To celebrate Muʻumuʻu Month in January, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s program in Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) has a special exhibition of vintage muʻumuʻu, chosen by nearly 30 Waipahu High School students who could be the future of Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s fashion industry.
Housed within the (CTAHR), FDM combines Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s culture and agricultural heritage with modern design. By inviting teens into the Historic Fashion Collection, CTAHR is introducing young people to potential career paths ranging from designing to entrepreneurship and retail buying to sustainable fashion.
“It is our kuleana to help students succeed and find what they want to do in life,” said Andy Reilly, professor and curator of fashion design and merchandising. “We do this through the lens of fashion. Fashion starts with ‘dirt to shirt’—from the people growing cotton to those developing new textiles from coffee beans. We want students to see that fashion isn’t just about what you wear. It’s about culture, history, and business.”
Waipahu High School fine arts teacher Alice Iraha said, “I want to expose them to the history of our state and our fashion here in Â鶹´«Ã½. When you live here, it¡¯s good to know the culture of the people and where they came from. The process of learning the fashion industry can help them into so many other areas, like art or starting their own business.”
From textiles to high tech
In addition to curating the Historic Fashion Collection, the students were introduced to Computer-Aided Design for fashion by Ju-Young Kang, an associate professor in FDM. This technology allows designers to create digital sketches, develop intricate textile patterns, and visualize 3D garments before a single piece of fabric is cut.
Muʻumuʻu Month, which began in 2014 when Kauaʻi designer Shannon Hiramoto challenged herself to wear a different vintage muʻumuʻu every day in January, has grown into a statewide movement to preserve the history of the garment.
The student-curated collection will be on display in Miller Hall at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ throughout January. This collaboration highlights CTAHR¡¯s commitment to honoring Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s past while providing local students with the tools to build its future.
