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2026 Categories
Runway Refuse
Look at the discarded, the forgotten, the thrown-away and transform it into art that intrigues and delights. This category challenges you to repurpose everyday waste in creative and original ways, sparking new life where others see none. Deconstruct, pull apart, connect, and rebuild - exploring the endless possibilities of upcycling. Show us how reinvention can be both thought-provoking and beautiful.
Keywords: Deconstruct – Pull Apart – Connect – Build New – Repurpose – Intrigue – Delight
Aoteroa
Celebrate the essence of Aotearoa. This category calls you to draw inspiration from the land, sea, mountains, sky, and the unique flora and fauna that surround us. Honour our culture, traditions, and stories, or bring a touch of classic Kiwiana to life. Let your creation reflect our connection to the environment and the pride we share in being Kiwi – bold, diverse, and unmistakably from the land of the long white cloud.
Keywords: Environment – Connection – Tradition – Culture – Pride
Fables & Fantasies
Step beyond reality and into the world of imagination. This category invites you to draw inspiration from your favourite fairytales, storybooks, myths, or fantasy films. Create wearable art that embodies whimsical or gothic characters, fantastical creatures, or imagined worlds. Whether light and playful or dark and mysterious, your work should transport us into a living fairytale – a wonderland of creativity where the impossible becomes real.
Keywords: Wonderland - Whimsical - Myths - Fairytale - Imagined
Avant-Garde
This category is for the rule-breakers, the visionaries, and the daring. Push the boundaries of art and fashion with extreme materials, unconventional techniques, and striking silhouettes. Surprise us, provoke us, captivate us. Create something bold, dramatic, and spectacular - a wearable story that fuses fashion with art and leaves us intrigued long after it leaves the stage.
Keywords: Bold – Provoke – Surprise – Spectacular– Intrigue – Unconventional – Dramatic
Each Category has Two Sections:
Section 1 : Complete wearable outfit
Section 2 : An Item to be held / carried - this is a more achievable task - with endless opportunity - don't just think handbags ... anything that can be held: hat, coat, umbrella, ball, bouquet, tool, flag, laptop, sign, suitcase, musical instrument, animal, basket . . . .
Awards:
- First Place & Runner up in each Design Category (Section 1 - Full Outfit)
- First Place & Runner up in each Design Category (Section 2 - Hold / Carry Accessory)
- Workmanship Award (Evident time and dedication displayed through design detail)
- First Time Entrant Award (First time competing in any wearable art competition)
- Sustainability Award (Most impressive use of waste materials)
- SUPREME OVERALL WINNER (Most outstanding item)
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