Our Black Friday event starts on Thursday, November 28 at midnight HST.
See detailed in-store/online release info after the moʻolelo.
Video: @kashakamu
Model: @olapakauwila.wilz
Aloha kākou!
The event we look forward to every year is back tomorrow night at midnight! And weʻre bringing you a big release to celebrate, headlined by our most premium and technical product to date. A bevy of supporting FITSTRIKES and tees are dropping alongside it, all tying back to the central theme, which Ola explains in detail below. Along with the new releases, we also have the annex across from us filled with amazing deals, showcasing $15 hats and $10 tees! Come join us tomorrow for great food and entertainment all through the night as we celebrate our 14th Black Friday event!
Moʻolelo by Ola:
“I conversate with many men, it's time to begin again
Forgot what I already knew, ayo, you hear me friend?
Illuminati want my mind, soul and my body
Secret society, trying to keep they eye on me
But I'ma stay incogni', in places they can't find me
Make my moves strategically, the G.O.D.
It's sorta similar but iller than a chess player
I use my thinker, it coincides with my blinker.”
The Track Masters-produced “I Shot Ya” remix featuring Foxy Brown, Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe and LL Cool J, personally, had some of the stingiest bars during the filthy east coast/west coast showdown in the mid-‘90s. One of the most iconic, verse two, was written and performed by one half of cult classic, Mobb Deep. The line “secret society, trying to keep an eye on me” strikes as the most supreme foreshadowing. At the core, we're presented with what seemed to be a bitter rivalry between the most visible bookends of American culture. Was it really a bitter rivalry, or just a misunderstanding consuming relentless bystanders? Whether you held down a west or east representative, one thing is certain, no one really won. In fact, we ended up getting robbed of years of musical fulfillment by two of the greatest culture creators of the modern era.
So what does any of this have to do with FITTED 2019 Black Friday collection you may ask? Well, everything! Since day one, we honored our past with color, moʻolelo, and imagery, all living on as expressions in the form of gear! Mahiole (Feather helmet, helmet; to wear a helmet.) and ʻAhu ʻUla (ʻAhu, a garment, and ʻUla, red) are markers of its wearer status, authority, and spiritual connectedness. This often plays a major role in the expression of power, as the mid-‘90s left behind its grimy, hustling, backpacker past, and made room for a more expressive “you can hate me now” bling era. We find similarities between diamonds and gold in ʻŌʻō, Mamo, ʻApapane and all Hulu Manu that were highly prized by our ancestors.
Various colored feathers were prized more than others. Since red was associated with gods and chiefs, red feathers were reserved for religious objects and garments worn by high-ranking members of society. The red-feathered ʻIʻiwi and ʻApapane birds are small but plentiful, and feathered capes made for the elite actually came to be known as ʻahu ʻula, meaning “red garment.” The name did not change even after Hawaiian artists began including yellow feathers alongside the red. Rarer than red feathers in Hawaii, the golden feathers of the ʻŌʻō and Mamo were highly prized. If you've been following us throughout the years, we shared a few facts about these ʻahu ʻula. For instance, one could see Kamehameha’s ʻahu ʻula as a gorgeous, flush yellow piece of art, standing as tall and significant as a pillar of a building. These all yellow ʻahu ʻula were called “Alaneo,” and possibly consisted of 80,000 Mamo feathers, yet hidden beneath this labored work was a layer of red hulu. This was meant to make sure only a red color similar to koko (blood) touched the skin, so we have been told. Kia manu, kapiʻo manu (bird catchers) and the manu themselves are the unsung heroes, so to speak. Because the task of collecting thousands of feathers is arduous, it supports the comparison of being the gold and diamonds of Polynesia.
Lastly, our inspiration finds a home this season in the many FITSTRIKES inspired by these hulu manu. ʻAkilaloa, ʻApapane, ʻŌʻō, Mamo, Pueo and ʻIʻiwi make up these ancient markers of rank and status. As we turn the corner on 14 and head into the 15th year of business, we decided to start out the year-long journey by “crowning” our loyal supporters and ʻohana with a very limited Mahiole papale. The high broad crest, a design nod to the island of Kauai and King Kaumualiʻi, the Mahiole offers physical and spiritual protection to the wearer.
IN-STORE ONLY:
MAHIOLE 59FIFTY
CONSEQUENTIAL HOODIES & LONG-SLEEVE TEE
PUEO TEE
ORNITHOLOGY TEE
ʻŌʻŌ TEE
THE FLOCK TEE
ʻAKIALOA TEE
ONLINE ONLY:
ORNITHOLOGY TEE
THE FLOCK TEE
ʻAKIALOA TEE
IN-STORE & ONLINE:
ʻAPAPANE I MUA 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
ʻAPAPANE II MUA 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
ʻAKIALOA MUA 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
ʻŌʻŪ KAMEHAMEHA 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
ʻŌʻŌ NIHI 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
PUEO BRIGANTE 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
ʻIʻIWI VANGUARD 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
SLAPS WIND 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
SLAPS WIND 9TWENTY CURVED VISOR STRAPBACK
BLACK FRIDAY 2019 / KA WELA O KA UA