FASHION
PRESIDENTIAL MU‘UMU‘U Vintage fabric infused with meaning takes on a new look for the Obamas Words by Jeff Mull Photos by Kevin Whitton
In the sleepy town of Kailua on O‘ahu’s windswept eastern shore, Deb Mascia, owner of the boutique Mu‘umu‘u Heaven, carefully goes through a stack of faded, distressed and worn mu‘umu‘u. Once separated and organized, the Hawaiian-style full-length dresses will have new life breathed into them as the dated fabric will be cut, sewn and stitched into a fresh piece of modern couture custom-fitted for President Obama and the First Family. For the Obamas, the fabric used to make their soon-to-be wardrobe additions carry with it decades of history and close-knit memories as it formerly belonged to the late Madelyn “Toot” Dunham, grandmother to President Obama and a renowned fan of the mu‘umu‘u. When Dunham passed away in her Honolulu home last November at the age of 86, she left behind a somber grandson, a saddened nation, and an apartment full of her belongings. In the days following her passing, Senator Obama would famously become President-Elect Obama while his half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, would take to the unfortunate business of gathering up the contents of their grandmother’s apartment. “I’ve known Maya for a few years now and we’ve become really close friends,” says Mascia. “When I heard that Toot had passed away, I called her up to say how sorry I was. I told her to make sure that she didn’t throw anything out and to bring whatever she had over to my store and I’d take care of the rest.” When Mascia was presented with the box of Dunham’s favorite mu‘umu‘u by Soetoro-Ng, she offered to make her and the rest of the family a few unique pieces to help hold on to Dunham’s memory. G R E E N M A GA ZINEHAWA II.C O M
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