Campus celebrations are taking on added meaning this year as the University of Hawai'i-Manoa closes out its first century, and the annual fashion show of the UH apparel product design and merchandising program is no exception.

The show features designs by eight juniors and seven graduating seniors. In addition to presenting their senior collections, one "couture" piece and one "wearable art" creation, the seven seniors have been asked to construct a modern garment inspired by a 1907 design, the year of the university's founding.

Collectively, the work of these seven designers is strikingly representative of how fashion has evolved and increasingly transcended cultural and geographical boundaries throughout the last 100 years. Though all but two are Island-born and raised, nary a mu'umu'u or even vaguely Hawaiianesque print are present among the designs to be showcased. Instead, the designers have drawn from a smattering of cultural influences, and from the work of international designers hailing from places such as Italy, Brazil, France, Turkey and Britain.

EMBRACING THE PAST

For her era-straddling dress, Kelly Mammel (originally of Lakewood, Colo.) had little trouble melding her own design proclivities with those of a century ago. Inspired by Gibson Girl illustrations of the early 20th century and the work of modern designers such as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, her ensemble strikes a pleasing chord between a darkly romantic modern-day punk princess and a turn-of-the-century tart.

Says Mammel, "I was attracted to the high collars and puffy sleeves of the time, but I wanted to modernize it by making it less constrictive and allowing a little skin to show." Mammel made the sleeves removable and combined futuristic fabrics such as burned-out organza and iridescent taffeta tartan with traditional elements such as pintucks and ruffles.

The thread of fashion history is evident in the designs of Liezel Pagala and Jamie Higa as well. Pagala's haunting, ethereal creations, such as a sheer blue hooded caftan over a richly patterned minidress, are inspired by a love poem from the biblical Book of Solomon, while Higa's prim, tailored collection of separates hearken back to a time when haberdashery, hats and seamed stockings were essential elements of officewear.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

On the futuristic side of the timeline, there's also plenty to celebrate. Leah Evans and Andrea Wu each employ modern and experimental design and construction techniques to decidedly chic effect.

Evans lists avant-garde designers Alexandre Herchcovitch and Hussein Chalayan among her influences, and the experience she gained as a summer intern with designer Christian Joy in New York is apparent in her senior collection, "Rags to Riches."

"Being a student in New York with no money inspired me to take inexpensive and undervalued materials and transform them into valuable objects of desire," Evans commented. Her sleek shift dress (on the cover) exemplifies that concept with its vinyl neckline hand-cut to resemble a ring of diamonds.

Wu's collection, "Deconstruct," consists of intentionally distressed and structured pieces with elements such as hand-frayed seams, contrast stitching and tattered hemlines.

PRETTY, TIMELESS DESIGN

Whatever the century, a persistent truth is that women everywhere love to dress up.

Brandie Cazimero's flirty, flamenco-inspired dresses are devious in their ability to accentuate curves, and Keri Haraga's frothy, sweet creations are just the thing to please ladies who lunch.

With professed influences such as Roberto Cavalli, Emanuel Ungaro, Derek Lam and Zac Posen lighting their creative paths, these two designers are truly keyed in to the meaning of pretty.