It’s Hōʻike Night at Merrie Monarch, with free hula exhibition showcasing Hawaiian fashion

Tonight, the audience at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo will be taking a trip around the Pacific Rim with hālau from Hilo, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and California.

It’s Hōʻike Night, the free hula exhibition that proceeds the three nights of competition at the 62nd Merrie Monarch Festival. There’s no tickets. Those who arrive early for the 6 p.m. event get the best seats.

While hula is at the forefront of the evening, Hōʻike is often the night your trendiest friends look like they came directly from the Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair with new clothes and accessories from local designers.

“Some of the best parts of Hōʻike are seeing your friends and family after a long time and looking at what they’re wearing along with the vibrant colors and incredible smells coming from lei,” designer Hannah Preston-Pita said. “There are talented Hawaiʻi designers and it’s a guarantee you will see something new and unique during Merrie Monarch week.

Preston-Pita is the CEO and Founder of the Hānau Hou Arts and Fashion Show, which kicked off one of the most fashionable weeks in Hilo on Monday night.

The arts and fashion show reflects the spring trends each year, but the event is also a celebration of Hawaiian culture and the Merrie Monarch Festival.

The third annual sold-out show took place in the Crown Room at the Grand Naniloa Hotel and featured 10 designers — five from Hawaiʻi Island, three from Oʻahu, and two from Maui. They include:

• Lei by Wehi
• Adorably Sapphira
• Māile Designs
• Kūlua
• Felicity Hawaiʻi
• Hilia Swim
• Hoʻolina
• Missing Polynesia
• Pua Hawaiʻi
• Kyani and Co

“This is our biggest show yet, so we may have to look for a bigger venue next year,” Preston-Pita said. “I think the attraction to fashion is about physically seeing the culture, because every piece has a story to it. Native Hawaiian and indigenous designers are often very intentional and make meaningful designs.”

Preston-Pita started the show when she launched her own fashion line, Hōʻolina, with the hope of showcasing the depth of talent in Hawaiʻi.

Hānau Hou gave Chloey Wills of Hilo the chance to show her designs from her brand, Adorably Sapphira, on a runway for the first time.

“I wanted to cry, it was surreal to see it all come together,” Wills said after the show. “I’ll also get to have a booth at Prince Kūhiō Plaza Thursday to Saturday, so it’ll be amazing to just get my name out there in the community.”

Wills started designing keiki clothing after having her daughter, Sapphira, and her designs resonated with people. She expanded to adult wear and now specializes in making unique, matching sets for ʻohana.

“I feel like my prints tell a story, especially because I hand-draw all of them,” Wills said. “My designs are based on the flowers around my home, the fish my husband catches, and the native species that should be honored.”

Preston-Pita works as the executive director of the Big Island Substance Abuse Council and will often use designing clothing as a form of therapy for herself. She uses her experiences and family history to create eccentric, Polynesian-style fashion.

“There are some messages of healing in my clothing, but mostly there is a lot of who I am in my designs,” Preston-Pita said. “I think fashion and clothing are elevated during the Merrie Monarch, because fashion is an art form that is core to the Native Hawaiian culture. It’s all about the moʻolelo (storytelling), just like hula.”

Preston-Pita hopes to continue to grow Hānau Hou and provide even more Hawaiʻi designers a network of support, ingenuity and tools to help them thrive locally and abroad.

“We want designers to keep telling their stories and empower them to achieve economic independence through their art,” Preston-Pita said.

In need of something to wear for Hōʻike? There will be local vendors selling Hawaiʻi-designed clothes and accessories at nearly every mākeke and craft fair throughout the Merrie Monarch Festival. To check out more fashion, a craft fair schedule is listed below.

• Island Nation Makeke Mele Manaka
  • 196 Kamehameha Avenue
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday – Friday
• Hilo Daijingu Activity Center
  • 10 Anela Street
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday
• Grand Naniloa
  • 93 Banyan Drive
  • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday
• Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair
  • 323 Manono Street 
  • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday
• Prince Kuhio Plaza
  • 111 Puainako Street
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday – Saturday
• Nani Mau Gardens
  • 421 Makalika Street
  • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday – Saturday
• Sangha Hall
  •  424 Kilauea Avenue
  • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday – Saturday
• SCP Hilo Hotel
  • 126 Banyan Way
  • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday – Saturday
• Arc of Hilo
  • 1099 Waianuenue Avenue
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday – Friday
• Kawili Business Center
  • 315 Kawili Street
  • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday – Friday