By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Princess Kaiulani’s Jill Cullinan on the stage during the ACUW fashion show finale, followed by her mother Joan Andersen. Cathy Foy Mahi, in red, sings in the background.

The Associated Chinese University Women had Easter in mind when they hosted their annual scholarship fashion show “Generations of Aloha” yesterday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Room.

The event, featuring designs by Princess Kaiulani Fashions, put several families on the runway to reflect multi-generational style that can be worn by tykes and pre-teens to tutus. Of course when you talk about families, it starts with the formidable Andersen clan behind the brand. The company started by John and Joan Andersen is marking its 50th anniversary this year, but Joan traces her fashion roots back to her great-grandfather, who manufactured shoes in New England, a business taken up by her father, who started making plantation work shoes in Hawaii in 1933.

The show opened with an auction of Easter-ready bonnets, modeled by Joan and her daughters Jill Cullinan and Judi Andersen Harrison, who also modeled in the show, as they had when they were girls. The show brought three generations of the family to the stage.

PK president Jill Cullinan models a hat that was auctioned for $175. In the background, Joan wears a hat that went for more than $200.

ACUW president Dorothy Mau and her daughter Beverly, the event’s general fundraising chair, wear their Easter hats.

In 1999, Jill Cullinan created a historical fashion show, working with agreement of the Bishop Museum to recreate garments worn by Hawaii’s monarchs, beginning with Queen Kaahumanu. I’d seen the show presented on other occasions, but not in context with Princess Kaiulani designs. It was interesting to see the garments’ evolution and lineage of PK style, which has long been associated with Hawaii formal wear and the elegance of the shapely holomuu and holoku.

One example of royal splendor.

Lilac was a favorite color of the young Lili‘uokalani, who most of us associated with black she wore as queen in protest of the United States takeover of her island nation.

Missionary style influenced Hawaiian wear and white was a favored color.

The 1920s brought French lace overlays.

Plantation workers from China, Japan, the Philippines and other countries also influenced island style.

Men had their aloha shirt, a term coined in the 1930s.

Judi Andersen Harrison models an ensemble Joan modeled in the 1960s. The photo below was included in the show program, along with one of her young family, also taken at Easter:

This outfit worn by Denby Dung was featured in Vogue, 1972:

Former First Lady Jean Ariyoshi also modeled with her son Ryozo and grandchildren Ryoichi and Marisa.

Emcee Stephanie Lum also modeled with her mother Elizabeth.

Jill, who modeled in New York and Florida, working for designers including Geoffrey Beene and Bob Mackie, now models her own company’s designs.

Accessories, like this rolling suitcase, are also part of the Princess Kaiulani line.

Judi Anderson, 1978’s Miss USA and first runner-up to the Miss Universe title, models a summery gauze dress.

Darah Dung wears a contemporary dress.

Another contemporary piece.

Blossom Tyau, left, created the springy floral arrangements for the stage. She’s with former Gov. George Ariyoshi and Jean Ariyoshi.

Maura Yee, left, and Myrtle Kaya wear their Easter hats.

Dorothy Mau congratulated Anna Chang, left, on winning the ACUW’s best hat competition. Chang had purchased her hat, but embellished it with pearly beads.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 12th, 2009 at 2:11 pm and is filed under hats, Fashion shows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.