Photo caption: Rise and Fall, Fergus McMullan, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Photo credit: World of WearableArt Ltd.
Fourth-year Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Mechanical Engineering student Fergus McMullan was selected as a finalist in the 2026 World of WearableArt (WOW) Awards with Rise and Fall, a wearable sculpture combining mechanical design, 3D printing and moving parts.
While the main WoW awards have been announced, Rise and Fall is still in the running for the 2026 People’s Choice Award.
McMullan was one of 134 designers from 18 countries across Australasia, Asia, Europe and North America selected as a WOW finalist, and one of 10 finalists in his category. He is believed to be the first UC student to achieve this while studying at the University.
“There were designers from all over the world,” Fergus says. “It was pretty amazing to be part of that group, especially because there were only a few students from New Zealand.”
The project began through an independent course of study organised and supervised by Mechanical Engineering lecturer Dr George Stilwell, designed to give a student the opportunity to apply the engineering design process in an unusually creative way. The goal was to develop a wearable kinetic sculpture that could meet the specifications of competitions such as WOW.
“Fergus exceeded expectations in developing his piece, which went on to become a finalist in WOW this year,” Stilwell says.
For Fergus, the project brought together two longstanding interests.
“My mum is an art teacher, so I’ve always liked making things,” he says. “That creative and design side was one of the reasons I chose Mechanical Engineering.”
Rise and Fall was created for WOW’s kinetic section, which centres on wearable works incorporating movement.
The garment is operated by a lever that drives a large gear, setting a series of connected gears in motion. The mechanism is based on a mathematical model that Fergus adapted to create an organic, rotating movement across the piece. Much of the structure was manufactured using 3D printing.
Fergus says the project gave him the chance to take an idea through the full engineering design process, from concept development and computer-aided design through to manufacture, assembly and testing.
“A lot of engineering design projects can be hypothetical, or you’re working within something quite structured,” he says. “With this, I got to go through the whole process from design to manufacture and end up with something that actually worked.”
Fergus had around five weeks to develop the original piece, at one point running three or four 3D printers simultaneously while his flat filled with components and prototypes.
His flatmates helped with photography, while his mother stepped in as a model so he could test the garment’s sizing and fit.
The completed work then went through several stages of WOW selection, beginning with photographs and video before the physical garment was sent away for further assessment.
The experience has also reinforced Fergus’ interest in pursuing design-focused engineering after completing his degree. He is particularly interested in areas such as medical device development and 3D-printed medical technologies, where design and manufacturing can be applied to practical problems.
“I really enjoy the design and making side of engineering,” he says. “This project showed me how broad engineering can be and how those skills can be used in really creative ways.”
Fergus’s Rise and Fall currently appears on stage in the 2026 World of WearableArt Show “GLO!”. Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open to show audiences until 5 October.
