From concept to catwalk: wearable art triumph for master’s student

Master of Design student Nan Walden, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, has always loved the concept of wearable art. And this year, a long-held dream of hers has become a reality, as a garment she has created has made it into the 2024 World of WearableArt (WOW) show.

Nan created her entry alongside her mother Jann Lenihan, who is an artist and Massey alumna. The duo had wanted to enter WOW for a number of years, but life got in the way.

“I’ve always loved the concept of wearable art. My undergraduate degree was in fashion and my mum’s an artist and we both watched the show and the competition evolve from when it was first started in Nelson to when it got bigger and came to Wellington and then went international,” Nan says.

With 2024 presenting Nan with the opportunity to take a year off from full-time teaching to focus on her master’s, thanks to a Teach NZ scholarship, it seemed like the time was right to enter the prestigious wearable art competition.

“This year I had the time, the facilities and the opportunity to also write about the process for my master’s, so we decided to enter.

During the creation process, Nan wanted to combine her whakapapa Māori with her mother’s whakapapa Pākehā to come up with something that would represent what New Zealand is today, and what they’d like to for the future of the country.

“She’s got such a presence, she’s so sophisticated. You wouldn’t think that the material could do that. It’s very cool.”

Once the garment was complete, they had to send in 10 photos, one video and a narrative piece explaining their creation to the WOW judging team. From there, pre-selection took place, which required the garment to be sent down to Nelson to be viewed in person. After that, the finalists were announced.

Nan and Jann won’t get to see their creation again until the awards night in September. WOW organises models, choreographers and dressers who work backstage to get the models into the garments. Nan and Jann get to sit back and enjoy the show with the audience.

Working together on the project has been a rewarding experience, Nan says.

“Being able to work and get to know each other as adults in a relationship other than mother and daughter, more like artist and artist, has been amazing. But we also have the advantage of being mother and daughter, so we know when we need to calm down a bit or when we’re about to kick off.”

She’s enjoyed having the opportunity to enter the competition this year, as well as spend it focusing on being creative. She’s now on the home stretch of her master’s, with one final paper to go.

“My master’s focuses on contemporary Māori fashion and korowai and how those pieces can help decolonise educational spaces. I’ll be taking my pieces back to my work, displaying them and just breaking down those barriers of white spaces.”

Nan is the Design and Evaluation Lead Te Ao Māori and Te Ahuaha Hangarau Kaikako (Creative Technology Teacher) at Wellington East Girls’ College.

Tickets to the 2024 WOW Show: DREAM AWAKE are available here.