HONOLULU (HI Now) - As Hawai’i experiences an aloha wear renaissance, with a renewed interest in mu’umu’u at the center of it, the Honolulu Museum of Art presents Fashioning Aloha, on view April 12-Sept. 1, 2024.
The exhibition is a stylish celebration and exploration of some of Hawai’i’s most symbolic creations and popular fashion exports. On view will be holokū (gowns), mu’umu’u, holomu’u (day dresses), and, of course, aloha shirts, which make up the aloha wear genre, something that has gone from tourist souvenir to a signifier of identity, culture and connection to place.
The exhibition tells the story of the clothing and its island-inspired motifs through the shirts and dresses, which have their origins in the1930s. The designs are a product of the unique mix of influences stemming from host culture, immigration, natural resources, economic drivers and global trade that made Hawai’i a bridge between Asia and North America. The exhibition also examines the visual source material for these motifs, with examples drawn from works of art in HoMA’s collection.
Visit the Honolulu Museum of Art to experience Fashioning Aloha now on view through September 1, 2024.
While you’re at HoMA, check out Kapulani Landgraf: `Au’a, a powerful installation of photographic portraits of 108 Kānaka ‘Ōiwi community leaders bearing these words from Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask’s historic 1993speech: We Are Not American He Hawai`i Mau a Mau.
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The installation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and asserts the unbroken continuity of Hawaiian sovereignty and national identity.
For more information, visit honolulumuseum.org.
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