Final preparations are in full swing for the second Kauai Fashion weekend. Presented by the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce and The Ink Spot, the event promises to be a glamorous night of fashion, dinner, dancing, a silent auction, vendor
Final preparations are in full swing for the second Kauai Fashion weekend.
Presented by the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce and The Ink Spot, the event promises to be a glamorous night of fashion, dinner, dancing, a silent auction, vendor booths, prizes and local music.
Seventeen models, outfitted with trendy and classic gowns by local and international designers, will take to the runway.
“We’ve already sold over 200 tickets,” said show organizer Marynel Valenzuela. “It all started when I took my friend Sha ali Ahmad to a chamber meeting last year and he asked me if Kauai has a fashion week. I told him no, we don’t.”
Ahmad, an international designer, agreed to help Valenzuela put together the event in 2013. It was such a grand success that they brought elegant evening wear back for the show this Saturday night.
“I’d like to see Kauai have a full fashion week like other states do,” Ahmad said. “It could become a major destination event. But we need the support from the community to do it.”
Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, former Bollywood Actress Somi Ali and a wide range of national and international pageant contestants are among the women who love wearing Ahmad’s fashions, according to the designer who got his start designing in India.
He will be showcasing his label, Ahmad Couture, at the Kauai fashion show after designing for others for years, including Pappel, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.
His first career after college wasn’t fashion, but art.
“Orthodox careers like doctor or pilot are more common in India,” Ahmad said. “Nobody usually tries to be an artist. I got my bachelor’s degree in fine art, but I didn’t think I could make money at it so I went to night school to become a fashion designer instead.”
Kauai native Oliver Agcaoili entered the design field through a different door than Ahmad when he began training with Lyn Belano Putisan,a local master cutter.
“I started by wanting to make a suit for myself,” Agcaoili said. “But my teacher said that would be difficult and trained me on the lost art of drafting. I thought I would be cutting from a pattern. She showed me how to do custom made-to-fit designs. Now people know my style by the look of my beaded gowns.”
He designs as a hobby and to compete in the annual Filipino Women’s Club fall show. Agcaoili’s designs have been recognized. He holds 20 trophies from the group for his eye-catching styles.
“I study fashion magazines and I watch pageants to get ideas for my dresses,” Agcaoili said.
The work is labor intensive. Agcaoili sews each bead by hand.
“And when I’m doing it I think about how I want to create a gown like something a woman would like to wear on the red carpet,” he said.
Five of Agcaoili gowns will be featured in the show Saturday. Macy’s and other local designers will be contributing to the collection of fashions.
Doors will open at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club at 5 p.m., buffet dinner at 6:30. Tickets are $65 per person.
For further information, visit facebook.com/kauaifashionweekend or call 808-246-0147 or 808-651-9139.
