The Hokonui Fashion Design Awards is an amateur and emerging-designer fashion competition held annually in Gore, Southland, running since 1988. School and Open sections cover categories such as avant garde, streetwear and sustainable design, with garments judged on a runway before a live audience and a panel of industry judges.
Gore is not a city most people associate with fashion.
Now in its fourth decade, Hokonui has become one of the country's established stepping stones for young New Zealand designers, drawing school and open-category entrants from well beyond Southland, including students from Auckland, Wellington and Marlborough
The awards take their name from the nearby Hokonui Hills, historically notorious for illicit home-distilled whisky, giving the event a distinctly regional identity rather than a generic fashion-week format
Sponsor-backed special prizes, including awards for best use of natural fibre and best Southland designer, reward technical skill alongside creativity, and the competition's longevity in a small rural town has made it a source of local pride and a genuine talent pipeline into New Zealand's design schools
The competition grew out of a local Gore initiative to support emerging Southland design talent and takes its name from the Hokonui Hills
tying a fashion event to a specific piece of regional heritage rather than an imported festival format
Dates TBA · Usually July
Use Gore transport around the venue or route first; event-day controls can change normal timing.
Smart or dressy attire is customary for ticket holders attending the runway show, as it is treated as an evening event; a jacket or wrap is worth carrying since Gore's inland Southland...
Keep valuables light, follow local instructions, and watch how residents use the space before joining in.
Stay near workable transport in Gore, especially if the event runs late or streets close.
Check official or local sources for ticketed areas, paid stands, and same-year access rules.
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Hokonui Fashion Design Awards is listed for July · Winter. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.
The festival is listed in Gore, New Zealand. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.
Winter is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.
Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.
Gore, Southland, New Zealand
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