Meg Williams: World of Wearable Art CEO on the landmark 40th anniversary exhibition
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What is the World of Wearable Art and why is 2024 its 40th anniversary?
World of Wearable Arts. They're marking forty years this year. They're bringing it um well, they're bringing out the back catalogue for an exhibition next year, taking it offshore as well to show the world. Meg Williams, World of Wearable Arts Chief Executive, and is with us. Meg, morning to you. Good morning. When you look at the catalogue, is it timeless or does it show stages and ages and evolution?
Such a good question. Yeah, it's really amazing. It's like a reflection of how art and fashion and all the different um cultural uh vibes really change over the years. So yeah, it's very different. And that's why we're really excited to bring a selection of over fifty diamonds um across that um across that history, that forty year history, into the exhibition next year.
How does the WOW catalogue reflect changing art, fashion, and cultural vibes over four decades?
So it'll give give people a chance to see um many items in the collection that that that haven't been seen for several years. So it's very exciting.
The international but how and why? What what what's the point apart from going, Look at us, aren't we cool? Or is that the point?
Well, I think one of the incredible things that Dane Susie, our founder, created, is that she you know, World of Wearable Art, our Oscars call uh well the uh our our our fans call us the Oscars of Wearable Art and I think The important thing about that is that there is a fan base for WoW all over the world. We have designers from eighteen countries represented in the show this year. Uh, but we also have a growing fund based through social media in York, in the US, um, in Asia. And so we can't take the show everywhere, but we can take the exhibition. So it's designed to tour and so it's bringing the WoW collection and the stories of WoW and those international designers um to their local markets as well.
Having been to it a couple of times, what what a astounded me, whether you like the the individual pieces or not, was the astonishing amount of energy and effort that goes into the really, really good ones. What's the payback or is it just creative expression?
Well, I think we actually have over a hundred of our designers in town at the moment because they've come in for the for the wow season and talking to them yesterday, it's part of it is about belonging, you know. Many of them work in um fashion or in the commercial field or they just have so called everyday jobs. But they want to be with their creative people and so WoW is this amazing community where they can find like minded people, they can share their tips and their expertise. And then I think the other thing is they say like well which is on their garments and activates their garments through the choreography, through the spectacle of the show, just like nowhere else. And so for them it's their their opportunity to actually be part of this big spectacle and they're very moved by it, they're very excited by it and we're really proud to be able to deliver that and that for them.
And that's what drives us. Alongside of course wanting to make a terrific show for everyone that comes to see it.
Exactly. And anyone who hasn't should. Meg Williams, pre shattered World of Wearable Arts Chief Executive For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to News Talks Ed B from six AM weekdays or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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