DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Inside Jeanie Chun's fashion salon on Sunday, models showed some of her designs being prepared for the Korean Centennial fashion show. These cheetah- and leopard-print knit dresses and separates were modeled by, from left, Hee Jung Kang, Jenny Chung, Theresa Yu, Kimberly Kaoh and Soo Jin Choi.

Designer Jeanie Chun extends herself
with neon greens and electric yellows
for the Korean Centennial fashion show

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By Nadine Kam
nkam@starbulletin.com

Designer Jeanie Chun is most comfortable wearing and creating apparel in sedate colors, but she's willing to make an exception for the Korean Centennial Gala Fashion Show Sept. 28. After all, it's not every day a community gets to celebrate 100 years of being in Hawaii.

The occasion calls for color, lots of it, and while Chun -- who grew up in Korea -- never quite understood the reasons for wearing neon greens, electric yellows and candy pinks, she put on her bronze-tinted glasses and set about working on the "hanbok" fabric she brought in from the motherland. The fabric, reserved for special occasions, is typically made of pure hand-embroidered silk.

"I never worked with this fabric," she said. "It's not interesting for Americans because they can't wear it anyplace."

Whereas fabric available to the American market typically comes in 44-inch widths to accommodate the fullest part of a garment, the hanbok comes in narrow 12-, 14-, 18- or 20-inch widths. Try covering your body with that.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Vicky Cayetano tried on an ensemble on Sunday that she'll model in the Korean Centennial Fashion Show. Designer Jeanie Chun oversaw the fitting.

"The patterns are set, so it was very difficult to use," said Chun, who owns two Jacqueline de Michel boutiques in Waikiki, a private salon in Kapahulu, and is director of design for Jean Michel USA, a manufacturer of women's designer sports and resort wear. "I had to lay out perfect to come up with one outfit.

"At first I was kind of worried -- am I gonna come up with something nice-looking with this fabric? -- and now that I'm finished, it's not so bad."

The models would probably claim the garments are more than "not so bad." Among the local celebrities tapped for the catwalk at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom are Hawaii's first lady, Vicky Cayetano; the city's first lady, Ramona Harris; plus Lynn Waihee, Jennifer Waihee, Jean Ariyoshi, Lynn Ariyoshi, Ann Kobayashi and governor candidate Mazie Hirono. Escorting them will be chief justice Ronald Moon, police Chief Lee Donahue and lieutenant governor candidate Dalton Tanonaka.

In addition to Chun's bold use of color in the show, she will also offer a segment dubbed "Evolution," featuring a collection of animal-print knits, and will offer a tribute to the Hawaiian monarchy.

All this required stepping out of her comfort zone.

"I'm a very basic person and use very simple silhouettes. I don't wear things so feminine or elaborate. I use a lot of black myself, but because of the fashion show, I tried to use this Korean fabric.

"There is some they use not only for dress, but bedspreads -- so pretty -- that I used to make evening jackets.

"I thought this was something I could do for the centennial because it's a good thing for the local second and third generations to see. I feel like I owe them something."

On the runway Korean Centennial Gala Fashion Show: Featuring: Designs by Jean Michel USA Where: Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom When: Noon Sept. 28; opens with 10:30 a.m. cultural exhibits Tickets: $50 Call: 373-1852 or 261-1998

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