Indigenous cultures hit the catwalk this weekend

HONOLULU (KHON2) — When we speak of Native Hawaiian art, some may say that you can’t do much with it. 

But there is an organization that will prove them wrong because come this Saturday, it will be the 17th annual MAMo Wearable Arts Show bringing together many different Native Hawaiian artists and practitioners allowing them to hit the catwalk and the stage to showcase what their work is all about. 

So, to find out more, we are here with the Executive Director of PA’I Foundation, Kumu Hula Vicky Holt-Takamine. 

17 years you have been doing this and I know every single year, you never disappoint. 

Everybody who hits the catwalks brings this big presentation. 

What can we expect this year and what may be new compared to previous years?

“Well, we are really excited to share our artwork because for us, Native Hawaiian art is not just what you frame and put up on a wall,” says Takamine.

“Native Hawaiian art is in our culture and traditions, our hula, our adornments, our shell lei, our lauhala weaving.  So, all of that is what we are going to be able to see on the catwalk and we are really excited about introducing some new artists and bringing over from North Dakota, Lauren Good Day.”

It is amazing to see how we can continue traditional art in a modern way.  

But as you mentioned, you have some guests and I know every year, you try to bring in some guests from other indigenous peoples. 

So, Lauren Good Day, tell us a little bit about her.

“Well, she is from North Dakota.  She is from the MHA tribe and we are really excited to have her,” says Takamine.

“She has some innovative and exciting new fashion that she is going to showcase for us and performances as well.”

Speaking of Lauren Good Day, we are here with her right now. 

What can we expect with your presentation this weekend at the MAMo Wearable Arts Show?

“So, what I brought from my home which is the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation in North Dakota, is I brought my fashions,” says Good Day. 

“So, within my work, I try to incorporate a lot of our cultural iconography and our designs and tell the stories of our people.  So, what I do as a contemporary artist is I take our traditional clothing and our traditional designs and make them into ready-to-wear so that we can wear them as everyday fashion.”

As a Native American, I can only assume the story, and you being a very successful award-winning artist, the stories that you include within your art.

What are some of those stories that you try to include within the different pieces that you make?

“I feel like Native American people are so underrepresented as a nation,” says Good Day. 

Coming from the mainland, that is our original land there and I feel like within mainstream media, there is not a lot of people that know about our contemporary culture.  So, I try to show that our people are alive, we’re living, we are living culture and we are a thriving culture and I try to incorporate our traditional teaching and our values within my design work.”

Well, as a Native Hawaiian, I know we try to include that type of mo’olelo and stories within our work as well so thank you very much. 

It’s so cool when you can see similarities between different people and cultures. 

So, again, this is the 17th annual MAMo Wearable Arts Show taking place this Saturday, February 18th at the Hilton Hawaiian Tapa Ballroom. 

Show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are still available. 

To purchase your tickets and for more information, click here.