Safety fences the inspiration

MAARTEN HOLL/FAIRFAX NZ

Fenced Off - Luiz Fernando Sereno Penna, NZ. First Place Children's Section.

GOOD AS GOLD: Luiz Fernando Sereno Penna took out first place in the childrens section for Fenced

Linwood designer Sebastian Denize won first place in the Bizarre Bra section for Re-Decked a bra made from broken skateboards.

A rebuild-inspired creation by a North Canterbury designer received an honourable mention at the World of WearableArt (WOW) awards. Two Cantabrians scooped top prizes at the annual WOW awards in Wellington last night. Amberley-based designer Luiz Fernando Sereno Penna, originally from Brazil, entered two pieces in the children's colour section - Fenced Off claimed the top prize and the other gained an honourable mention.

The bright-orange garment was made from plastic safety fences and intended to depict the frustration of people affected by the Christchurch rebuild. His second garment, Life in the Shadowy Depths, created from cups, bottles, spoons and cord, was inspired by deep-sea creatures that evolve to survive where the sun's rays never shine.

Linwood designer Sebastian Denize wowed the judges with his design called Re-Decked - a garment made from recycled skateboards - which took out first place in the Bizarre Bra section. This was the second WOW win for Denize, who last year teamed up with Jo Drysdall and won second prize in the Man Unleashed category.

WOW founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff said this year had been one of the hardest competitions to judge because of the "high calibre of work in the show". "Even after 26 years, I continue to be surprised and inspired," she said. She was "truly amazed" by the creativity shown this year and said the wide range of materials used "never ceases to impress".

The Brancott Estate Supreme WOW Award went to Poly Nation by New Zealand designer Kate MacKenzie, and US designer Lynn Christiansen bagged the runner-up prize. The WOW awards attracted 166 entries from designers from China, Taiwan, Qatar, Denmark and Australia.

- The Press

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Safety fences the inspiration