Iolani Palace unveils Princess Kaiulani gown, completes royal garment project

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – ʻIolani Palace unveiled a reproduction of Princess Kaʻiulani’s ivory gown Friday for her 151st birthday, completing a decade-long project to reproduce historic garments worn by Hawaiʻi’s royal family.

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Princess Kaʻiulani, the niece of King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani, was the last heir apparent to the Hawaiian Kingdom.

On Saturday, the public viewed the gown of Hawaiʻi’s last princess.

The dress features elaborate floral designs reflecting her Hawaiian and Scottish heritage. There is also intricate embroidery, beadwork and Victorian-era construction of the original garment preserved at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.

The gown is the eighth piece in the Aliʻi Garment Reproduction Project and was created by Hawaii Island-based historic dress designer Iris Viacrusis. He spent about two months researching the original garment to reproduce it as accurately as possible.

“What makes this gown so special is how much of Princess Kaʻiulani’s story is reflected in its design,” Viacrusis said. “The flowers represent both sides of her heritage, and the embroidery is incredibly detailed. I wanted to recreate those details as closely as possible, even if it meant searching through antique bead shops to find the right materials. Seeing the finished gown at ʻIolani Palace alongside the other royal garments is especially meaningful.”

The reproduction took about 450 hours of patternmaking, construction and beadwork in addition to the research.

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Paula Akana, president and CEO of The Friends of ʻIolani Palace, said much of what we know about the royal family comes from photographs, documents, and personal belongings. Garments help us understand them in a different way.

“Through the clothing they chose to wear and the details that reflected their identities,” Akana said. “Completing this collection with Princess Kaʻiulani’s gown is especially meaningful. Her story represents a defining chapter in Hawaiian history, and we want future generations to know her beyond the images they have seen.”

The Friends of ʻIolani Palace launched the project in 2016 to preserve and share the history of Hawaiian royal fashion.

The gown arrived at the palace earlier this month and was received with Hawaiian protocol before it was unveiled to members Friday ahead of its public display.

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