Wearable artists, dealers, collectors, textile scholars and curators from all over the world have converged in our city as the Textile Symposium of America holds its biannual meeting in Honolulu. Nearly every gallery and museum is involved, with textile-related exhibitions. But you needn't be an expert in the field to enjoy the benefits: The TSA Marketplace promises to be a special treat for those who simply love fashion, wearable art and shopping for one-of-a-kind treasures.

The marketplace is a carefully edited selection of 29 booths featuring textiles, garments and accessories from all over the world. Linda-Mei Jaress, coordinator for the event, spent months selecting artists and artisans whom she felt would be best suited to sophisticated Island women.

The symposium's theme is "Textiles as Cultural Expressions." In keeping with the theme, Jaress and symposium coordinators Tom Klobe and Reiko Brandon focused the marketplace on Asia and the Pacific.

Jaress sought out Island designers and those with Island roots, as well as artists from Southeast Asia, Italy, Britain, Scotland, South Korea, Japan and India.

"One of the things I tried to do is to find people who used to work in Hawai'i but were no longer here. I thought it would be a chance for them to connect over a shared passion," Jaress explained. She had to do some sleuthing to find Melissa Arnold, a textile artist many will remember from her days in Honolulu. Arnold is now producing exquisite wearable art on the Mainland and will bring her current collection to the marketplace.

Many will also remember Paul Sakai and Tom Tierney of bibelot gallery in Kaimuki. They now live in Antigua, Guatemala, and will bring to the Marketplace South American textiles, as well as some Japanese textiles from their extensive collection.

Levina Gerristen, a former O'ahu resident, now does indigo piecework in Maine. Her vests, clothing and quilts will be shown along with popular local designer Kim Messier's garments and accessories.

Other vendors coming especially for the marketplace include the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery. Owners Jill Heppenheimer and Barbara Lanning have spent nearly two decades collecting textile art and garments and cultivating relationships with the artists. The Gallery is bringing the surface-designed and kantha-stitched textiles of Darshan Shah, designer from the Weavers' Studio in Kolkata, India, as well as woven and natural-dyed garments of master weaver and dyer Akihiko Izukura of Kyoto. They will also have a limited selection of jackets and blouses from their own Zawa collection, featuring the innovative textiles of Nuno Corp. It's an Island-appropriate collection in both style and fabrication.

Jiyoung Lee of South Korea, who now teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design, creates subtle and elegant garments that are abstract works of art, created by selectively lifting color from a basic black T-shirt. She'll display her work at a booth with her mother, Chunghie Lee, who's bringing her limited edition wearable art from Seoul. Chunghie Lee is well known for her expertise in the area of pojagi, traditional Korean wrapping cloths which she has redefined and established as a respected form of contemporary textile art.

The marketplace will feature a kimono collection that has never been seen outside Japan. Collector Yoku Tanaka of Tokyo has collected kimono from the Taisho and Showa periods, each unique and seldom viewed except in museums. In fact, one of his propaganda kimonos was in a show at the Honolulu Academy of Arts a few years ago.

Not every booth will be filled with upscale items. There will be the bright, uplifting prints of Janet Holaday of Hibiscus Tropical on dish towels and tablecloths; ribbon and yarn lei by Mellie Enos; and Laotian, Thai, Nepalese and Burmese textiles from Siam Imports.

Artist Colleen Kimura of Tutuvi will bring a Polynesian flair to the marketplace. Her bold and innovative screen prints will be available as yardage, wall hangings and clothing.

Honolulu gallery owner Robyn Buntin, best known for his Asian art and artifacts, turned up with an extensive collection of Asian textiles including obis, Chinese opera design prints, Miao fabrics, katsuri and katagami.

Island handbag designers Lynda Sakraida of Hadji Baba Bags and Leslee Giovale-Texeira of Tropical Crush will provide made in Hawai'i, one-of-a-kind handbags, while Victoria Gail-White and Patricia Greene present marbleized and shibori'd wearables, textile jewelry and accessories.

"I think local people will be blown away by what they all have," Jaress said.