DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Clarissa Macadamia shows garments from her line featuring several designs with the common theme of polka dots.
Get into the
‘Groove’Honolulu Community College's
senior designers take their
work to the stage on Saturday
Ball gowns, zebra prints, bathing suits and more will be paraded down the runway on Saturday at the Ala Moana Hotel as the fashion technology students at Honolulu Community College stage their annual fashion show, this year themed "Groove."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Rosimar Velazquez models her classmate Erica Ngo's design, based on the Vietnamese ao dai.
The students in the program band together each year to plan and deliver a fashion show that showcases the personal clothing lines of 10 senior designers, hoping to get noticed by the fashion industry, through their 150 creations ranging from sporty to elegant.
Kiniokahokuloa "Kini" Donovan Zamora made his first garment at age 10 -- a pair of Hawaiian print jams. "The quality of a garment is important to me, both inside and outside. I pay close attention to detail," he said.
All of his garments are fully lined. His ambition is to get recognition with his own label, Kini.
Clarissa Macadamia's collection embraces polka dots, and her enthusiasm for fashion was fueled by her grandmother, who was an excellent seamstress, she said. "I used to watch and help her put sequins and pearls on wedding gowns."
Although success in the industry is difficult to find, Macadamia believes she's up to the task. Challenges ask you to become a new person, she said. "There is a puzzle to solve, but it doesn't have to be beyond your reach. It doesn't have to be a terrible struggle. It can be a time of growth, new adventures and winning."
Fellow classmate Marybeth Pahayahay Jenkins started taking modeling and acting classes in Kansas when she was 10. After years of modeling and pageantry, she recognized the possibilities of a career in fashion design. "I slowly attended night classes while I raised my baby boy during the day," she said.
Leopard and zebra prints are her passion. "People tease me because my stuff reminds them of Destiny's Child. I wanted to do something wild for the show," she said. Gloves and matching chokers complete the rock-star look.
Also going for the modern look is Stephanie Meacham, with her snakeskin prints mixed with corduroy for a contemporary look.
Other student's pieces reflect their culture or personality. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rosimar Velazquez's designs have a Spanish flair. Her ambition is to move to Spain and study at the Instituto Europeo Di Design in Barcelona.
Mytien "Erica" Ngo was born in Southern Vietnam. Her pieces reflect Vietnamese style with the long traditional gowns called "ao dai."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Natasha McKenzie's plunging necklines attest to her boob-centric approach to fashion. She's aiming for a career in the film or television industry, designing costumes for stars.
"My mom was a seamstress and she taught me how to sew and embroider," Ngo said.
Not straying far from the real world, Tahiti Fernandez will display her plus-size fashion line.
Another senior, Natasha Leilani McKenzie, always considered herself a "fashion diva."
"In order to support my high demand of clothing, my mother suggested I take sewing classes. She couldn't afford me," she laughed. McKenzie's dream is to become a costumer for films or soap operas.
Many of her garments are tied in the back because she considers that to be "easier than zippers."
Most of her fashions are also low cut, emphasizing the bust. "I love boobs," she said.
McKenzie's motto: "Always leave the house looking good cause you never know who you'll run into. I have to look cute no matter where I go, even if I'm just taking out the trash. I'm always ready for the camera -- ready for my close-up."
Not everyone in the program dreamed early of designer status. When Kawika Eric Lum Ganitano was growing up, he wanted to be a background dancer for Janet Jackson or Madonna.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Marybeth Jenkins wears one of her leopard-print creations. It will be among the designs featured during Honolulu Community College's fashion show Saturday.
Instead, he entered HCC's Fashion Technology Program, not knowing he would have to learn how to sew, draft patterns, and sketch garments. His only experience was sewing shells and beads onto hip bands when he practiced Tahitian dance.
One of his designs is a mock kimono lined with his favorite color, orange. "Every dress should be original -- the woman wearing the dress should wear it with pride," he said. "I like to make things that are eye catching."
Daralat Fowler is also a senior and the president of the Fashion Society Club. She favors function over fantasy. Her pieces are geared toward working women, ages 20 to 40. "Women can wear the dress to work and go straight to dinner afterward. Most people don't have time to run home and change," she explained.
Fowler's favorite saying is "Success is not a destination; it is the ability to overcome obstacles to reach your goal."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Natasha McKenzie, from left, Marybeth Jenkiins, Rosimar Velazquez, Erica Ngo and Dararat Fowler examine photos of designs that they'll be showing during the Honolulu Community College fashion show Saturday.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Dararat Fowler works on one of her designs as her instructor, Joy Nagaue looks on in their Honolulu Community College fashion technology class.
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'Groove'
The Honolulu Community College fashion show:Where: Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Room
When: 1 p.m. Saturday; begins with at 11:30 a.m. luncheon
Admission: $20; a limited amount of seats will be available at 1 p.m. for high school students interested in the fashion industry. The cost is $5.
Call: 845-9203
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