Photo: @jasonjko
Model: @chrisrockemwell
Aloha kākou!
We continue the narrative of our Observation Collection with the next 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.
BRIGANTE 9FIFTY SNAPBACK
This new Brigante snapback features dual-layered construction with black cotton mesh over an olive base. The front logo is stitched in assorted colors, while the side logos are orange and the back crest is orange and white. The top button and inner sweatband are also orange, tying nicely to the EEF (Element Earth Fire) pattern on the undervisor. A white snap enclosure finishes the look.
CHISELED SCREE JERSEY – OLIVE
We’re bringing out a new olive color for our Scree jersey, a completely brand-new silhouette introduced under our TropTech cut and sew program. The body is a premium breathable mesh henley with a two-button collar, sporting a Hawaiian flag patch on the wearer’s right sleeve and a Tyvek care label is sewn into the back collar. The large stitched number 4 on the back is a nod to the traditional Hawaiian system of counting, in which they counted in multiples of four. “Fitted” is embroidered in white on the wearer’s left chest in a custom chiseled font, inspired by the way our ancestors used a koʻi (adze) to carve out the hulls of the canoes.
BASIN PREMIUM TEE – ORANGE
Our premium Basin tee arrives in orange, utilizing the same premium construction as past seasons, but with a few slight enhancements. 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.
SYSTEM PERFECTION CREST TEE – BLACK
This seasonal design features an illustration of a traditional ahupuaʻa filled within our crest logo. A crown is printed on the back, with 30 phases of the moon and the words "360/365" underneath, 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).
CHISELED TEE – NAVY
A new logo tee specially made for this collection 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. It also features the same design on the back as the System Perfection Crest tee above.
