Herbert-based artist Tracey Vickers hates having secrets, but since May last year, she’s been holding on to a big one.

Tracey has just been selected as a finalist for the prestigious World of Wearable Arts (WOW) which takes place in Wellington each September.

“Secrets are really hard to keep. They’re the hardest . . . The reason why I really wanted to just keep it to myself, was the pressure of people knowing that I’m entering. That’s a big thing, especially if I didn’t get through pre-selection … even though, at least I tried, but you know.”

The mother of two, who mostly works at her business of restoring and upholstering furniture, was “buzzing” with ideas after attending her first WOW in 2019, she said.

“I came out thinking, aah, I really want to do this, but then it took me from 2019 till last year . . . and one day I just sat down, and I was like if I don’t start now, actually it’s not going to happen.

“So yeah, I just started, and I started experimenting with materials.”

Tracey spent a lot of time sketching possible designs before resting on her final plan, but then converting that 2D sketch into a 3D creation was another challenge in itself.

She said it took her back to when she was at Auckland University of Technology studying object design, and was encouraged and had the freedom to do a lot more experimenting.

“WOW is just a chance, of bringing all my skills together - so the three-dimensional element - art, sewing, upholstery, and just bringing all those skills and techniques that I’ve learned over the years together.

“It was like challenging myself and pushing my creative boundaries a bit.”

The closest she came to pulling the pin was between the sketching and development stages.

“I’d get to a point of ‘how do I transfer that idea from 2D into 3D and you know, bring it to life’. That’s the experimentation. When that came through, then it would just be like, ‘oh yeah, this is working’.

“So . . . the idea also progressed as I moved along, because there were certain things that didn’t work, that I had to change, and then it just developed.”

Hoarding scraps of upholstery materials came in handy, lending a “recycled element” to the design, she said.

The theme of WOW this year is Beyond - Journey into a Futuristic World. There are six sections - Aotearoa, Avant-garde, Open, Mars & Beyond, Gold, and Bizarre Bra.

Tracey is not allowed to share which category she has entered, but said it was like “an extension” of her artwork.

The design guidelines were “really broad”, she said. 

“There’s no limit to your ideas.”

There were three stages of judging she had to make it through, before being named one of the 121 finalists whose designs will be seen on stage at Wellington’s TSB Arena, in September and October.

As a first-time entrant, she had to make it through an initial screening process, and then the pre-selection stage was based on photographs and the story of the design.

“So that was another element. Every part of the process there’s a lot of work. Even the photographs for that entry process. Everything was a big deal to get done.

Even making it through the pre-selection stage, in early June was “a win”, Tracey said.

“I was so excited just to get through that." 

The next stage was in-person judging in Nelson, where each design was modelled and inspected close-up, and the design is now the property of WOW.

“I had to pack it all up. That took me a week, just to pack it up and send it to Nelson.”

She had to make special boxes to put her creation in, and then drove to Dunedin to send it, and hoped for the best.

“So when I actually sent it away, I was like ‘bye, good luck!’.”

It took six weeks for the judging process in Nelson, before Tracey got word in early July that she had made the final cut for the famous World of Wearable Arts Show.

“That week before finding out, I didn’t actually know if I wanted to know or not - I couldn’t sleep, I had butterflies that night. 

“When I actually did find out in the morning, it was the best feeling. I was jumping up and down.

“I’m totally still buzzing about it all. It just feels a bit insane.”

Tracey estimates she spent 500-plus hours on her design, and most of those hours were late into the evenings and the weekends, around her other work.

Now her focus has shifted to making her “party outfit” for the Awards Night, on September 22.

She would go to the preview show two nights beforehand, and the following day was for all the designers to get together, which Tracey was particularly excited about.

Her mother and childhood friend are also flying in from Bay of Islands for the big night.

“So it’s quite an exciting week.”

The prizes on offer totalled about $185,000 - and a four-week art residency with Weta Workshop is one that particularly appeals. But Tracey is already more than happy with what she has achieved.

“I’ve got to the point where, ‘it’s enough’. Anything else is just going to be a bit crazy…”

Now she was just looking forward to not having to keep a secret any more.

“I can’t wait for it to be out in the open, so everyone can see it.”

The Waitaki App understands the last time a North Otago designer was a finalist in the World of Wearable Arts, was in 1991, when Ōamaru’s Donna Demente won the Supreme Award with her creation Pallas Athene - a reaction to the fashion industry’s dehumanisation of models.