WoolOn is the final event in the Alexandra Blossom Festival and the 55 garments entered will be displayed at shows in Alexandra tonight and tomorrow night.
Although entries are slightly down on last year's record of 60, event manager Martin McPherson said garments and accessories made from at least 75% wool had been entered by designers all over New Zealand. Entries had almost doubled in the past three years.
''We've had very strong support this year from our regular entrants and past winners and Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell designers are also well represented. It's good to see the local craftspeople continuing to support WoolOn.''
The competition is divided into eight categories - felted, young designer, knitwear, avant garde, menswear, streetwear, accessory and special occasion. Last year's supreme winner Kusum Bagari, of India, was the first international entrant to take top honours.
''She's re-entered again this year, and so has someone from the same design school as her in India, but unfortunately, their outfits are still in transit and haven't arrived in time,'' Mr McPherson said.
''It's a real shame as we don't know where those entries are, or what's happened to them.''
WoolOn began 10 years ago and was started as part of the New Zealand Merino Shears to showcase the use of wool in fashion.
The WoolOn competitive fashion event became part of the festival programme eight years ago. There would be limited door sales tonight but it was ''practically sold out'', Mr McPherson said.
There were still some tickets available for tomorrow's gala evening, at which the winners were to be announced. This year's entries were notable for displaying the designers' creativity but still being very ''wearable,'' he said.
The WoolOn judges are Tracy Kennedy, of Dunedin, Anne Lyon, of Cromwell, and Marnie Kelly, of Alexandra.
