Vintage Mu‘umu‘u “Transcends Generations”
Marion Jones is turning her love for Hawai‘i’s signature garment into a new nonprofit devoted to workshops and learning.
Marion Jones displays vintage dresses from her personal collection at the Mu‘umu‘u Shop and Swap. The event at Queen Emma Summer Palace helped kick off January’s Mu‘umu‘u Month, which celebrates the unique style that “trancends generations,” says Jones.
More younger women are attracted to secondhand mu‘umu‘u because of their interest in sustainable fashion, she says. Plus, the dresses “are colorful and unique – Hawai‘i in a closet – and as diverse as the people here.”
Jones says mu‘umu‘u helped root her when she returned home after years on the mainland and was questioning her identity. “In the way that the mu‘umu‘u only makes sense here, I feel like I only make sense here.”
She is currently transitioning from mu‘umu‘u rentals to a nonprofit focused on workshops and education, and she hopes to open a permanent space in Honolulu by June.
Visit muumuulibrary.org to learn more.
