City Lolita WOWs judges

Winners from the 24^th Brancott Estate World of Wearable Art (WOW) Awards for 2012 were announced over the weekend with Bay of Plenty Polytechnic fashion tutor Debbie Shepherd picking up a top award.

Debbie's ensemble, City Lolita, won the Shell Sustainability Award in the Avante Garde section. Constructed entirely using upcycled metal zippers, City Lolita featured a corseted tailored jacket, a masculine shirt, tie and feminine crinolined skirt.

Formerly from Merseyside in England, Debbie visited the WOW Museum in Nelson on a holiday back in 2007. "I was so inspired by the amazing designs and works of art on display at the museum that I vowed to one day enter a garment myself."

Debbie immigrated to New Zealand in 2010 and began tutoring at the Polytechnic a year later which further ignited her determination to enter the internationally acclaimed competition.

"The construction of my ensemble was inspired through experimental manipulations using recycled zips - as 2013 marks the 100^th anniversary of the introduction of the zipper, it seemed appropriate to pay homage to Gideon Sunback, the inventor.

"I was absolutely thrilled to have been selected as a finalist for WOW - and to win the sustainability award was simply breathtaking. The show itself was fantastic, such an amazing spectacle of music, dance and costume! I would highly recommend it to anyone, even if you're not a fashion fan."