You could make a kilt from a more substantial fabric, but sew in strips of tropical pattern cloth such that they'd "flash" when the pleats opened.
Here's a picture of such a kilt that I made for Bethany Owen, one of the throwers here in Northern California. She has fabric with flames inside her pleats...yours would be Hawaiian print.
West Imboden, one of the throwers from southern California also has a kilt like this.
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