The historic show, divided into two halves, will be held in Dunedin’s Regent Theatre next year.
The events have been held for 15 years and 20 years respectively, and iD committee chairwoman and Otago Polytechnic lecturer Prof Margo Barton said the committee felt it was a good way to celebrate two decades of iD fashion.
"We actually tried it already in Auckland, at the New Zealand Fashion Weekend.
"It’s really fabulous from both a designer and an audience perspective."
She hoped designers involved in both shows would learn from each other and be inspired. Prof Barton was tight-lipped when it came to what the show would look like next year, but said the setting of the Regent Theatre was full of possibilities.
"I’m very, very excited about it. There will be staging surprises for attendees."
Entries had not closed yet for the emerging designer awards, and fashion design students were still busy getting their pieces ready in the hope of being chosen, she said.
One of them is polytechnic student Rosette Hailes-Paku, who said her checked polo neck and pinafore dress were inspired by her Catholic education, and explored ideas of restriction and freedom.
She had helped out at two previous iD Fashion Weeks and the event was one of the highlights of her year, she said.
"It’s so fun."
She and communication design student Jessie Hamilton had their own brand, busygoingcrazy, which sold screenprinted clothing based on "the dysfunction of adolescents".
Prof Barton said models would be needed for the new-look show, as well as more help backstage, but iD had "really great systems and processes to meet those complex modelling and choreography challenges".
The combined show will be held on March 15 and 16, doors opening at 6.30pm and the show starting at 7.30pm.
