A golden garment from Indonesia dubbed The Lady Warrior has won this year's Supreme World of Wearable Art winner award, New Zealand Herald reported.
Thousands gathered at the TSB Arena in Wellington last night to soak up the final theatrical performance showcasing 108 garments by 115 designers from 22 countries.
An audience of around 60,000 people are expected to attend the 2019 World of WearableArt Awards Show season, with many travelling from around New Zealand and the world to attend the annual event.
This year, Indonesia designer Rinaldy Yunardi was announced the overall 2019 winner.
He becomes the third person—after last year’s sisters Natasha English and Tatyanna Meharry—to win the Supreme Award at the World of Wearable Art awards (WOW) in Wellington tonight. In the 32-year history of WOW, only Yunardi, English and Meharry have managed to take top honours twice.
According to Lucire.com, the Jakarta-based designer’s entry, The Lady Warrior, is a tribute to women, ‘the toughest warrior of all,’ according to a statement released by WOW. ‘The Lady Warrior plays the role of daughter, wife and mother. She is about inner strength rather than brute physical strength.’
Yunardi adds, ‘I used various mediums of materials to represent different elements of The Lady Warrior. Recycled paper made into rope and woven tightly together represents humanity and inner strength built from her experiences—she was born vulnerable but with life experiences she has strengthened and become strong.’
Yunardi has already made quite an impact on the WOW scene. In 2017 – his first time entering – he also took out the Supreme Award as well as the Avant-garde Section with his garment, Encapsulate. His wins this year almost exactly echo his 2017 success. The Lady Warrior also won the Avant-garde section and the International Design Award: Asia.
WOW founder and resident judge Dame Suzie Moncrieff says The Lady Warrior is ‘a garment that the judges described as an extraordinary metamorphosis of a fragile organic material into something so beautiful.'
She added, 'Demonstrating perfect balance and form, as well as immaculate craftsmanship, The Lady Warrior conveys a stunning fragility which is perfectly balanced with a subtle strength. The judges particularly loved the use of traditional weaving to create a piece that is so contemporary.’
According to Kumparan.com, Yunardi’s designs have been favourites amongst Hollywood's A-listers, including Kylie Jenner, Madonna, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift.
