Art is life for Trisha Lagaso Goldberg, 46, so it comes as no surprise that her taste in fashion pushes boundaries and pairs the unexpected.
In her job at the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, she manages large-scale commissioned art projects for airports and other public spaces. Her style is a mix of masculine and feminine pieces with a classic feel and ’80s flair.
Born and raised on Oahu, Goldberg spent 15 years in San Francisco, giving her fashion choices an edge not always seen in Hawaii.
Now living in Aiea, she checked in via email on her current fashion faves, and how function and art play into her signature looks.
EVENT DRESSING
“I’m a bit of a tomboy and feel comfortable in menswear so it’s not uncommon for me to wear my version of a suit. (For a recent art opening), I wore a blue-and-white pinstriped collared shirt under a vintage Esprit blazer in navy, with tapered dark-rinse denim pants and camel-colored suede flats. Sometimes I’ll wear this outfit with a brimmed hat, sometimes without.”
HATS OFF
“I rely on my In4mation snapback for days when I want to throw my flat iron across the room and cannot deal with my hair. I’m also into a black felt, wide-brimmed fedora that I pinched from my 13-year-old son’s closet. I wear it on the back of my head a la Boy George, circa 1982.”
CASUAL ATTIRE
“I’ll grab any one of the many tops I have by Pitacus, designed by local designer Lisa Wiemken. I might wear it with tapered, cropped white jeans and a pair of jelly flats. I love Pitacus designs because they’re clean, playful and instantly pull together a polished look even when I feel like a mess. I appreciate that most of her garments are machine washable.”
JEANS, LEGGINGS OR SKIRTS?
“I work in the arts and travel a lot. I wear pants nearly every day, partly because of the tomboy thing but also because they’re comfortable. I can sit cross-legged any time I want and don’t have to be dainty.”
FAVORITE DRESS
“I am in love with a new Pitacus dress that I picked up this past holiday season: bell sleeves, slight empire waist and one patch pocket in front in a blue chambray cloth. It’s playful and feminine without being floral or flouncy or obvious. It acts as a great backdrop for accessories. I wear mine with a magazine-bead necklace strung on red grosgrain ribbon that my sister Malia made for me.“