Artist Entry Now Open

David Bongiorno 'Valkyrie'

This is your moment to shine!

Register your interest and we’ll let you know as soon as entries open, along with updates, opportunities and early notifications.

Australian Wearable Art Festival is inviting artists, designers and creatives to be bold. To be courageous. To push beyond the expected and bring an artwork to life through materials, form, movement and imagination.

AWAF 2027 marks your opportunity to create without limits. Unlike previous iterations, the festival is removing categories and giving artists the freedom to follow their own creative direction. There are no themes to fit within and no boundaries telling you what your work should be. Awards will be judged on talent, skill, creativity and execution – giving your idea the space to speak for itself.

You don’t need to know everything when you begin. You need an idea worth pursuing, the curiosity to explore it and the determination to learn the skills needed to bring it to life. Experiment. Make mistakes. Try again. Find the people, techniques and knowledge that can help you turn what you imagine into something real.

AWAF is much more than a competition – it is a rare platform to have your work experienced by an audience, seen alongside some of the country’s most inventive creative talent and celebrated on a stage dedicated entirely to wearable art. It is a place to find your tribe – a community of artists and creatives who understand the courage it takes to put an idea out into the world.

And this year, we are raising the stakes.

As the Australian Wearable Art Festival has grown and reached a new level of maturity, we are investing more in the artists who make the festival what it is. The Supreme Award has doubled to be $10,000 and with a total prize pool of $25,500, the increased prize money recognises the extraordinary talent, skill and commitment behind each work.

So, if you have an idea that won’t leave you alone…follow it.

To help answer your questions, please read the following documents.

Artist Guide 2027

Terms, Conditions and Entry Requirements

Application Form

You can save your progress at any time and return later using “Save and Resume” at the bottom of the form.

Welcome and thank you!

The AWAF team acknowledges the courage and commitment it takes to enter any awards. We are thrilled that you have chosen to enter ours.

Before you begin: 2027 Entry Checklist
  • Entrants must be 18 years or older.
  • A Design Team may include a maximum of 3 artists in total - the primary artist and up to 2 additional artists.
  • The entry fee is AUD $50 per artwork. Each artwork requires a separate entry form and a separate AUD $50 payment.
  • We accept artwork at concept stage, work in progress, substantially completed or fully completed. Make sure your entry is supported in the best way possible, ensuring your story is told and your work showcased with clear well-lit photography.
  • Your artwork must meet AWAF's exclusivity requirements. It must not previously have been exhibited, entered in another competition or publicly shown in its entirety.
  • Before starting your application, have your artist CV, images of previous work, artwork concept, supporting visual material, materials information and payment details ready.
  • You don't need to complete your entry in one sitting. Use Save and Resume at the bottom of the form to save your progress and return within 30 days. Uploaded files are not saved and will need to be added again.
  • Before payment and submission, you will be asked to read and accept the AWAF 2027 Terms, Conditions and Entry Requirements and the AWAF Code of Conduct.
  • If selected as a finalist, each named artist will be asked to personally complete the AWAF 2027 Finalist Photograph & Film Consent.

01 Artist Details

Enter the first name of the primary artist and main contact for this entry.
Enter the last name of the primary artist and main contact for this entry
Enter the primary email address AWAF should use for all communication about this entry.
Enter the best phone number for AWAF to use if we need to contact you about this entry. Include the country code if you are outside Australia.
Select one option: Individual Artist or Design Team. A Design Team may include a maximum of 3 artists in total, including the primary artist.
Select the country where you live.
Enter your postcode or ZIP code.
If you have an artist or Design Team website, enter the full website address.
If you would like to share your artist or Design Team Instagram account, enter the profile handle or full profile link
If you would like to share your artist or Design Team Facebook page, enter the page name or full page link.

02 Artist Background

Tell us briefly about your creative background, practice, interests and experience. If you are entering as a Design Team, you may provide one combined team CV. Please keep your CV to 150 words or fewer.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 5 files.
Upload up to 5 images that help us understand your creative practice and your ability to realise your proposed artwork. Images must be JPG or PNG files, no larger than 5MB each. Please name each file with your full name and a number, e.g. JoeBloggs1.jpg, JoeBloggs2.jpg.

These works do not need to be wearable art. They may come from sculpture, textiles, fashion, costume, visual art, craft, installation, jewellery, ceramics, design or another relevant creative discipline.

First-time wearable-art artist? You will not be disadvantaged because you have not created wearable art before. Show us what you have made and what best demonstrates your creative skills.

03 2027 Artwork Details

Open Entry

In AWAF 2027 there are no categories to assign your work to and you do not need to nominate for a particular award.

Every eligible finalist will be considered across all relevant awards.

Enter the title of your AWAF 2027 artwork. A working title is fine at the entry stage and may be refined later if you are selected as a finalist.
Whatever stage your artwork is at, give the Selection Panel enough clear information to understand what you intend to create. Concepts, works in progress and completed works are assessed in the context of what is submitted. Remember, put your best foot forward!

04 Tell us about your work

This is the heart of your application

The Selection Panel needs to understand both your creative idea and how you have brought this to life.

Describe your proposed wearable artwork in up to 350 words. You do not need to use formal or academic language - write clearly and in your own voice.
Please tell us about:
• the central idea, story or inspiration behind the artwork;
• what you hope the work will communicate or make an audience feel;
• what the completed artwork looks like (or may look like), including form, silhouette, scale and visual impact; and
• how the artwork relates to the body and may move on the runway, including any change or reveal if part of your concept.

05 Show us your work

Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 4 files.
Upload visual material that helps the Selection Panel clearly understand your piece. This may include:
• sketches or drawings;
• a mood board or concept board;
• material samples or experiments;
• construction tests;
• photographs of work in progress;
• photographs of a substantially completed artwork; or
• photographs of the completed artwork.
Helpful guidance for applicants

Whatever stage your artwork is at, use your supporting material to help the Selection Panel understand your vision. You are not expected to be skilled at drawing, and a completed artwork is not automatically stronger than a concept or work in progress. Completed artwork is welcome provided it meets the exclusivity requirements in Section 06.

06 Completed Artwork / Exclusivity Important Notice

Important – Completed Artwork and Exclusivity

Your proposed AWAF 2027 artwork may be a work in progress, substantially completed or completely finished when you apply. However, the entered artwork must not have been previously exhibited, entered in another competition, or publicly shown in its entirety.

This includes photographs or video revealing the completed artwork in its entirety on websites, social media, at exhibitions, in publications or on other public platforms.

Work-in-progress and detail images may have been shared, provided they do not reveal the whole artwork.

07 Materials and techniques

List the main materials you intend to use in your artwork.
In up to 150 words, explain how you intend to use, manipulate, join, construct or otherwise work with your chosen materials. Include any distinctive processes, technical challenges, experiments or innovations that are important to the artwork. Describe transformation only where it is genuinely part of your concept.
Sustainability

AWAF encourages thoughtful material choices including reuse, recycling, repurposing and innovative transformation where appropriate; all materials are welcome. Finalists may be asked after selection as a finalist for any material-source information needed to confirm award-specific eligibility, including the 80% principal-visible-material threshold for the Trash Transformation Award where relevant.

08 What excites you most about this work?

In up to 100 words, tell us what excites you most about this artwork. This is where your passion can shine. Focus on the one or two qualities that carry its creative energy rather than repeating your full concept or materials response.

09 Final entry acknowledgements

By ticking the following, you confirm that you have read, understand and agree to these documents. (click on the green wording to open the documents):
Pay with Stripe
Minimum Price: $50.00
Save and Resume Later

AWAF 2026 – Entries Now Open

Each year, the Australian Wearable Art Festival evolves – and 2026 will be no exception.

After five incredible years establishing AWAF as Australia’s leading celebration of wearable art, we’re thrilled to announce that we are expanding our show and moving to the Novotel Sunshine Coast where we will be offering our artists and audiences an experience like no other.

Whether you’re already part of our creative family or stepping onto our runway for the first time, this is your moment to shine – bring the bold, the fabulous, and the utterly jaw-dropping.

What’s in store for 2026:

  • Same spirit and connection. AWAF prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive environment for artists to meet, to be inspired and to be creatively challenged. The unique AWAF backstage environment will expand in 2026 with plenty of space allocated for artists, models, hair and makeup artists, photographers, dressers and volunteers all come together. It is often hard to believe that this is a competition, as everyone likens it to more a close-knit community of likeminded creatives.   
  • Align with one of our much-loved categories. No matter what your concept, there are plenty of options with our four main categories being Trashion, Avant Garde, Elements of Nature and Abstract Form. See full category details and entry guidelines in downloadable PDFs below.
  • A living gallery. AWAF likens itself more to a gallery than a catwalk. Each artwork and artist is showcased with care and respect.    
  • New venue, new energy. With a reimagined catwalk and an audience of up to 1,000 per show, expect a runway that’s bigger, braver, and built to amaze.
  • Two powerhouse performances. With expanded capacity, AWAF 2026 will return to two shows but become more than just a runway. There are more opportunities than ever to tell your story, to connect and to collaborate. You are involved in all parts of this fully immersive art experience.
  • Time to shine. Rehearsals and judging will take place on Friday 10 July, giving artists and models the time to refine their performance. Judging will run across both the Friday and Saturday, ensuring each creation gets the spotlight it deserves.
  • $15,500 prize pool — including a $5,000 Supreme Winner Award.

Event date: 11 July 2026
Entries close: 5pm, Monday 12 January 2026

Get ready to redefine the runway — we can’t wait to see your imagination take flight at AWAF 2026.

David Bongiorno 'Valkyrie'

Australian Wearable Art Festival – What’s Next?

Thank you to all the incredible artists who applied for AWAF 2025 — entries are now closed, and we’re so excited about what’s to come!

As we look ahead to AWAF 2026, we’re already shaping new ideas and bold changes.

While entries are not yet open, we encourage artists, designers, and creative thinkers from around the world to stay connected as we evolve our format, reimagine our venue, and continue pushing the boundaries of wearable art.

You can still download the Category Guidelines and Artist Information Pack below to get a feel for the AWAF experience. These documents remain a great reference for anyone interested in future festivals — though please note, there may be some changes for 2026.

Entry Guidelines

Register your interest as a designer in 2026