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”.
Armour of Pain, Erna Van Der Wat & Karl Van Der Wat. Photo / Andi Crown
The 2026 World of WearableArt Show: GLO! runs until October 4.
2026 World of WearableArt Winners
Supreme WOW Award: Sacred Nightfall, Kayla Christensen, New Zealand
Supreme WOW Award Runner-up: Armour of Pain, Erna Van Der Wat & Karl Van Der Wat, New Zealand
Section winners
Open Section
Winner: More, Katherine Bertram, New Zealand
Runner-up: Spectrum of a Wallflower, Louise MacKay & Allison MacKay, New Zealand
Avant-garde Section
Winner: Hard Exterior, Alter Ego, Bethany Cordwell, Australia
Runner-up: Marginal Gravity, Chao Po-Chien, Shih Chien University, Taiwan
Aotearoa Section
Winner: Sacred Nightfall, Kayla Christensen, New Zealand
Runner-up: MOTHER VAKA, Vasemaca Tavola & Czarina Wilson, New Zealand
Metallic Section
Winner: Armour of Pain, Erna Van Der Wat & Karl Van Der Wat, New Zealand
Runner-up: The Golden Illusion, Shantanu Singh, India
Kinetic Section
Winner: Thoughts, Tracey Murphy & Isabel Costley, New Zealand
Runner-up: Lophii, Joe Blanck, Australia
Bizarre Bra Section
Winner: Bust a Move, Lyndal Linton, New Zealand
Runner-up: Busted!, Katherine Bertram, New Zealand