In Style: Celebrating 50 Years of the UHM Costume Collection

September 1, 2015-December 31, 2015
Location: Bridge Gallery

(From the University of Hawaii News website)

The University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is offering an exclusive glimpse into a diverse and unique wardrobe. A Qing dynasty dragon robe, a Japanese Uchikake, and several casual aloha-style wear are making a fashionable comeback as part of the "In Style: Celebrating 50 Years of UHM Costume Collection" exhibit.

The exhibit represents a small portion of the UH Manoa Costume Collection, which now holds over 10,000 articles representing Hawaiian, Western, and a variety of Asian styles.

The collection was first established in the 1960s when Professor Oma Umbel, then a UH Manoa professor of fashion and textiles, returned from a sabbatical leave in Asia with 125 cartons filled with fabric, costumes, jewelry and accessories. Curators continue to add to the collection as new articles are donated by faculty, students and alumni from across the globe.

Also in the exhibit is a collection of fine dolls, each a tiny representation of a unique fashion and culture.