The 57th annual UH Manoa fashion show was held at the Hawaii convention center on April 30 and, by all accounts, it was an appreciable success. Nine seniors and twelve juniors formed the largest group of student designers at a UH fashion show in over 14 years, showcasing a solid year of hard work on collection concepts, themes, color pallets, and fabrics (Wach a video). The theme, “Supersonic,” was chosen to highlight the extraordinary engagement of the participants, especially the seniors, who came to the project intending to make a meaningful, lasting impression through their efforts. The show was particularly noteworthy since the COVID safeguards that hampered previous events were no longer in place and the venue was sold out well in advance. This year, fashion was clearly able to return to UH at supersonic velocity. As with any hugely successful venture, this year’s event was a broad-based, sincere team effort....[For the full article, click "Read more"]

With our FDM banner nicely displayed along with a beautiful garment on a form, Drs. Reilly, McCarthy, and Cristi-Kim had the opportunity to meet with Farrington High School students during their Career and College Fair on April 6th. Students from the various Academies visited the FDM booth and shared their interests in the different areas of the fashion industry. Many of the students enthusiastically discussed their interest in fashion design and styling, which is a trending area in the industry among the Generation Z cohort. Some of the students we spoke to weren’t sure what industry they’d like to pursue, which is a common theme amongst high school students, but were impressed by the work (from various FDM courses) from our FDM students nevertheless. This was a wonderful recruitment event, and we are grateful to have been invited to share our program with the Farrington High School students and talkstory with them. We look forward to participating in more Farrington High School fashion events, as well as the opportunity for more partnerships with our local high schools. 

--Abby Cristi-Kim and Minako McCarthy

As we ring in the new year and clear out the old, one might want to pause and consider a revival of something from the past:  the resurgence of the muʻumuʻu in our fashion discussions and maybe a new addition to your closet…or a kept treasure

Muʻumuʻu month started in 2014, when Shannon Hiramoto posted photos of herself wearing a different muʻumuʻu every day in January. She soon gained an Instagram following of emulators who are coined the month a “muʻuvement.”  Just type #muumuumonth for a glimpse into the variations of styles and colors that women of all ages are proudly sharing. Some are now wearing a muʻumuʻu as an expression of their cultural and ancestral identities, reflecting on the history of the garment.

In the 1820’s, Christian missionaries created the muʻumuʻu as a modified version of their own garments de rigueur, to cover up the body and replace the immodest paʻu or skirt that the native Hawaiian women made by wrapping tapa around their waists. Constructing the muʻumuʻu out of leftover muslin, they loosened the bodice and shortened the sleeves creating a kind of slip intended to be worn under the more formal holokū...[For the full article, click "Read more"]