For over 30 years, World of WearableArt (WOW) has embraced the worlds of art, design and fashion and brought them together in a theatrical performance.
WOW attracts entrants from over 40 countries each year, with designers creating extraordinary works of wearable art that are then brought to life on stage in the annual WOW Awards Show in Wellington in front of an audience of 60,000 people. Chris Davis is a WOW Sustainability Award winner. His innovative designs are regularly accepted into the competition and featured in an Air New Zealand campaign and Italian Vogue. He talks to express about how he and his mum fell in love with WOW and how his sexuality and dyslexia have helped fuel his creativity.
YOU EXPERIENCED YOUR FIRST WOW LIVE AT 18. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE EVENT THAT GRABBED YOU?
Up until that point, I had seen the show on TV, and I would sit there in awe. The garments, the dancers, the sets, I was amazed at the spectacle. Mum and I decided, “Right, this is the year we’re going!” so we saved up and flew to Wellington. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. After seeing the show, I was hooked. I couldn’t sleep and wanted to create. I never thought I would be entering the show, though!
The following year I created Itchy Stitch (pictured), made from 3,000 knitting needles. Mum said, ‘that’s a WOW garment.’ I didn’t think it was good enough but sent it thinking it would be returned. It won first for sustainability, and I have been entering garments ever since!
YOU ARE BOTH A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER AND A GARMENT DESIGNER. HOW MUCH OVERLAP IS THERE IN YOUR PROCESS FOR EACH?
Someone once said to me, “you can’t do both gardening and fashion; you have to pick one”. To which I replied, “why not do both?” To me, they are clearly related through design.
Once you understand the fundamentals of good design, you can apply it to different mediums. I will look at a garden and say, ‘that hedge is the wrong proportion for this space’. When designing a garment, I am also thinking of the proportion on the body. There are so many design principles that cross over: colour, form, texture, proportion and shape. It is good to challenge yourself as a designer, opening your eyes to a different medium can do this.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WORKING WITH THE UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIAL WE SEE IN YOUR WOW DESIGNS?
I have created garments from conventional fabrics, but materials like records, VCR tape and camera lenses put you out of your comfort zone. With unconventional materials, there is an experimental phase where you have to work out how it’s going to function as a material. With every garment, I have a moment where I think, ‘this is absolute madness.’ But this is always a good place to be in, as you’re testing and challenging yourself to the limit.
DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A GAY DYSLEXIC MAN HAS SHAPED YOUR DESIGNS?
Absolutely! Dyslexics may struggle with reading and writing, but our creative minds think multi-dimensional. This allows me to visualise a garment three-dimensionally before it has even been created. Dyslexia shouldn’t be used as an excuse – it is a gift!
Being gay, I feel more expressive with my thoughts and emotions. My creativity is my platform of expression. Looking back on my garments, it is interesting to correlate what was happening in my life at the time and how that shaped the garment concept.
WHY SHOULD EVERY EXPRESS READER BE BUYING A TICKET TO WOW THIS YEAR?
I believe everyone that goes to WOW will have a moment where they get completely lost in the show. It doesn’t matter what your interests are. There is always something that captures each individual. It’s so much more than just a show – it’s a creative world!
The 2022 World of WearableArt Awards Show runs from Thursday, 29 September to Sunday, 16 October at Wellington’s TSB Arena. For tickets, visit worldofwearableart.com
