Hawai‘i Designer Manaola Yap Wows at New York Fashion Week 2017
Manaola Yap made his NYFW debut with a runway show on Sept. 8. Get a look at his gorgeous Kōlani collection here.
Photos: Presley Ann Photography
Black and gold and bold all over. Local designer Manaola Yap put on his first NYFW runway show on Sept. 8 at the Studio 450 penthouse loft in Manhattan. The show kicked off with a beautiful oli by Yap, his mother Nani Lim Yap, aunt Lorna Lim and sister Asialynn Yap, who also performed a Hawaiian traditional dressing ceremony and hula kahiko.
Inspired by storyteller Yap’s vision of how Hawaiian ali‘i would dress as modern-day monarchs, the Kōlani collection featured striking gilded kapa patterns, including Yap’s newest print, Pe‘ahi Niu, an homage to the crescent-shaped fans used by Hawaiian royalty, woven throughout 40-plus womenswear and menswear looks.
Floor-grazing robes, billowing skirts and sheer-panel dresses were among the most dramatic pieces. So were the wow-inducing, mermaid-hem gown with exposed shoulders and flowing sleeves that appeared right before the finale. We’re already making space in our closets for the easy wrap dresses, pleated maxi skirts and cropped jackets, perfect for adding some pop to everyday wardrobes.
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