A wearable artwork that transforms on stage into an animated insect has earned Wellington designer Katherine Bertram the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 World of WearableArt...
A wearable artwork that transforms on stage into an animated insect has earned Wellington designer Katherine Bertram the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 World of WearableArt Show: GLO!
Her creation, More, took three years to develop, including a full year spent learning and developing the coding needed to operate its moving spine and feathers.
The award, announced on 6 October, adds to the garment’s success in the competition’s Open section, which Bertram also won.
An idea sparked by beetles at Te Papa
The inspiration came from an encounter with the beetle collection in Te Papa’s archives.
Bertram developed that starting point into a garment exploring beauty, fear and the idea that people have more beneath the surface than first impressions reveal.
The finished work features more than 11,000 beads and 1,000 individually 3D-printed beetle and wing sequins.
But its defining moment happens in motion.
On stage, the garment transforms to reveal an intricate headpiece, creating the impression of an insect looking out at the audience. A feathered spine rises and moves, powered by motors and the coding Bertram spent a year developing.
“I began with a very clear vision of what I wanted it to look like, but I had no idea how I was going to make it happen,” she said.
Learning to bring the design to life
Turning that vision into a working garment required Bertram to tackle both the detailed decorative work and the engineering behind its transformation.
The moving elements were central to the design, rather than an added effect. They allowed the artwork to change its appearance during the performance.
After spending years with the creation, Bertram said she was “completely blown away” by the audience award.
“Seeing the work come alive on stage and seeing what the model brought to it has been extraordinary. I can’t really put into words what this means to me,” she said.
For Bertram, the design also carries a message about human connection.
“At its heart, More is about the idea we’re all more than we appear to be on the surface, and if we take the time to understand the depth in other people, our relationships and connections can become so much richer.”
A transformation that caught the audience’s attention
WOW Head of Competition Sarah Nathan said the audience reaction during performances made the People’s Choice result unsurprising.
She described the garment as technically ingenious and meticulously detailed, saying its transformation prompted a collective intake of breath each night.
According to Nathan, the speed and smoothness of the change from a powerful female figure into an animated insect made the effect difficult to comprehend.
The award was decided exclusively by audience members attending GLO!, giving Bertram recognition from the people who watched the work perform.
Three entries and multiple awards
A five-time WOW Competition finalist, Bertram had three garments in this year’s competition.
Alongside More in the Open section, she entered Busted! and The Balcony in the Bizarre Bra section. Busted! finished runner-up in that category.
The People’s Choice Award carries a $2,500 prize for the winning designer. One randomly selected audience member who voted for the winning garment also receives $2,500.
For Bertram, the audience win marks the culmination of three years spent turning a striking idea into something that could move, transform and connect with a crowd.
Source: World of WearableArt media release, 6 October 2026.
