WOW! World of WearableArt

Discover New Zealand's iconic art event ... so states the web site of WOW World of WearableArt.

"Take art off the wall and out of static display & adorn the body in wildly wonderful ways. Celebrate creativity in lavish and unique onstage spectaculars-that inspire all." - Susie Moncrieff, WOW Founder/Artistic Director

Fantastic!! I've wanted to attend WOW since I heard about it last year upon arriving in NZ. I've now missed two years worth of wearable art! Next year is the year!

"Lady of the Wood" by David Walker of Alaska won the top award at this year's event. Walker, a carpenter, apparently designed and made the 18th century-style ballgown entirely of all-American timbers. Walker's entry was the first international entry to win the competition, which began 21 years ago in Nelson. Click here if you want to read more detail of the event and Walker's winning entry.

Photo credit: Andrew Gorrie/The Dominion Post

Air NZ Fashion Week, Possum & Hotties

Air NZ Fashion Week was held in Auckland a few weeks ago. What a huge event! It's New Zealand's largest fashion event attracting designers from all over NZ and buyers from all over the world. I find fashion in New Zealand very interesting. But this is an entirely different topic that I need to write about separately!

One of the big buzzes this year was that Pamela Anderson and designer, Richie Rich, who have teamed to create the fashion label, A*Muse, were launching at Air NZ Fashion Week. This was a huge coo and made the news for weeks.

Knowing that Pamela Anderson is a staunch supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and that A*Muse touts itself as being environmentally friendly, I was curious how this would go over in NZ. In one article online prior to the event, the site showed Pamela Anderson alongside the photo of a NZ designer's possum skin bikini.

Possums are considered pests in NZ. Driving from Queenstown to Glenorchy, the road is often littered with possum roadkill. These possums are not like the ugly rat-like critters we have in the US. These possums are furry, bear-like critters that make a horrific devil-like sound that I often hear outside the house in the middle of the night. Yuk!

Here their fur is beautifully soft and is used for all sorts of things like blankets, clothing, and even hottie (hot water bottle) covers as pictured here. I've become a fan of using a hottie to warm the bed in the winter. Or maybe it just reminds me of being a kid. (I remember my mum using them all the time when I was a little girl.) However, I'm still not sure that I can get myself to use one of these possum hottie covers. These particular hottie covers are available at Glenorchy Fur Products.