Australian Wearable Art Festival Awards 2024
We were utterly estatic and honoured to bring home a number of exciting awards at the Australian Wearable Art Festival!
"Architects & Artists Suzy Syme & Andrew Costa not only won the 2024 Emerging Wearable Artist award for their first exploration into wearable art, they were also Runner Up in the Avant-garde category and received 1 of 4 Textile and Fiber Awards.
The unification of art, architecture and cutting-edge design expertise forged a new-found passion for husband-and-wife duo Andrew Costa & Suzy Syme as they set out to harness the extraordinary potential of visual coding to conceive and 'grow' 3D printed sculptures inspired by beautiful natural phenomenon such as Australia's stunning coral reefs.
The epitome of Avant Garde, their 2024 Emerging Wearable Art entry – 'Reef Rising,' is a 3D printed wearable sculpture comprising over 10,000 unique cells generated via complex digital growth algorithms.
Inspired by rich memories of oceanic adventures, Reef Rising honors the world of wonder and discovery inherent in Australia's magnificent coral reefs. With ode to coral lost to degradation, bleaching and cyclonic impact over the years, Andrew and Suzy celebrate the conservation efforts intent on preserving and restoring our beloved reefs.
Rara is wearing a 3D printed biopolymer coral shell centerpiece with matching coral crown headdress. A 3D printed textile completes the ensemble: coral cells suspended in sheer organza enveloping the torso as if growing from skin; flowing down the legs to form a pool of coral cells trailing behind. A multi-sensory delight, the delicate coral textile emulates the sound of seashells clinking underfoot at the beach.
The judges said that the unique 3D designed entry 'Reef Rising' was technically innovative and told a strong story, with the repetition of elements."
- Australian Wearable Art Festival
Model: Rara@__rara_________
Photographers: Barry Alsop @barry_eyeswideopenimages
Colin McLellan @_colin.mclellan_
HMU by @makeupandhairbyfran @diamonddiversity&@parties_with_katie
