What is A2W?
Art2WearTM (A2W) is an educational event where students gain experience by coordinating and producing an annual wearable art production. Young designers are challenged to imagine, create, and inspire by expressing their point of view through wearable art. This highly anticipated show fuses the talents of several departments in the College of Design and beyond, exposing student designers to the broader field of wearable art, digital media production, and fashion. A2W attracts attendees from all over the Triangle by encouraging participation through engaging the student body, the Raleigh community, and the broader design industry.
Mission
Our mission is to inspire and empower students to explore the art of wearable creations by providing a platform for them to express their creativity and push the boundaries of traditional art forms. Through collaboration, innovation, and education, we aim to create a community that values and celebrates the intersection of art, fashion, and the digital world. We strive to foster a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages personal growth and expression, and to showcase the power of wearable art as a medium for storytelling.
TICKETS ARE OFFICIALLY LIVE FOR “REVIVE 2025”!
Buy them from the link in our bio! There are two showings: 7:30 and 9:00 pm on April 24th!
This year’s A2W event will be a unique, promenade experience through the galleries. Instead of a traditional runway show for their wearable art, models will be placed throughout the museum for visitors to walk by and view. The models will be presenting the looks in a performance art style, with choreography, sounds, movement, etc. Visitors will then be encouraged to mingle in the garden.
BUY THEM FROM THE LINK IN OUR BIO!
Officially open NOW, Art2Wear “Through the Archives” is a beautiful lounge space at the Gregg Museum of Art and Design @ncstategreggmuseum intended to revisit the history of A2W and be a space to feel creatively inspired. Showcasing the inspiring wearable art pieces from previous shows, the space invites everyone from NC State and beyond to explore the talents of NC state students and what A2W is. Visit the lounge space in person now until early July! The Gregg Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm.
One of Art2Wear’s most talented and playful designers, Adrienne Mackenzie now teaches the next wave of Art2Wear designers at NC State’s College of Design. As an Art2Wear faculty advisor, Adrienne’s influence has proved invaluable and pushed the show to greater heights, as shown above by her 2013 design.
✨Come see Adrienne’s work, along with all of the other archives at the lounge opening TODAY at the Gregg Museum of Art and Design @ncstategreggmuseum ! Transport yourself back into the early days of Art2Wear and see how it
has continued to grow at “Art2Wear: Through the Archives”.
Our 2025 Art2Wear theme is:
Revive!
Our exhibition Through the Archives opens tomorrow at the Gregg Museum!
Our 2025 Art2Wear theme is:
Revive!
Our exhibition Through the Archives opens tomorrow at the Gregg Museum!
Our 2025 Art2Wear theme is:
Revive!
Our exhibition Through the Archives opens tomorrow at the Gregg Museum!
The Vision for 2025
Our vision is to inspire a new generation of artists and designers to use wearable art as a canvas to create unique, imaginative, and thought-provoking pieces that challenge conventional ideas of fashion and art. We hope to encourage the blend of physical and digital construction to push the imaginations of the next generation of designers.
This year, we are transforming Art2Wear in a new way, blurring the lines between performance and art. Art2Wear 2025 reinvents the traditional runway show, turning the beautiful Gregg Museum of Art and Design into a dynamic stage for wearable art. The models are stationed as living exhibits throughout the museum, inviting the audience to explore, engage, and appreciate the craftsmanship, designs, and ideas of NC State students up close.
As you move through the gallery, you’ll embark on an immersive journey that challenges what art can truly be. Each space highlights a distinct vision, with models embodying pieces that push a story and a specific vision, fully created by student designers within the Art2Wear program. From intricate handwork to cutting-edge pieces, every design is a testament to the craftsmanship, innovation, and bold ideas of students.
Wearable Art & Technology
Wearable art is a product or sculptural piece that interacts with the body and serves as either a cultural artifact, an artistic expression, a reflector of society, outward illustration of a person’s identity, starter of revolutions, economic building block, basic human need, or body covering. Technology serves to enhance and elevate the story of these wearable pieces through digital storytelling, immersion, or to push the boundaries of what “wearable” means.
