Holokū on Display in Miller Hall

Four holokū from the Historic Costume Collection are on display through January 2023. When missionaries arrive on the Islands in the early 1800s, Queen Kalākua women asked the missionary women to make her a dress in their style. The women sewed a loose-fitting dress using woven fabric. Eventually, a train would be added and the garment named the holokū, translated as a loose dress made of foreign fabric. The four holokū on display in Miller Hall include a 1920s floral print and a 1998 vivid orange creation; 1950s eyelet lace dress made in a Mother Hubbard design with images printed images of Hawaiian women; and 1970s Mamo Howell with cowl neckline and printed with shell lei.