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All 350 seats in the Molokai Ballroom of the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel were filled Sunday, April 24th for the Apparel Product Design and Merchandising Department's annual senior fashion show, "Menagerie: A Collection."
"I felt like a bouncer," said Laura Kisaka, an APDM junior who was in charge of registration. "It was crazy, we had to actually turn people away." While eager fashion lovers were being rejected, Gail Hannemann, wife of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, and Vivian Aiona, wife of Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona were greeted with leis, kisses and seating hostesses. "Just beautiful," Aiona said about the garments showcased on the runway. "The overall feeling of the show, from the lighting to the actual presentation, was impressive."
The event began with lunch and the opportunity to view original clothing lines by six graduating seniors: Tami Goya, Jacki Ishikawa, Malia Sales, Lingee Sin, Lisa Woo and Darcy Young. Also featured were garments by junior designers and presented featured themes, such as Red Carpet's couture garment lines, Eye Candy menswear, and Fantasy's image vs. reality inspired line. Femininity was the overall, reoccurring theme of Menagerie.
Tami Goya with Tres Jolie, Jacki Ishikawa with Entelechy, and Malia Sales with The Wysdom Edition all produced sexy flower printed garments with form-fitting, belly-baring silhouettes that made it hard to distinguish each designers' lines from the other. One standout in a sea of feminine flowing fabrics, flower prints and cliche Asian influences was senior designer, Lisa Woo's line of hard rock inspired, pink, black, and white contrasted garments entitled Stronger.
The collection, which resembled stage outfits suitable for female rock divas, such as Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their male counterparts' backstage groupies, may not be wearable for the average Joanne, but definitely imaginable, risque and unsafe on the designers' behalf. "I didn't want to do the girly girl thing with the frilly dresses ... I wanted to do something different, something like me," Woo said. "The whole line represented my style because I wanted to stick to what I knew and create garments that I like," she added.
While asymmetrical silhouettes, randomly placed zippers, and metallic fuchsia fabrics may be difficult to market in the aloha wear industry of Hawai'i, Woo plans to create the niche that will make her successful as a fashion designer in the islands. "I plan on selling my designs on consignment with fashion-forward boutiques and then eventually opening up my own business," she said.
Although the event was headlined by the garments produced by graduating seniors, the up-and-coming junior designers made garments that impressed the audience as well. One crowd-pleasing designer was junior Sachiko Akimoto, who created a beautiful white stretch cotton blouse with gathered detailing at the waist and bust paired with a shimmering gold bell-shaped knee-length skirt.
Another standout piece was senior Margaret Kim's Bebe-esque pink satin sheath mini dress, topped with a chiffon wrap. Kim had mixed feelings when she saw her dress on the runway: "It was exciting to see my work on the stage, but it also made me regret my decision not to design an entire line," she said. "After seeing the seniors lines, I wished I would've made a full line instead of just one dress because being able to show off your talent makes all the hard work worth it."
Editor's Note: Janet Mock is a student in the Apparel Product Design and Merchandising Department.
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