2011, we have an audience of 50,000 people who are inspired by the amazing creativity in the entries on the show. Entries come in from all over—UK, USA, India, Australia, Holland, Japan, China, Canada, Hong Kong. It’s a truly international event with over $150,000 in prize money—it’s one of the most significant art prizes in the world.
HK: How do you select the entries for the final WOW show?
SM: We have around 300 entries each year from all over, and around 180 make it into the show. The winners are chosen by a panel of three judges: one artist, one fashion designer, and myself. It’s very vigorous; there are three different judging sessions. One is up close, where the judges can see workmanship and hear about the artist’s inspiration. Then each entry is worn by a model, and then it’s choreographed.
It takes on a whole new look in movement and is judged in the context of a full show. Some designers tell us how they’d like to see their works move, but sometimes the choreographers see that they can do more [with the piece].