Actress Te Ao o Hinepehinga, who plays Kupuohi on the Apple TV+ series Chief of War, was styled by recent graduate Kalia Ferri of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) program. Ferri’s original, hand-painted dress was featured in an exclusive shoot for A Book Of magazine.
The opportunity came through one of Ferri’s mentors, UH alumnus Matt Bruening. He invited Ferri to assist with three days of styling and press shoots for the Chief of War premiere event. On the final day, she secured a placement for her own design—a dress featuring a painted orange and red cut-out, drawing on the theme of natural decay and regrowth from shelf mushrooms.
The garment matched the photo shoot’s lava-inspired look, making it a perfect fit for the show’s visuals. Her dress debuted in the senior individual collection from FDM’s fashion exhibition in spring 2025.
Ferri credited experiences such as the fashion exhibition, her College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience education and internship experience with providing a well-rounded skillset.
“I learned a lot from my fashion professor Minako McCarthy, who taught my design classes and encouraged my painting. And I thank my other teachers in courses for sewing, fashion forecasting, trend analysis and the business side of fashion,” Ferri said.
Her fashion journey will continue in the global fashion capital, New York City. With an impressive first placement in a major photoshoot, Ferri is one to watch as she heads to the Big Apple.
