This section profiles the works of Auckland based artist Susan Holmes and provides an archive of her Wearable Art costumes. This includes a selection of costumes entered in the World of WearableArt™ (WOW®) Awards as well as other New Zealand events and exhibitions from 1990 to the present.

More recently a Fashion Archive of garments has been added with a selection of garments from as early as the 1970's featuring hand dying and printing and outfits made from knit fabric.

One of New Zealand's foremost fabric artists, Susan is particularly known for her fabulous, fantasy-inspired costumes, often made using dyed, brightly-coloured silks.

Born in Auckland and educated at Avondale College and the University of Otago (MHSc) Susan began full time work with fabric in 1971.

"I was selling in Auckland's only craft market, Brown's Mill. This was a craft co-op of about twenty members, open weekends only and absolutely thronging with people. I stayed there for around twelve years, selling thousands of hand dyed, hand printed dresses."

She lived in a community for many years and, after her first child Alex was born in 1974, the child-care support enabled her to continue working. In 1981 she married and had twins, Sam and Sally.

"Whatever has been happening, however dramatic my emotional life has been, I seem to have kept on with my fabric art, using it to centre myself - and as the one thing that nobody can touch or interfere with."

Susan has won awards in the Benson and Hedges Fashion (1978), the Mohair awards four times, (1987-1989) and on five occasions has been recognised in the N.Z. Wearable Art awards. One of her best-known pieces, "Dragonfish", an elaborate fantasy costume constructed from split cane and brilliantly-coloured silk, was the 1996 Supreme Winner.

She has exhibited regularly in solo and group shows and her commissioned work is on permanent display in the Go International in Victoria Street, the Kensington Swan Building in Fanshawe Street and in the Auckland Museums Applied Arts collection.

Susan currently teaches fabric-dying and wearable art workshops in New Zealand and Australia and has worked on major New Zealand television series such as "Greenstone", "Hercules" and "Xena".