FAQ

Presented by the Port Moody Arts Centre Society, the Wearable Art Awards is a competition encouraging local, Canadian and international artists of all mediums to submit evocative, imaginative and thought-provoking creations for the human body. A panel of experts in the fashion and textile industry initially jury entry applications for creativity, originality, skill in construction and conceptual idea. The accepted entries are modeled live to an audience at the performances and in front of a second panel of judges who make the final award selections. The accepted entries are displayed for as part of an exhibition at the Arts Centre in Port Moody and potentially as part of an extended display throughout the Tri-Cities. At the Wearable Art Awards we are looking for something more than just a "pretty dress". We are asking you to go deep into your imagination and create wearable art that boggles the mind - not something that you would see in a fibre arts store or something that you would ever see worn on the street. Whether it be the story you wish to tell (such as questioning the toxicity of our breast milk in Got Petrochemicals?), a unique use of materials (using willow branches instead of fabric, Untitled Willow), your choice of technique (Sea Shells by the Seashore) or the concept behind the garment (From the Ashes - a Crow Costume), wearable art to us is as much about the intention as it is the final piece.

We encourage entries from all over the world. There are no requirements for residency, nationality, age, or educational background for submitting to the Wearable Art Awards.

If you have to ask, you probably don't need to worry about it. The "Tri Cities" include Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and the villages of Anmore and Belcarra, located in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The categories for the 2013 Wearable Art Awards are Headdress, Brassiere and Complete Outfit.  Headdress is for any element of clothing that is worn on the head, Brassiere covers articles of clothing that covers, supports, and/or elevates the breasts, while the Complete Outfit category is for full outfits: garments that cover a model’s upper and lower body.  Beginning with the 2011 WAA, we have modified the categories to be form-based and increased the number of additional awards to recognize material and concept across all categories. All entries submitted must fall into one of the above three categories. Please also be aware that upon receipt of your submission, our team may transfer your entry to a different category if it is felt that your piece is better suited to a category than the one originally submitted for. The Port Moody Arts Centre Society reserves the right to cancel categories at any time.

What is the Headdress Category?

A quick search on the Internet will bring you a world of history and ancient culture, as the Headdress has been an important cultural icon since man established a communal society. Headdresses are used in tribal ceremonies, to crown kings, to establish the aristocracy, when we get married, when we die. Headdresses make a statement about the occasion, about who you are and what you represent. A headdress is anything that is worn on a head. The Wearable Art Awards is not really interested in the common anything. So we are not looking for a hat or a tiara, or anything that you could see walking down the street even in the most bohemian of neighbourhoods. We are looking for the headdress that takes you beyond the ordinary. Some practical things to consider: You can use any material. It must fit securely to the head and be well balanced. A chin strap is a good idea. Imagine how it will be worn by a model - if you can wear it around, climb stairs and tilt your head, you have the idea.
Headdresses are usually more ornate than other forms of headwear. In past years, models for the headdresses category have worn black sarongs or body suits with no footwear, jewelry or accessories. It is likely that entries to the headdresses category for 2013 will be displayed in a similar fashion, but this will be determined after entries have been received.  

What is the Brassiere Category?

The original idea for the bra as we know it today came in the early 1900’s invented by Otto Titzling, whose girlfriend was a well endowed fledgling opera singer, Swanhilda Olafsen. Corsets however originated back in the Menoan Age about 2000 B.C. and were originally designed to be worn outside of an undergarment to accentuate the waist and bust. In this category we challenge you to think outside of the box. We have already received entries created with such mediums as cigarette butts (“Smokin’ Bra”) and live growing grass (“Breast Implants”). You will turn more heads if you construct the entire piece from scratch rather then adorning an original manufactured piece. Some practical things to consider:

• Include multiple choices for closure to give flexibility to fitting.
• Most of our models are quite petite, with small cup sizes, so consider that as well when designing your brassiere.

What is the Complete Outfit Category?

Entries in this category must be a complete outfit and cover the upper and lower body of a model. There is no specific theme and entries can be made from any type of medium, from fabrics of all kinds, to glass, clay, metal and wood to suggest a few! Traditionally the category with the most entries, anything goes as long as it is a complete outfit! In the past, this category has attracted entries made of non-traditional materials, from willow branches, clay, and many types of metal. For this reason please provide explicit instructions on how the garment should be worn! Pull out all the stops of your imagination for this category - competition is always tough, so make sure your work pushes creativity to the limit and wows our judges!

The on-line applications will be considered for the appropriateness of each entry in terms of concept and construction in addition to ensuring each entry is wearable, in accordance with our criteria as defined in the Call for Entry. The goal is to select up to 80 entries to be part of the performances and exhibition so the more entries there are the more difficult it will be for an application to be accepted.  

A complete outfit must cover a model's upper and lower body. If we have to provide a skirt, pants, or shirt in order to show your outfit in the fashion show your piece will not be considered a complete outfit and will not be considered for that category. One piece of wearable art combined with readymade clothing will not be considered – the whole outfit should be a piece of art. Therefore, if you are entering a top you must provide a skirt or pants component to the piece as well. For example, a shawl to be shown with a readymade garment that you provide is not considered a complete outfit by the organizers or jury. In addition to the required elements of a complete outfit, think about hats, gloves and accessories to complete the overall piece. These are optional but add to the overall effect of the work. That being said, shoes are more difficult for fitting purposes (but not impossible)! If you are including shoes as part of your outfit please keep in mind that many models have longer feet.  

Your entry will be put on and off the models several times for fittings, photo shoots, and the 2 performances. It will then be hung on a 'form' for the 6-week exhibition at the Port Moody Arts Centre. Your entry needs to be able to withstand this amount of handling and movement, and the quick changes during the performances. The final judging of your garment will be done at the actual Wearable Art Awards performances where the entries are worn by models, who will be moving on the runway according to the choreography of the performance. This way the jury has the opportunity to see how your garment looks on the body and under the bright lights of the performance red carpet.  

Entries are juried both up close, and at the performance. The jury first reviews each accepted entry's conceptual statement and then carefully inspects each garment scoring it in the following areas:

• The "wearability" of the entry;
• Creativity and originality;
• Design and use of multiple elements and techniques;
• Quality of workmanship and construction;
• Overall presentation and;
• Conceptual meaning and impact.

The second stage of jurying takes place at the first performance when the garments are modeled to a live audience. The jurors will focus on the presentation of each garment during the performance – how it moves, what it's impact is on the runway. After the performance the jury will retreat and deliberate, considering the scores determined in the first part of the process and the overall appeal of the entries during the performance. At the end of the retreat (usually 90 minutes) the jury will make its selections and determine the amount of prize money to be allocated to each category and award winner. The winners will be announced the next evening, following the second performance. The entries will be judged on all criteria, weighted in favour of conceptual message and overall impression during the performance. Decisions made by the jury are final.  

It is important to remember that your entry must be well made, so that it survives multiple wearings. The garments are first fitted to many models and also need to survive the quick changes of the performances. Other things to consider: • Hot glue, tape, sticky back Velcro or staples do not hold garments together over multiple wearings. These may be timesavers while you are creating your piece, but you will certainly be deducted marks by the jury. • Please make sure your garment is safe to wear with no sharp edges that can stab the models. Poor workmanship will be noticed by the jury! • Any electrical wiring must be safe and easy to use. • Entry and exit of your garment should be easy. If this isn't straight forward please include instructions about how to get in and out of your piece properly. Models will have the aid of dressers during photoshoots and the performances but during quick-changes an easy to maneuver garment will be much appreciated! • Ensure your garment is not excessively heavy. • Can the models navigate stairs or ramps in this garment? As mentioned, the jury will have the opportunity to inspect garments first hand prior to the performances. They will be looking for pieces that are interesting and made with attention to detail. Marks will most certainly be deducted for unfinished edges, weak seams, or overall poor construction. No matter how amazing your piece is, make sure you take the time necessary to professionally finish your garment as that will go a long way for impressing the jury.  

No. Using the material of the year is one of many routes an artist could consider when positioning an entry for the Wearable Art Awards. However, to be eligible for this award you must prominently use the material stated.  

There is a total of $5,000 CDN in prize money to award to accepted entries. The jury will select winners from each category in addition to presenting awards to entries across all categories. The public will decide the winner of the People's Choice Award, selected through the collection of ballots during the performances and following exhibition. The jury will decide how to distribute the $5,000 between the category and special award winners. All entries submitted to the 2013 Wearable Art Awards will be eligible for the following awards in addition to the opportunity to win their respective category: • Material of the Year: The garment that best uses the "material of the year", and as decided by the jury. In 2013 the material of the year will be silk. • Colour of the Year: the garment that best uses this element, and as decided by the jury. In 2013 the colours of the year will be silver and gold. • 100, One hundred, 1hundred: The garment that best incorporates the number 100 or repetitions of an item 100 times; in celebration of Port Moody's Centennial in 2013. • Second Life: The garment that best uses recycled, reused, or discarded material to construct an exciting new piece of wearable art as decided by the jury. • Student: The most impressive garment submitted by a student as decided by the jury. To be eligible for the Student Award an artist must be returning to either full time or part time post secondary studies in fall 2012, or is a recent graduate from a post secondary program (within one year prior of the 2013 Wearable Art Awards application deadline—the 2013 deadline is November 15, 2012). • Best in Show: The garment with the most "wow-factor", weighted towards its presentation on the red carpet during the performance as decided by the jury. The Best in Show winner may not necessarily be selected from the category winners. • People's Choice: The most impressive garment as selected by the public through a ballot-based voting process during the performances and following exhibition. This award will be announced at the end of the 2013 exhibition (after March 14, 2013)  

You must select only one category for your creation. If you are not sure which category your piece is best suited to, contact us and we will do our best to help you choose.

The sizes should be standard dress sizes between size 4 to 10 for women. Excessively small or large pieces make it considerably harder to find an appropriate model for your piece. If possible make your garment adjustable so that it could fit models of different sizes.  

The Wearable Art Awards emphasizes creativity, originality, and craftsmanship in the work it showcases. Artists whose work is completely original (i.e. working from scratch from their own pattern) will in most cases receive higher marks from the jury. All designs have to be original, created and conceived by the artist.  

Ticket information will be posted on the Wearable Art Awards website closer to the event time. Artists with accepted entries will be sent an RSVP form, and are encouraged to reserve one complimentary ticket for the 2nd performance and Award Ceremony.  

We are always looking for volunteers to assist with this dynamic event. If you are interested in volunteering please email our Volunteer Coordinator. Certificates of hours and reference letters will be available upon request.