POIPU — Wilma Bumanglag’s butterfly swimsuit covers always look stunning when they float down the runway. At Wednesday’s fashion show at The Shops at Kukuiula they were complimented with feather- accented hair, Ray Ban sunglasses, and Iron Maiden tanks. “The
POIPU — Wilma Bumanglag’s butterfly swimsuit covers always look stunning when they float down the runway.
At Wednesday’s fashion show at The Shops at Kukuiula they were complimented with feather- accented hair, Ray Ban sunglasses, and Iron Maiden tanks.
“The butterfly swimsuit covers are my favorite out of anything I’ve designed,” Bumanglag said. “I like the way they look, so beautiful.”
Bumanglag was one of 17 designers who featured their clothing, jewelry and hand bags in the first of Hawaii Fashion Month’s three fashion shows happening this month on Kauai.
This is the second year that Kauai is participating in Hawaii Fashion Month and Raj Kreisler, from Piopu, said he happened upon the show last year by accident. He was impressed.
“My wife and I were just shopping here at the market on Wednesday last year and we found out there was a fashion show, so we took it in and it was fabulous,” Kreisler said.
This year, the pair happened to be shopping at the Wednesday Kauai Culinary Market when they found out that they’d again stumbled upon Hawaii Fashion Month Kauai’s first fashion show.
“We’re really pleased that it’s happening again and we’re definitely staying to take it in again,” Kreisler said. “It’s such a great event on Kauai and we love having events here.”
Caroline Manera Texeira, with Kauai Chamber of Commerce, said that’s one of the reasons The Shops at Kukuiula was chosen as the venue.
“Last year we had over 100 people because people just stayed out after the market,” Manera Texeira said.
The same thing happened Wednesday night, when over 100 people gathered at the edges of a makeshift runway and Kauai models, sporting makeup and hair done by Kauai designers, were photographed by Kauai photographers.
“The whole point is to promote the whole Kauai fashion industry,” said Marynel Valenzuela, one of the fashion show’s organizers. “So we’re promoting jewelry and handbag designers and manufacturers — people who do the entire process here on island.”
Valenzuela said Wednesday night’s fashion show was one of the more causal shows that will be held this month. The show featured beachwear, casual wear, and flirty dresses.
“The finale on November 20 will be more evening wear,” Valenzuela said. “It will be a poolside show, too, so that’ll be fun for everyone on the island to come out and see.”
