World of WearableArt and Classic Cars Museum

The World of WearableArt (WOW) and Classic Cars Museum in Nelson is one of New Zealand's more unexpected institutions — a double-barrelled attraction combining spectacular wearable art creations from past WOW competitions with a collection of over 150 classic and vintage cars. The pairing is stranger than it sounds and works surprisingly well.

The WearableArt galleries display winning entries from the annual competition, which challenges designers, artists, and makers from around the world to create garments that would be impossible to wear in daily life but achieve remarkable things as sculpture and performance art. Materials range from metal and glass to recycled waste to living plants. The craftsmanship throughout is extraordinary. The classic car collection, displayed in an adjacent hangar, ranges from 1895 to the 1970s and includes some genuinely rare vehicles alongside the more familiar icons.

Allow at least two hours. The museum is on Cadillac Way, south of the Nelson CBD, and is open daily.

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A story
The World of WearableArt competition began in Nelson in 1987 when artist Suzie Moncrieff decided to exhibit wearable art instead of hanging it on a wall. The show grew so large it eventually moved to Wellington — but the museum in Nelson still houses the showstopping garments from previous competitions, including a dress made from 36,000 toy soldiers and another composed entirely of food packaging.