20-year-old Faithlyn Derla is passionate about the fashion industry and all the contributions it can make to society. She came back to Hawai’i to take care of her general education courses, but her chosen university is the Academy of Art, in San Francisco. When complimented on her stylish clothes, she smiles and claims that, despite “dressing like a city girl”, she loves and feels most at home in the country. “I grew up fishing and hunting. I need to be in the city but really prefer the country life. Waimea, where I grew up, is very towny, and I love it.”

The first-year student aims to grow a business in which she employs women in third world countries, enabling them to get an education and a career. “[Fashion] has always been about artwork. Fashion is art. So how can you show your love of it, but not hurt others in the process?”