‘Ethereal night goddess’ by Kiwi designer wins supreme WOW award
New Zealand designers dominated the 2026 World of WearableArt (WOW) awards, with Kayla Christensen winning the Supreme Award for her piece 'Sacred Nightfall'. The event, held in Wellington, showcased entries from 18 countries and continues to be a major platform for avant-garde fashion.
Why it matters
The WOW awards serve as a significant cultural event that highlights the intersection of art, fashion, and engineering on a global stage.
Sacred Nightfall, Kayla Christensen. Photo / Stephen A’Court
New Zealand designers scored 15 of the 25 prizes in this year’s World of Wearableart awards, which attracted entries from 18 countries.
A 10-time finalist scored the Supreme Award at the WOW show in Wellington last night.
Sacred Nightfall , an intricately hand-painted and stitched tapestry work by Waikanae-based designer Kayla Christensen, was “mesmerising and multilayered, rich with kaitiakitanga and wairua”, judges said.
Christensen has won six previous WOW awards, including the Dame Suzie Moncrieff Award in 2019.
Husband and wife team Erna and Karl Van Der Wat, who have also been regular WOW finalists and winners, received the 2026 Runner-Up Award for Armour of Pain . Judges said the piece, which was inspired by Erna’s journey with chronic pain, was a “fearless portrayal of pain and power”.
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