The WoolOn Creative Fashion Event is going solo.
After much discussion, the Alexandra Blossom Festival committee has decided it is time for the woollen fashion showcase to go it alone.
"I think both organisations are going to be stronger and be able to develop their own particular identities, their unique characters, if we have them as two separate entities,'' committee chairwoman Clair Higginson said, following the annual meeting this week.
"I think it's an exciting time for WoolOn and we're interested to see how it evolves and watch it create closer ties with other fashion events.''
The decision followed much discussion by the festival committee.
A separate committee will be set up to run WoolOn after a public meeting on March 3 at Centennial Court.
Two former Otago Daily Times staff, Deirdre Mackenzie and Janice Millis, were instrumental in starting the fashion event 13 years ago, as part of the New Zealand Merino Shears, to showcase the use of wool in fashion.
The event became part of the festival programme 10 years ago.
This year's blossom festival, in September, will be the 60th - the diamond anniversary.
Several special features are planned to mark the milestone and Ms Higginson said princesses from six decades of festival floats had been invited to gather for the anniversary.
"It'll be an intergenerational line-up and we'll organise events around them and have them in the parade.''
Longstanding festival supporting events would be highlighted at this year's anniversary and other plans were brewing for the special occasion, she said.
"It's going to be a big year. I know we're going to be able to count on our business, community groups and individuals to help pull this one out of the hat.''
