She is the only Otago designer to be selected and hers will be one of 103 finalist garments by 121 designers from 14 countries at the event.
It was the first time Paton had entered Wow and she was still coming to terms with her selection.
''I think I'll still be pinching myself at the actual awards.''
Paton's ''Maille order bride'' entry is a silver and copper coloured dress made entirely out of chainmaille Paton fashioned from 10mm jump rings.
It took four years to make, weighs 5kg and is comprised of thousands of individual rings.
Paton started out wanting to make ''something really outrageous'', beginning by tinkering with a rectangular shape of chainmaille in a geometric design similar to a Union Jack.
After three and a-half years, the chainmaillepiece started turning into a dress, Paton said.
''It just evolved. It started out as one big rectangle and it just went from there.''
She said despite the work involved, it had been ''easy to find the time, just sitting on the couch. It's a good thing to do, creating stuff. You just chainmaille away''.
Paton said she already had another idea for a potential Wow entry.
''But it will probably take me another four years to do.''
Paton will attend the September 22 awards evening of Wow, which runs from September 21 to October 8.
