World of Wearable Arts

Fashions' Business by Annah Stretton - World of Wearable Arts 2011

‘The Greatest Frock’ Southland Express - Thursday 27th January 2011   Breath-taking is the only way to describe the absolutely stunning creation by fashion designer Annah Stretton that is currently on display in Annah.S Invercargill’s Kelvin Street shop window.   Billed as “The Greatest Frock on Earth’’ and with a train measuring 5.5m, it truly is beyond description – only a first-hand look will confirm that this astounding gown is so beautiful.   The one-off, elaborate, and eccentric gown took 30 to 40 metres of material to fashion and was created for the 2010 Montana World of Wearable Art Awards competition’s avant garde section’s circus theme.   “The circus is all about spectacle and extremes... so why not the greatest frock... that is so big, so bold, so beautifully bizarre, it cannot help but command attention,” Ms Stretton said.   Invercargill is the only Annah.S shop that gives people the opportunity to see this incredible gown up close, Danelle Blackley, of Annah.S said.   “This is the one and only opportunity to see a most wondrous spectacle.’   “We are the first and only store in New Zealand to have it.’’   The dress will only be in the Annah.S shop window for one week, then it will be packaged up and returned to Annah Stretton.   Sophie’s hair for the photo was done by Maree Thomson and her make-up by Kerry Penisula- Spain, both of Venom.

Ready for the frock of your life?

 
Annah Stretton is marking her return to the Montana World of WearableArt Awards competition with a show-stopping entry billed as ‘The Greatest Frock on Earth’.
 
As a judge in last year’s competition the Kiwi designer was unable to enter herself, so knew she had to make an - extra special - entrance this year.
 
And what better way to do it, she decided, than with a frock so big, so bold, so beautifully bizarre, it cannot help but command attention.
 
Fitting in perfectly with the avant garde section’s circus theme, ‘The Greatest Frock on Earth’ is an elaborate - and unashamedly eccentric - version of one of the designer’s favourite pieces, complete with outrageous headgear and other attention-grabbing accessories.
 
For Annah, entering the awards represents an unmissable opportunity for her team to really unleash their creative talents and indulge their wildest (creative) fantasies.
“Entering the World of WearableArt Awards has always been about pushing the creative processes we employ every day to the nth degree. We started with a frock that has been a favourite of mine and asked ‘how can we really explode this?’. The result is a truly massive dress in more ways than one.”
 
As someone who has always enjoyed pushing boundaries with her work - even (and sometimes especially) if it courts controversy - the awards’ carnival or circus theme was particularly appealing.
 
“The circus is all about spectacle and extremes. You have the tallest, shortest and fattest people in the world do why not the greatest frock?”
 
As much as she relishes the frock’s hyperbolic sense of drama, Annah also emphasises its relevance to the ‘real world’.
 
“I have always considered the awards a fantastic opportunity to create something that will make an impact both onstage and in real life. We experiment with colours, fabrics, techniques and structures which are relevant to what we do every day so we end up with something that inspires future work.”
 
As for how it feels to back under the judges’ scrutiny, Annah says she’s simply enjoying the whole creative entry process.
 
“As much as I enjoyed judging the awards, I really missed being able to enter myself. I’m pleased to be back and entering. I can’t wait for the show in September.”

Why enter the World of Wearable Arts Awards?

Given my art school background, it is with excitement that I look forward to submitting our WOW entries each year.

WOW has to be truly the best event of its kind in NZ, therefore to be selected from so many excellent entries to simply form part of the show is one thing, but to actually be judged as a finalist, or highly commended as we have, is a huge achievement for myself and the team.

Entering WOW enables the team and myself to extend and express ourselves at the highest of creative levels, which will in turn influence elements of the seasons collections that we are designing.

Our WOW entry has become incredibly important to our seasonal plan. Obviously the competition is one I’d dearly love to win, but as with all events it’s simply about a great idea executed at the highest of levels.