Aloha kākou!
For our Spring 2016 collection, rather than look elsewhere for inspiration, we chose to turn our attention to those closest to us—our FITTED ‘ohana. This season, we’re getting up close and personal with our “hui” (Hawaiian for club or company), as we allowed each of our team members to dream up two hats, each utilizing their choice of silhouette (59FIFTY fitted or 9FIFTY snapback), front logo, color-blocking, and materials—resulting in unique pieces that hold special value to the team members that created them. A few of our stockists on the Mainland will release their own store exclusives in the near future as well. Please note that all hats in this collection were produced in limited quantities.
Each piece has a special story behind it, and what better way to hear those stories than from the creators themselves? Every release will be authored by the team member responsible for that design, for an even more personal touch. This Spring season, we hope to share a little more about our hui with you.
Name: Jose Caban III
AKA: JC
Title/Position: Wholesale/Warehouse Assistant
Favorite place in Hawaii? Ewa Beach
One thing you can't live without? Skateboard/Family
What are you doing when you aren't working? Skating or spending time with family/friends
Favorite FITTED hat? Hoʻomālama Mua
What inspires you? Everyone and everything
HOʻOHANO MUA SNAPBACK
By Jose Caban III
I was born and raised in Ewa Beach, Oʻahu. Being an Ewa Beach native, I take pride in my passion, culture and where I come from. Basically it has shaped me to be the man that I am today. For several generations now, my family has lived in Ewa Beach and has attended at James Campbell high school. I call this place my home, and as a proud alumni I’m glad I got to spend four amazing and unforgettable years there—even more so knowing that my family attended the same school as well.
Bold black and orange are the iconic colors of our prestigious Saber, which provided the inspiration for my second hat. I know people have probably heard that Campbell High School (or Ewa Beach in general) was once known for being a rural, blighted area where multiple fights a day was a common occurrence and our education system was poor. But over the years, this school has been refined into one of the most driven schools on the island, accelerating in academics as well as sports—even making history last year by taking home the State Championship in softball and baseball.
I've met so many great people, shared the most unforgettable memories with them, and it has been the starting point for my passion in skateboarding. With that being said, there’s nothing more I could ever be thankful for in my life. Since I was 12 years old I started skating on Campbell’s campus and street skating in Ewa Beach just about every day to pursue my love for skateboarding. My tenure at Campbell has been a long journey but it was all worth it in the end when I finally got to use my cap and gown this past year, receiving my diploma and looking up in the stands at Aloha Stadium seeing my ʻohana who was so proud of me, and who supported me throughout my highest and lowest points in my life.
I named the hat “Hoʻohano” which means “to honor” in Hawaiian, honoring the years I spent at Campbell High School. The base of the hat is black, including the snap enclosure, while the top visor stitching, undervisor, back crest, and top button are orange to represent the iconic school colors. The front Mua is stitched in shades of orange along with gold and brown, while the eyelets are stitched in white and the New Era logo is stitched in tonal black.
Along with the Hoʻohano Mua snapback, we’ll also be releasing our Hui design on a standard tee and long-sleeve tee, both in heather grey. The back features a large seal containing a handshake graphic and the words “Hawaiian Made” and “Registered” in the middle. The outer ring features the phrase “Ka Hui Ana O Na Mana” which roughly translates to “The Coalition of Forces” in Hawaiian, playing off the central theme of our Hui collection and the notion that we become stronger when we come together.
