Draft:Micah Kamohoalii



Micah Kamohoalii or Kumu Micah Kamohoalii is a Native Hawaiian fashion designer. Hawaiian cultural leader, educator, genealogist, filmmaker, and Kumu Hula from Hawaii. He serves as the Cultural Director for the Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders' Association and is a Kumu Hula of the traditional Hawaiian dance school Hālau Hula named Hālau Nā Kīpuʻupuʻu of Waimea, Hawaii. He is the founder and CEO of a clothing company, Dezigns by Kamohoalii, where he serves as the lead designer. He is an Emmy award-winning creative director and film producer at Kuamano Productions.

Early life and education
His paternal family comes from the Kapa (bark cloth) traditions, labored work of ancient fabric into a family of kapa makers. His second great-grandmother Akiona was a famous lauhala weaver and kapa maker. He is also family to Kapa master Malia Solomon. Kamohoalii is a descendant of Hawaiian royalty, as his maternal grandfather is a direct descendant of the great King Kamehameha, the House of Kamehameha, and the strong Mahi Clan of Kohala.

Hālau
He is a well-respected Kumu hula leading his dynamic Hālau named Hālau Nā Kīpuʻupuʻu, a traditional Hawaiian school of dance. He received the family hālau and started teaching in 2004, focusing on native Hawaiian practices, protocols, arts, customs, culture, and dance. Hālau Nā Kīpuʻupuʻu has gained recognition nationally and internationally under his direction, capturing audiences with their presentations around the world and having performed at prestigious stages from the Smithsonian to Sony Hall to the Grand Theatre Marie Bell in Paris to the Ohga Opera Hall of Japan to name a few. Hālau Nā Kīpuʻupuʻu has garnered several honors and awards for their cultural preservation and authentic presentations, establishing their commitment and dedication to their culture.

Career
In 2005, Kamohoalii founded the clothing company Dezigns by Kamohoalli. Since then, he has been serving as its CEO and lead designer. The company offers traditional Hawaiian designs of clothing with modern styles. Inspired by his family's rich tradition in the art of kapa (traditional Hawaiian bark cloth), his clothing line has received attention and appreciation from Hawaiian and international customers alike. Kamohoalii became the first Hawaiian fashion designer and brand invited to the official New York Fashion Week to present his clothing collection. "The brand's emotional performance celebrating Hawaiian culture and history received a standing ovation." Following the success of his NYFW debut, he received the coveted invites from London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week in Europe.

Kamohoalii is the first Hawaiian fashion designer and Hawaii-based brand to be invited and to present in the "Big Four" of fashion weeks, including New York , London, Milan, and Paris. Kamohoalii opened his first two stores on Oahu at Pearlridge Center and the other at Windward Mall.