Winning World of WearableArt Designs on Display at Toi Ohomai

Bay of Plenty residents will have a rare opportunity to experience previous World of WearableArt (WOW) finalist creations up close when Unveiled: The Digital Seam opens at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Tauranga.

Running from 10 October to 6 November 2026, the month-long exhibition at the institute’s Te Ara o Mauao Gallery features 22 WOW entries from 2009 to 2023, giving visitors the chance to experience some of New Zealand’s most innovative wearable artworks outside of Wellington.

Curated by 2026 WOW finalist and Toi Ohomai Principal Academic Staff Member Anne-Marie Simon, Unveiled: The Digital Seam features garments by six wearable art designers. Highlights include Tauranga-born designer Georgia Chalmers-Jones’ The Golden Age of Queens, winner of the 2023 WOW New Zealand Designer Award; Béatrice Carlson’s Marquise Rāwahi, winner of the 2012 WOW South Pacific Award; and Deb Shephard’s City Lolita, winner of WOW’s Shell Sustainable Award in 2012. Donna Dinsdale’s Wāhine Toa (2022), Kerry Funnell’s DIY Divas (2019), Cherryl Marriott’s Private 11513: Reinvent the Uniform (2015), and Blue Tits: Birds of a Feather (2014) are also on display.

Unveiled: The Digital Seam opens with a special public event on Saturday 10 October from 2pm to 4.30pm, featuring a designer panel discussion and Q&A with all six exhibiting artists. The panel will offer insights into the inspiration, creative processes and challenges behind their wearable art creations. From Monday 12 October, the exhibition will be open weekdays from 10am to 2pm, with free admission.

Anne-Marie Simon says Unveiled: The Digital Seam provides a rare opportunity for people to experience these extraordinary wearable artworks at close range in Tauranga.

“Instead of viewing these creations from a distance and in motion, the gallery setting allows visitors to closely examine the designs, intricate craftsmanship, materials and innovative construction techniques behind each work. It’s the first time several WOW pieces have collectively been displayed together in Tauranga.”

Curating the exhibition also inspired Anne-Marie’s own WOW journey.

While developing Unveiled: The Digital Seam, she was motivated to enter the 2026 WOW competition, Glo! Her creation, It Takes All Sorts, was selected as a finalist in the 2026 WOW Awards Show’s Bizarre Bra section. Inspired by RJ’s Licorice Allsorts, the sculptural piece features oversized lolly-inspired forms, bold colours and playful patterns.

“Curating Unveiled: The Digital Seam inspired me to challenge myself and enter WOW for the first time. I wanted to experience the creative process from the perspective of a WOW designer, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome,” she says.


Unveiled: The Digital Seam

Opening event: Saturday 10 October, 2pm - 4.30pm
Exhibition dates: Weekdays from 12 October - 6 November, 10am - 2pm.
Venue: Te Ara o Mauao Gallery (M Block), Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, 70 Windermere Drive, Tauranga.
Entry is free. To find out more, click here.