Rocket Ahuna Designs New Collection With Waikīkī as His Launch Pad
Rocket Ahuna’s Waikīkī residency inspires a stellar new collection with nods to the neighborhood’s evolution.
From top left: Rocket Ahuna. Much of the collection features a custom hau flower design that recalls Waikīkī’s once plentiful population of hau trees, done in a bright red hue inspired by Lilo & Stitch. Looks from the Kaimana collection runway show. Photos: Courtesy of Rocket Ahuna/Michael Vossen and Angelina Marie
The local fashion scene has been abuzz with talk of Rocket Ahuna, the 22-year-old Native Hawaiian designer whose Kaimana 2024 collection is garnering raves for its fresh, campy exploration of Waikīkī’s cultural complexities. Originally from Kapa‘a, Ahuna earned an associate degree from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and had considered moving to London. But, during a trip home to attend last year’s Merrie Monarch Festival, he reconnected with the hula community, which inspired him to change course for Honolulu.
SEE ALSO: Get an Early Look at HoMA’s New Fashioning Aloha Exhibition
Soon after, the Kaimana Beach Hotel approached Ahuna with an artist residency that included a live-work space. The resulting 56-piece collection, which debuted this spring, considers the neighborhood’s evolution, from ancient wetland to uber-commercialized tourist hub. In the mix: a gown with a surboardlike silhouette that nods to Waikīkī’s iconic Duke Kahanamoku statue and Hawai‘i’s rich surfing history, a playful giant aloha shirt worn in reverse as a chic low-back dress and a sheer sand-hued holokū styled as a swim cover-up.
“My culture is grounding for me, so when I’m able to design using it, it really feels nice,” Rocket Ahuna says. “It’s fun to create intersectionality between modern and traditional, technique and art.”
