Christabell Wei and Liam Hsin Chen, graduates of the BA and MA Costume Design for Performance courses, share their experiences at one of the world's most exciting costume design festivals.
Based in New Zealand, WearableArts is a competition that invites participants to submit any type of design piece wearable on the body. “It’s a fantastic platform for costume designers because, usually, you can’t make whatever you want—you have to follow the vision of producers or directors,” explains Christabell Wei, BA (Hons) Costume for Performance graduate. Originally from Malaysia, she moved to London, seeing it as the best place to pursue her passion for storytelling through design.
Christabell discovered the competition when she learned that Juliet Dodson, an alumna of the BA Costume Design for Performance course, had won the award in 2023. “I would always think how I’m just a little graduate and nothing’s going to happen to me, but she gave me motivation and courage to just go for it — the worst thing that can happen is that nothing will happen,” she explains.
Liam Hsin Chen, graduate of MA Costume Design for Performance course, had first heard about the competition while studying for his bachelor’s degree in fashion in Taiwan, and this was his third time applying.
The full application process typically involves submitting photos of the design, then sending the garments to Wellington, New Zealand, for two further rounds of examination. Finally, applicants wait to hear who has been shortlisted to be featured on stage in the final performance.
When Liam was finally shortlisted as one of the finalists, the feeling overwhelmed him completely. “It was amazing — I’m finally going to the final!” he recalls, remembering how it felt to hear the news.
New Zealand had always been high on the list of countries Liam wanted to visit, but it had always seemed too far away. “Finally, I had a reason to visit the country, so I was even more excited to be invited as a designer and artist,” he explains.
Christabell recalls feeling both excited and nervous when she found out the results. “As someone who makes things, there’s always a point where you think to yourself, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore, I just want to finish and see what happens,’” she reveals. “But getting into the final made me feel quite proud of myself for making it that far.”
The announcement came right after her graduation, a time typically defined by tireless job hunting. “There can be a lot of self-doubt about believing in your skills, so this competition gave me a push to say that I am actually quite good at what I’m doing,” she says.
Being chosen as finalists meant that both Christabell and Liam were flown to New Zealand to attend the three-day festival, with participants arriving from countries such as Turkey, India, China, Japan, Korea, and more.
Suddenly, they were immersed in a global community of makers devoted to all things costume. “People would be interested in how long it took to make a costume or ask what kind of materials or techniques you had used,” Liam recalls, mentioning that a personal highlight was meeting someone who had made a costume for Lady Gaga.
All the designers stayed in the same hotel, had their meals together, and enjoyed a programme filled with workshops, exhibition visits, backstage tours, and parties. “We were all having fun and getting to know each other — just like friends,” he reflects, looking back on the experience.
Liam also shared that some finalists were invited to meet the ambassadors of their respective countries, and Liam got invited by the British ambassador, Iona Thomas OBE, to talk about his costume design experience and also meet students from local universities.
The festival culminated in an awards ceremony featuring a performance with dancers, acrobats, singers, musicians, and artists wearing the garments created by the finalists.
Christabell recalls the emotions of the night: “I got quite emotional at the end of the show because seeing your garment on the stage and hearing a whole arena clap for your work was just incredible.” The performance then continued every night for two weeks.
Liam believes participating in such competitions is a great way to boost creative confidence. “After graduation, I was thinking to myself, ‘What can I do?’ but getting involved in this competition made me realise that people are interested in my work,” he says.
Liam is eager to continue working in London because it’s where the magic truly happens. However, he isn’t focused on following a specific career path; instead, he plans to put his full effort into creating projects as they come. “It’s really difficult to plan something like that — all I can do is prepare to show my work and see where life takes me,” he concludes.