Honolulu Fashion Week attracts industry heavyweights

By

Dani Greene

Published
Nov 27, 2015

Honolulu Fashion Week, Nov. 20-22, is gaining traction. The sold out show featured both international and Hawaii designers’ newest collections. Industry heavyweights curated runway shows and events for Honolulu Fashion Week, including Lynne O’Neill – executive producer; Don Samada – fashion show stylist; Roman Young – creative director, Wilhelmina International; and Bobby Gutierrez – image/celebrity manager, Wilhelmina Models, NYC.

Sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, the event included a capsule collection by AULA (Tokyo), Lie Sangbong (Seoul), Ellery (Sydney), Todd Snyder (New York) and Kaypee Soh (Hawaii) that was inspired by the airline’s key destinations. Live Aloha, the event’s signature show, featured more than 25 Hawaii designers including Andy South, Bliss Lau, Language of the Birds and Sig Zane among others.

Executive Director of Honolulu Fashion Week Alyson Helwagen said of the event, “It’s a really exciting time for fashion in Hawaii, and in addition to spotlighting our homegrown talents, we wanted to celebrate the influence Hawaii has had on designers around the world.” Fern Mallis, New York Fashion Week creator, was in attendance and called the event “A fashion week with legs.”

Honolulu Fashion Week was launched in 2014. The event highlights Hawaii’s emerging, established and legacy fashion designers and internationally renowned designers. Honolulu Magazine publisher and executive director of the fashion week Alyson Helwagen sees the event as a way to bring fashion coverage to the energy and growing momentum of Hawaii’s fashion industry