Culture

sust`AINAble Fashion:  Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) Fashion Designers Sustainablity Efforts

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Abstract

The fashion industry significantly contributes to environmental deterioration, generating substantial waste and pollution through fast-fashion and unsustainable manufacturing processes.  Hawaiʻi is a colonized nation with a fashion industry that was built on the Western system, although there is evidence of using traditional values to guide designs.  Using decolonization as a framework and theory as a method, this presentation examines how Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) designers approach sustainability through the cultural value of aloha ʻāina (love of the land).  Interviews resulted in five themes:  motivations, textiles, local manufacturing, quality and quantity, and zero waste design.  Findings are discussed in terms of sustainability, decolonization, and future research.   

Keywords: Eco, grounded theoyr, organic, resources

How to Cite:

Reilly, A., Antonio, J. & Bahng, Y., (2025) “sust`AINAble Fashion:  Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) Fashion Designers Sustainablity Efforts”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21404