"If you put designs in conservative to racy range, mine's certainly towards the racy end," the first-time entrant said this week.
Mrs Oxwell was one of four Otago designers whose garments were among the 160 finalists in Brancott Estate World of WearableArt (WOW).
There were 35 garments from the South Island and 55 from overseas chosen from the 273 entered in the competition.
"I was very excited . . . to get the magical email."
The other entrants were Andi Regan, from Wanaka, who entered Pohutukawa Princess in the Kiwi icons section, and Neptune's Necklace in the open section; Julie Jenkins, from Queenstown, with Blanket of Snow for the creative excellence: under the microscope; and a Mosgiel woman (who declined to be named) who also entered the latter section. The finalists' garments will appear in the awards shows in Wellington from August 25 to September 10.
Mrs Oxwell, who comes from a family of sewers and knitters, said entering WOW was on her bucket list [list of things to do before you die], so this year she set aside some time to enter.
The menswear category, Man Unleashed, directed designers to "reinvent or redress the groom" and appealed to Mrs Oxwell as she was a marriage celebrant.
Her fabric garment Bare Essentials was a look at the essential elements of traditional Western wedding attire, she said.
"The thinking and problem solving was the tricky thing," especially keeping to her theme while making her garment suitable for public viewing, Mrs Oxwell said.
"I got asked for some flesh-coloured boy-leg knickers [by the organisers], which was a first to make."
Just before the show, the garments will be judged again by WOW founder Suzie Moncrieff, fashion designer Trelise Cooper and artist Nigel Brown, with the section and supreme winners announced on August 26.
