WOW Wellington

A last minute decision had me joining the Phillipa Stitchbury Support team for her entry in WOW.
This is the 2nd time I have been but in 2018 it will the event's 30th Anniversary.
Phillipa has entered many times and last year won the Aotearoa section
(link below)
Wow video Phillipa's winning design is the Black red and white dress with the red feathers collar
This year she came 3rd in the Avant Garde section

The  Showplace a few minutes walk from my hotel

Phillipa and Mark 

The support team in appropriate dress
One entry she had was a pink sunset Punk look of the Pancake Rocks

Alternate years they have children designs, or Bizarre Bra!  A really popular section
This year's winner Come fly with me.

Come fly with me  Stainless steel 

men often model them .this is called Braparazzi!

There was a tribute exhibition to a young woman, Clare Preamble,  who has won many sections and started designing when she was six! and was the youngest overall winner at age of 18. She died in December at age 34 from Melanoma after a crowd-funded trip to Germany for experimental treatment failed. The sought-after couture and jewellery designer, known most notably for her work at Weta Workshop, crafting costumes for movies such as Prince Caspian and Avatar.

One of the prizes is a 4 week workshop in Weta (NZ film workshops) or Circe du Soleil.

Clare and one of her creations 

 I missed out on the visit to WETA workshops which the group had done the day before but it sounded fabulous so will book for when I go next time.

Past costumes were in stores all over the town There were some in a pink container in Lambeth Quay with porthole windows you could look through Phillipa's Flock Frock was in one 

Shops also do window dressing to keep up with the show.
This is dress pattern paper
A sign says it's 'WOW! Haute Couture meet Lady Gaga'

Tea cups and wallpaper 

The overall winner, Supreme Award and David Jones Avant Garde Section winner Supernova by Gillian Saunders of Nelson, New Zealand. A star explodes in a far-off galaxy. Made with recycled leather, gems, marker pen ink. She hand marked with texta every scale and suck on the sequins by hand 

There is always a show as you can see in the video, but we were less than impressed this year. It was spectacular but disjointed and not any clear Aotearoa (New Zealand) display 

But not disappointing to put us off going again! 

Phillipa has started on next year's idea