Releasing exclusively in-store and online this Saturday, December 21 at 11am HST.
Aloha kākou!
Moʻolelo by Ola:
Living here in these islands we have a term “Coconut Wireless” when referencing how fast positive or negative information travels. One day I asked my cousin on Molokaʻi if he could send me some deer backstraps. My plan was to make a hearty stew, working within that “use what get” framework we all know so well. His response is classic: "Brah, why you like deer? We get so much deer meat, we sick of eating deer! They walk right up to the back porch! Easy I plug for you." True to his word, he rolls up a week later with a cooler packed full of vacuum-sealed venison, ready to share with the whole crew.
What hit me wasn’t just his willingness to share; it was this example of how, in some parts of our islands, abundance can look different. The deer population on Moloka‘i, Lana‘i and Maui has surged, to the point that access to this protein is easy—but the costs to our environment and the balance of resources are real. It got me thinking: how can we feed everyone here in a way that works for our islands and future generations?
When I looked deeper, I saw the contrast: our ancestors maintained a balance through careful stewardship of resources and water management, creating a robust food system for themselves. Today, we live on a different scale, with over 1 million people on O‘ahu alone, plus modern-day logistical barriers. It’s something to reflect on, especially when we remember that Hawai‘i, pre-contact, may have supported a population of up to a million people.
The story of the axis deer in Hawai‘i reflects this shift in island balance. They first arrived as a gift to King Kamehameha V from Hong Kong in 1867 and multiplied rapidly. By the 1880s, they had already established significant populations on Moloka‘i and soon spread to other islands, including Maui, and Lana‘i. Today, populations are estimated to reach between 50,000-70,000 on Moloka‘i and another 50,000-60,000 on Maui. The deer are prolific breeders, and without natural predators, they’ve become a serious ecological challenge, devastating forests and agricultural land.
In other states, there are programs that manage overpopulated game animals as a sustainable food source. For example, Pennsylvania has "Hunters Sharing the Harvest," a public-private partnership where hunters can donate their harvest to a network of processors, who turn it into venison for local food banks. In Hawai‘i, although we lack the infrastructure and resources to establish a similar system, Maui venison to a larger organized aspect has a system providing an option for balancing the deer population. The demand and opportunity are here, especially with axis deer: it’s leaner, less gamey, and taste better than other venison.
So, as we look to this season, the 2024 Winter Collection is about taking these insights—balance, abundance, and adaptability—and layering them into our designs. Just like the “use what get” spirit, it’s about creating pieces that work well in our environment, respectʻs our resources, and last for the long haul.
In 2016, our fascination with the idea of purposely designed garments led us to launch Troptech™, a capsule series that explored layering for our island climate. These pieces—Basin™, Highpoint™, Peak™, Prominence™, Plateau™, and the unstructured New Era® reflective cap—each addressed layering for the varied needs of the islands. While COVID paused things, the concept stayed alive, and three items rose to the top as centerpieces for this EVSV release: The Kamahele™ Pack, Treeline™ Workshirt, and Dune™ Short.
H PRIDE PROVISION SNAPBACK - SILVER TECH MESH / BLUE
- 100% polyester
- Silver tech mesh / blue
- White snap
MUA NEW ERA 9FORTY A-FRAME SNAPBACK – BLACK
- 100% polyester
MUA NEW ERA GOLFER SNAPBACK – BLACK
- 100% cotton
TROPTECH PROVISION 5-PANEL UNSTRUCTURED SNAPBACK – BLACK, GRAY, BLUE, OR PURPLE
- 420 denier, 100% nylon, urethane coated
- Reflective Troptech core logo label
- Rear direct embroidered “Tropics" label
TROPTECH TREELINE LONG SLEEVE – EVSV OR BLACK
- 100% polyester
- Athletic knit
- Reflective print and embellishment
- Standard fit
- Small–3XL
TROPTECH DUNE PREMIUM TECH SHORT - EVSV OR MOW BLUE
- 100% nylon
- Small–3XL
KAMAHELE 3-DAY PACK - GRAPHITE / MUD
- 1000 denier oxford nylon upper
- Mud tarpeline lower
- Trilock back padding hidden pocket
- All-purpose lower attachment straps
- Molle attachement
- YKK zippers
- 3M MIL-SPEC paracord
- Duraflex buckles
- 7 pockets
- 30L day pack
