As spring/summer previews roll out in the world’s fashion capitals, Hawaii designer and “Project Runway” star Kini Zamora’s latest collection reveals a look both fashion-forward and retro.

The striking silhouettes — a wasp-waisted gown, floaty minifrock and long skirt — blend the contemporary and the Victorian, enhanced in a photo shoot by a backdrop of stately Iolani Palace.

At first glance, his fabric choice appears to be a black-and-white Glen plaid, but wait: Is that palaka?

“Yes. Palaka was Hawaii’s denim, and I was, quote/unquote, ‘the denim person’ on ‘Project Runway,’” said Zamora by phone, while sewing at his machine in his Halawa studio. “When I was pulling in inspiration for this collection, everybody was wanting to see denim again.”

Although he used blue denim for some jackets, shirts and jeans, Zamora said he primarily chose palaka because it evokes Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the era that informs his new collection, which will debut in a fashion show at Iolani Palace on Oct. 21.

The palace is the perfect location, he said, because his focus is on indigenous and immigrant culture in America.

“Of course, Hawaii is No. 1 on my list, and then I pulled from Native American and Asian culture, the farming that happened here, the cultures that helped build America.”

In addition, he wanted to make his mainland and international customers aware of the beauty of Iolani Palace and to honor Hawaii’s last queen.

“I know everybody goes with color in spring/summer, but I use only black and white for the collection because that was all Queen Liliuokalani wore after the overthrow.”

What the queen didn’t wear, but might have appreciated, were spandex and a locally printed fabric, designed by Zamora and graphic artist Alex Propios, that warps the print’s dimensions and follows the body’s curves.

“We can shape women’s waists, so the palaka doesn’t make them look wide,” he said.

There are touches of color: dangling yellow and red fringed earrings that resemble feathers, and the sky blue of a belted denim coat that one can imagine, with the long, subtly pleated palaka skirt, being worn while on horseback in the Great Plains.

The men’s line is more casual, for Hawaii guys.

“All they wear is board shorts and T-shirts. Then they want to wear an aloha shirt to dress up,” Zamora said.

Showing fitted jeans in dark-painted denim and a long-sleeved shirt with an attached scarf, the designer said he wants “to make Kini Zamora guys more trendy, hip and fashion forward — slowly, in a way that’s comfortable.”

Long, baggy palaka shorts reference now-outdated long board shorts. Zamora’s surfer father and brothers said that below-the-knee shorts got in the way of popping up on a surfboard but that they still like the style.

Zamora first gained attention in 2014 when he finished third on Season 13 of “Project Runway.” He returned for “Project Runway All Stars” in 2016, finishing in second place.

His upcoming show, “Kini Zamora at the Palace,” also will showcase fashions by Hinano, Keanuenue Desoto and Manuhealii. All proceeds will go to the Alii Garment Reproduction Project of The Friends of Iolani Palace.