Photo: @jasonjko
Model: @chrisrockemwell
Aloha kākou!
We continue the narrative of our Observation Collection with a second delivery this Saturday, exclusively in-store and online.
For the inspiration behind this collection, we look to our Hawaiian ancestors, who sparked innovation and change by being makaʻala (aware) and observing all things around them, then transforming that observation into constructive solutions.
The Ahupuaʻa system, for instance, was a brilliant solution to the growing population and the need to sustain the community. They observed the land and organized the communities in a way that followed the slope of the land and resources were perfectly utilized. Everyone within their ahupuaʻa had a duty to fulfill, became masters of their skillset, and always practiced aloha and laulima (cooperation).
A more detailed example is undoubtedly the brilliant wayfinding navigational skills that brought our ancestors to Hawaiʻi and throughout Polynesia. The original voyagers observed birds that migrated away for long periods of time and came back every year, concluding there must be more land out there. Watching other species of birds helped them understand when land was near or which trees were perfect for carving into canoes. They studied the waʻa kaukahi (single-hull canoes) and learned that making a unique modification would help withstand a longer journey, resulting in waʻa kaulua (double-hull canoes). And most importantly, they observed the stars, ocean tides, and the earth’s rotation, giving them a measure of time, seasons, and direction.
Throughout the Observation Collection, three brand new patterns are utilized, each stemming from natural elements that provide daily life, as well as the tools our ancestors used through applied observation:
ELEMENT EARTH FIRE / EEF: Flowing strokes of warm colors mimic fire bellowing in the air, and the movement of the earth underneath.
ELEMENT WATER SKY / EWS: The cool wavy colors are inspired by the ocean’s currents and the movement of clouds through the sky.
ELEMENT PLANTS TREES / EPT: Shades of green intersect and cut through each other like wind-rustled leaves and tree canopies swaying in the wind.
We’re also showcasing brand-new and updated cut and sew pieces for this collection—utilizing premium materials in our own custom-tailored—with special attention paid to the technical construction, placing them within the highly stringent standards of our TropTech line.
Kamehameha 9FIFTY Snapback
Featuring unique construction, this Kamehameha snapback offers a two-layered design, with light pink cotton forming the base and black cotton mesh layered over it. It also features white front and side embroideries, as well as a white snap enclosure, while the inner sweatband is light pink and the back crest is stitched in light pink and white.
ASD Block 9TWENTY Curved Visor Strapback
We’re also releasing a light pink strapback featuring a small ASD Block embroidery on the front in white, along with a white New Era logo and white crest on the back.
Basin Premium Tee – White
This is our first Basin tee since our Tradewinds collection, utilizing the same premium construction as before, but with a few slight adjustments. Still built under our TropTech label due to its technical activewear properties, this silhouette also retains its signature large trilock gusset on the back and small trilock gussets on the sides, this time in the same color as the body, as well as the ASD tag stitched into the yoke and contrast-stitched trilock label on the back collar. New this time around is a Tyvek care label on the inside bottom left of the wearer’s front, and a straight bottom hem all the way around.
Chiseled Tee – Black
A new logo tee for this collection has been designed, with the name Fitted written in a custom chiseled font, inspired by the koʻi (adze), which ancient Hawaiians would use to carve canoes out of large trees. Under the crown on the back, there are 30 phases of the moon along with the words "360/365," which are a nod to the old Hawaiian lunar calendar—30 days in a month, 12 months in a year—versus the modern calendar we use today (360 versus 365).
