Wearable Art, also known as Artwear, describes the making of individually designed pieces of usually hand-made clothing as artistic expressions. Pieces may be sold and/or exhibited.
Artists may use purchased finished fabrics, making them into unique garments, or may dye and/or paint virgin fabric. A few artists make their own fabrics, for example on looms.
Wearable art is a branch of the wider field of Fiber art, which describes both wearable and non-wearable forms of art using fabric and other fiber products.
As with any other art form, the talent and skills of artists in this field varies widely. Since the nature of the medium requires craft skills as well as artistic skills, an advanced artist can be expected to study color theory, chemistry, sewing, clothing design , and such computer skills as Photoshop and Illustrator. Classes in clothing design and marketing may be learned from such colleges as the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
The New Zealand city of Nelson has gained a worldwide reputation in the field of wearable art, with its World of Wearable Art Awards, held annually since 1987.
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