A Secret Museum Hidden in Plain Sight— The Capitol Modern

HonolulumuseumsFashion

May 24

Written By Vivian Vyas

Everyone kept saying, “You have to visit The Capitol Modern.”

I thought it was a sleek hotel—maybe a rooftop pool, brutalist lobby, complimentary negronis.

It’s not.

It’s a museum.

In Honolulu.

Called The Capitol Modern.

Which I assumed was a design aesthetic, not a destination.

I arrived looking for check-in.

Instead, I found contemporary Hawaiian art, a colorful sculpture garden designed to mimic an elegantly landscaped pool, emotionally moving pieces that healed parts of my soul, and then….

then I turned a corner—

and like stepping through a secret door—suddenly I was in the midst of a fashion spectacle by local Hawai‘i designers, as if I’d stumbled into a hidden Hawai‘i Fashion Week.

And it turns out that I had. These designs were featured at the Mod Gala 2025 Fashion Exhibition, Botanical Rhapsody: A Floral Odyssey held at the Capitol Modern earlier in 2025. Designers were only given the theme as a starting point and told to interpret through their own creative lens.

Botanical Rhapsody

The Momente

As I turned the corner and caught sight of the designs, I literally gasped.

How was I the only one in the room with something so breathtaking?

I rushed back to find my group, dragging them in one by one just so I could witness their reactions as they stepped inside.

Each intricate piece told its own story—infused with Native Hawaiian and Polynesian elegance, grounded in community values, sustainability, and a deep respect for local craftsmanship.

Now for the best part—you can order your own ready-to-wear pieces from these exciting designers:

CYC by Chris Ching

Beneath the canopy of an ancient forest, she emerges in a gown of hand-cut circles, one of a set of upcycled fabric, blooming with intention and memory. In Christopher Ching’s vision, the reimagined mu’umu’u flows like river and breeze, whispering of rootedness and silhouettes, she transforms from wanderer to guardian a living reminder that beauty can be reborn from what we choose to preserve.

Rated R Hawaii by Ryan & Nathanial Whittaker

Rated R Hawaii presents Ohi’a and Lehua, a collection inspired by the rainforests that surrounded designer Ryan Whitaker’s childhood home on Hawai’i Island. These pieces exemplify the brand’s unconventional approach to reimagining the cherished Native Hawaiian legend, honoring its spirit through a distinctly original lens. The fabric for each piece was sourced from secondhand businesses on O’ahu, reinforcing the brands commitment to sustainability and community.

Crystal Rose Label by Crystal Lee

*Deal alert—her rice sack clothes are sold at a huge markup in stores. Get them here for a great deal!!

In a world where fast fashion dominates and textile waste continually piles up, it’s easy to fall into a fatalistic state of mind. This project tackles that overwhelming sense of helplessness—reshaping cast-offs into captivating investment pieces. Centered around a zero-waste philosophy, Crystal repurposed 20 pairs of secondhand jeans and scraps to craft two matching denim outfits that honor sustainability with a nod to Y2K style.

Kini Zamora

Star of Project Runway

Kini Zamora’s pieces are inspired by the mo’olelo of our “palace Princess.” While strolling back home from one of her little adventures in the mountains, she gets lost. Growing weary from her wandering, she sits at the roots of the trees, eventually drifting off to sleep. In this deep sleep, her vivid dreams bring her into a lifelike fantasy as she becomes one with the mea kanu (plants) and environment….now entranced, embraced and adorned by the surroundings of the ‘ainaful elements within her slumber.

**Kini also offers sewing classes at his Aiea studio. Check website for schedule and fees

Heavenly by Mapis Bernal

Heavenly by Mapis Bernal presents a collection that invites us to slow down and reconnect-with the Earth, with ourselves, and with the roots that ground us. Guided by the principles of slow fashion, this collection is inspired by the enduring strength of humanities’ connection to ancestral legacy in the face of a rapidly evolving tech-driven world. Each piece reflects this dynamic tension—honoring tradition while forging a path forward, striking a delicate balance between survival and beauty.

Rumi Murakami

In a blooming neighborhood garden, Rumi Murakami sows fashion with the care of a cultivator-stitching petals, purpose, and community into every piece. Her outerwear becomes gentle armor, where pockets hold seeds and sleeves carry rain, inviting us to see Samari, this collection blooming not on pedestals, but among people—rooted in kinship, imagination, and the careful joy of harvest.

Samson Lee Fiji

In this breathtaking display of cultural storytelling and craftsmanship, Samson Lee presents to wearable art pieces made entirely from masi (traditional barkcloth) in striking hues of red and white. The designs are inspired by the powerful Fijian legend of the Tagimoucia flower-a rare bloom found only in the highlands of Taveuni (an island located north of Fiji).

Amos Kotomori

In the quiet garden of memory, a boy trails his ikebana-master mother as she gathers nature’s overlooked remnants-twisted branches, fallen pods, crooked leaves—teaching him that beauty lives in silence and imperfection. Now grown, Amos Kotomori transforms those lessons into a poetic collection where each look evokes reverence, memory and renewal—from sculptural forms made of dried palms and coconut husks to floating orchid spirits and shimmering chains that reimagine tradition.

*menswear line exclusively available at Neiman Marcus Hawaii, or stay at his villa in Bali!