THE World of Wearable Arts Wellington event provided inspiration for Gibson Girls’ High School student Keno Irwin who has just won a design award at the Project Glow Wear Competition.
Keno and foreign exchange student Alexi Nuke entered a cloak or koalas and a feather headpiece and earrings in the competition. They have won the award for best accessory and were runner-up for the Young Designer Best Garment award.
The brief was to design a wearable art that glows with reflective material for a category in the Project Glow wear competition.
"I decided to create a Maori cloak with iron-on reflective material on the top and reflective tassels spread around the fabric. I originally wanted to put Para shells hanging down from the top but I thought they wouldn’t suit the color of the fabric.
"I like to include Maori art in anything I make or design to represent my culture.”
She used a gray fake fur fabric, black material, reflective fabric and iron-on reflective vinyl supplied from Project Glow wear to make the garment.
"The headpiece was made of reflective material and the Maori pattern drawn with a vivid.
"The father was two layers of reflective material sewn on either side with the support of a wire in the middle. I made the headband and feather with the help of my teacher. Alexi made the earrings out of polymer clay.”
"I think the final design is fantastic, a real juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary cultures, "said GGHS multitude teacher Cleo Thorpe-Negate.
One of the aims for this project Glow wear competition. Is to increase awareness of the effectiveness of reflective tapes clothing and accessories to increase the visibility of people in the hours between dusk and dawn, particularly when placed on moving parts.
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