Hawaii designer Kini Zamora has stepped into a coaching role as producer of the fifth annual “Goodwill Goes Glam!” fashion show taking place Thursday at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. The spotlight will be on 14 young designers.

With upcycling in mind, casting for the “Doll Me Up” fashion show began in January, with seven youths (ages 10 to 13) and seven adult designers chosen to present creations crafted from apparel and fabric donated to Goodwill.

“I had so much press with ‘Project Runway,’ it was time for me to use my celebrity to help promote young designers,” said Zamora, who put in numerous hours meeting with the young designers, accompanying them on their Goodwill shopping expeditions and sharing his technical expertise with them in executing their designs.

“It was amazing to see the creativity they have. It reminded me of when I was in school and you have those bursts of creativity because you’re not blocked by business needs, you’re not blocked by people telling you what to do.

“I think some of the 10-year-old girls are doing much more than I was at their age, because they’re making full dresses,” he said.

The younger students are from Sewciety Hawaii sewing school, while the adult designers are recent graduates or current students of the University of Hawaii-Manoa and Honolulu Community College fashion programs. Following the show, Zamora will give out a scholarship to the designer in each age group he feels has the most industry potential in the years to come. Prizes are $1,200 for a student 18 or older and $300 to a student under 18, from The Kini Zamora Fashion Fund sponsored by Goodwill Hawaii.

The child designers are Kierra Akima, Keala Baclayon, Keanuenue Desoto, Ella Laird, Aubrey Lock, Skye Nagata and Kelly Oshita. The adults are Matt Batulayan, Krystal Ann Cabo, Mitch Johns, Von Kaanaana, Charmaine Claire Viernes, Edmar Villa and Kaycee Yoshioka.

The fashion show is the kickoff for a three-day Glam! sale of Goodwill apparel, jewelry and accessories to raise funds for the organization’s community programs. VIP guests will also enjoy a dinner focusing on locally sourced ingredients, prepared by Bloomingdale’s 40 Carrots executive chef Jon Matsubara.

With his experience on “Project Runway” and “Project Runway All Stars” as the template, Zamora stepped into the Tim Gunn-style mentoring role by having the students present their ideas to him in sketches. Then he took them as groups and individuals on shopping expeditions to Goodwill. Zamora required them to source 80 to 85 percent of their materials from Goodwill stores, which are stocked with public donations of gently worn to vintage clothing.

The students’ concepts often changed based on their finds, and Zamora said he was relieved halfway through the project to see the youngest designers had nearly finished their single designs with no major difficulties.

It was another story for the adults, who had to produce three-piece collections. Some found there wasn’t as much fabric as they anticipated when they cut open their garments. Others were stressed by the tight deadline and pressure in facing a large audience filled with unfamiliar faces.

Zamora was able to provide honest feedback and positive reinforcement. “It was a lot of pressure for me, too, because I want to make sure everyone puts on a good show.”

From there it was back to Goodwill for styling details, picking out the accessories, handbags, jewelry and footwear that would complete their looks.

The students’ enthusiasm reminded Zamora that creativity sometimes requires stepping back from the daily grind.

“It’s important to let go of limitations. There are some things I want to create that I don’t because they don’t necessarily belong in a regular collection, but why not do it for fun?”