{"id":230556,"date":"2026-03-10T14:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T00:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=230556"},"modified":"2026-03-10T14:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T00:08:15","slug":"fashion-workshops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/10\/fashion-workshops\/","title":{"rendered":"Fashion workshops inspire Maui high school students"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Students from Lahainaluna High School experimented with innovative e-textile technologies, creating their own stitched LED \u201cSmiley\u201d circuits.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Students from Maui\u2019s Lahainaluna and Baldwin High Schools traveled to the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa<\/span> for a hands–on immersion into the future of fashion technology in February. Hosted by the Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM<\/abbr>) program, these visits show students how traditional skills such as sewing merge with cutting-edge innovations like Computer-Aided Design and electronic textiles (e-textiles).<\/p>\n

The events are a part of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience<\/a>\u2019s outreach strategy to introduce high school students and their teachers to educational paths and career opportunities in the fashion industry.<\/p>\n

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Lahinaluna High School students were immersed in the different educational paths and career opportunities in the fashion industry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tradition meets high tech<\/h2>\n

Students from Baldwin High School\u2019s Poʻo<\/span> Academy participated in intensive workshops designed to show the cycle of modern garment creation. Associate Professor Ju–Young Kang taught students about using Optitex design software to create fashion concepts, the first step in a garment\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Professor Minako McCarthy expanded on this cycle by providing a design curriculum overview and how fashion collections are developed. She took students on a tour of the design and sewing labs, where they talked with current junior and senior FDM<\/abbr> students.<\/p>\n

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Students from Baldwin High School\u2019s Po\u02bbo Academy learned about the cycle of modern garment creation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“The students and their teachers were very engaged from the first sketch to the actual outfit presented at the fashion exhibition and show,” McCarthy said.<\/p>\n

In a session with Assistant Professor Olaitan Adeleke, students from Lahainaluna High School experimented with innovative e-textile technologies, creating their own stitched LED<\/abbr> “smiley” circuits. These students rounded out their experience with a traditional sewing workshop.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s one thing to simulate things on software, but it\u2019s another thing to really build it hands-on,” said Adeleke. “Connecting that physical integration with software is a beautiful one.”<\/p>\n

FDM<\/abbr> faculty work with high schools across Oʻahu<\/span> and Maui as part of a broader recruitment and outreach strategy started by Professor Andy Reilly. Adeleke expects more than 40 students from other schools to participate in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students from Maui\u2019s Lahainaluna and Baldwin High Schools traveled to UH<\/abbr> Mānoa for a hands-on immersion into the future of fashion technology in February.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":230566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[212,476,423,9],"class_list":["post-230556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-fashion","tag-fashion-design-and-merchandising","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t