Aloha kākou!
Tuesday’s FITSTRIKE release includes a new Slaps Wind 59FIFTY and Nihi snapback, along with a new colorway for our Islanders tee and a brand new version of our Endangered Species tee.
The Slaps Wind keeps it real clean with a full tonal grey make up, while the Nihi shows up with sleek metallic black pearl embroidery on an olive 100% nylon base, and also features black eyelets, top button, and snap enclosure. The Islanders tee brings back the beloved woodland camouflage fill with white outline, and adds a pop of yellow around it.
The newly revamped Endangered Species tee requires a deeper and thought-out moʻolelo, as told by Ola:
The ideology behind this tee provokes an interesting discussion, which we think often leads to a systemic inferiority complex. Allow me break it down—the difference between “pre-“ and “post-contact” as we know it today requires an understanding of the “pre-contact” version of Hawaiʻi. “Pre-” by all accounts reflects a utopian-esque society, free of most modern diseases and free of monetary precedence—or to better sum it up, a “want” vs. “need” mindset that often clouds a clear view of goodwill, the idea of giving without the anticipation of receiving (come to my house and I’ll feed you first, even if it’s my last bowl of luau stew). The graph displayed on the front of the tee depicts the timeline dating from pre-contact to post-contact, with yellow representing the native Hawaiian population and reflective black representing foreign population increasing over time. The decline of native Hawaiian population came sharp after the first contact with the outside world in 1778, with diseases such as small pox, cholera, and the flue introduced with horrendous results. Equivalent to a bubble filled with pure and pristine water as the utopian-esque society, and a sudden breach in the bubble causing a vacuum of toxins to seep in. The toll it took was evident, with future generations changed forever. But we must remain resilient in the face of imminent change, and we must prove to our ancestors that we can handle this challenge. Protect all of our resources, because they are not for us. They are for the future generations to enjoy all the good we have been blessed with.
