Academy of Art University Students Win Top Honors in International Competition
Academy of Art University School of Fashion Design students Liina Gruener,
BFA Fashion Design, and Marjorie Cox, BFA Textile Design,
won World of WearableArt (WOW®) Awards during a competition that took place in Wellington, New
Zealand. WOW® is a leading international wearable art event with more than 300 entries from around
the world.
“The success of WOW® has always been dependent on new designers participating, and we’ve
spent considerable time traveling to the US, Asia and Australia to encourage fresh entrants,”
explains Suzie Moncrieff, WOW® Founder and Director. “We’re delighted to see many international
entries coming in, particularly through the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.”
The Academy of Art University is the only
art college in the US that submits student work to the competition and has put
the project into the fashion curriculum. This year Academy of Art University submitted 11 student
entries.
 Liina and Marjorie entered 3 wooden dresses, which won
the 2008 Winner Shell Student Design Award and $6,000 New Zealand dollars. They were also runner-up
in the CentrePort
Inspired by Architecture Section.
Inspired by wooden toys, 3D puzzles and
Alice in Wonderland, the dresses premiered at the
Graduation Fashion Show and Awards ceremony in San Francisco and were featured in
Women’s Wear Daily and the
San Francisco Chronicle.
Liina traveled to New Zealand to attend the competition not expecting to win, but thrilled to
be accepted. Out of town designers were treated to museum visits, meetings with fabric weavers, a
tour of the Weta Workshop (special effects creators for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings
trilogy), lunch with the Deputy Mayor of Wellington and a cocktail party with the wife of the US
Ambassador at the US Embassy.
“I felt so honored and excited to be in the show. I hadn't even thought about it being a
competition, so I was completely shocked to see our dresses up there as a finalist and then to win
two prizes! The
Inspired by
Architecture
section was very strong, so we are really proud
to be runner-up in that category. Then to win first in the student section was incredible,” said
Liina.
Other fashion students with garments accepted in the show were: Aran Baik, Tura Sugden,
Yasmin Perez, Cliff Smith, Jackee Princeau, Lyric Wilson, Patty Markison and Sooji Lee.
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