Kānaka ʻŌiwi Wahine in NY

New York Fashion Week, the epicenter for America’s new trends in clothing styles and materials, got an extra helping of Aloha last week when Native Hawaiian models, musicians, and dancers graced the runway.

The team highlighted one-of-a-kind creations by Ola Hou Designs’ Sharayah Chun-Lai, alum of the Fashion Design and Merchandising program of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences. She is the first kānaka ʻōiwi wahine to accept an invitation from fashion week producer Runway 7.

“I am humbled and honored to be the First Native Hawaiian wahine to accept an invitation from Runway 7 to showcase Ola Hou Design’s uniquely modern Hawaiian vision at Sony Hall and represent Hawai‘i,” Sharayah said last month before jetting off to the Big Apple.

Read the UH News story. Read the previous CTAHR Notes story.