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: Kaimiloa Yoshida
AKA: Imi, Imi Yo, Eemz
Title/Position: Title? #SOTY. Position? Shop-Rat-Turned-Shop-Girl.
Favorite place in Hawaii? Punaluʻu, Kaʻu, Hawaiʻi
One thing you can't live without? Laughter
What are you doing when you aren't working? Homework. Reading. Sleeping. Running the line.
Favorite FITTED hat? Teal Thai Batik Tori Richards X FITTED Hawaii Snapback
What inspires you? The creative energy of others
ĀPAʻA PRIDE SNAPBACK
By Kaimiloa Yoshida
This hat is for my Uncle “B,” Uncle Don, Uncle Roland, and cousin Jesse, my Uncle Tony, Uncle Pat and my most favorite person in the world, my Mama. I miss you and love you.
One hānau. In literal translation it means birthing sands, or one’s birthplace. Metaphorically speaking, it’s the piko or connection to this world. One’s birthplace isn’t necessarily where someone is born physically but more where they come from, from a cultural aspect or from a community where they feel at home. Many people who’ve met me think that I’m from Puna. I could argue that although I may have lived there all my life, I don’t have roots there. No family other than my immediate. No true connection aside from the acre lot I live on. My sense of community comes from Kaʻu where my dad grew up and my sense of my culture came from Kauaʻi where my mom grew up.
My dad and his siblings grew up very country. Anything from hunting to surfing, my dad did and enjoyed. Pahala, a small, once close-knit town in Kaʻu was the community that I called home. Growing up in Pahala I became a country girl who sleeps better without streetlights and always had a pet goat growing up. The earliest memory that I can recall was me around the age of 3 or 4 being with my dad in Kaʻu at a chicken fight. And yes, my mom allowed it! Everyone knew everyone in Pahala. Going to the post office or to Mizuno store, I’d always run into someone who’d ask, “Ho, you Jay’s daughter?!” or how my “faddah,” “maddah,” “grandfaddah,” “grandmaddah,” “braddah,” or “sistah” was doing. Just having the Yoshida last name, people knew who my dad was, who my uncles were and I would always get asked if I was related to some other Yoshida that I probably wasn’t related to but I would ask my dad about them anyway. And no, I have no relation to the Yoshida Sauce guy.
My sense of culture comes from Makaweli and Hanapēpē on Kauaʻi. My papa’s side comes from a line of kalo farmers and salt harvesters. My mama’s side emigrated from the Philippines to work in the sugar plantation. Growing up my mom instilled a strong sense of culture in me. She guided me to appreciate being Hawaiian whether it is embracing the language or understanding the significance to my name. She made sure I knew that even though I’m Hawaiian by blood, I’m also Hawaiian in mind and spirit. My mom also made sure I appreciated my other ethnicities. Being married to a Japanese it was essential that you were early to mochi-pounding days and you never stuck your hashi in your rice. She never let us forget to put black beans in our ozoni during New Years. Growing up with Filipino grandparents she has a palette for just about anything. Literally. From tripe to fish head soup to chicken feet she will just about try anything and everything! Side story: my mom is a teacher and at the beginning of every year she would tell her students that she would give extra credit to anyone who brought her something she’d never eaten before (which you had to figure out on your own), or anyone who brought pig, cow, or goat parts (yes, parts!). My palette isn’t as crazy as hers but she made sure Filipino food was in my top 3 favorite ethnic foods and I shouldn’t be ashamed to say that pig intestines—deep fried of course—is one of my favorite foods ever.
Āpaʻa is a term used to describe the wao ʻilima or a section of an ahupuaʻa a little inland from the shore. It can also be used to describe the land one has lived on for a very long time. This H Pride is for my roots, my piko. The woodland camo crown represents my country-raised foundation, giving respect to my family who shaped me into the person I am today. I’m proud of my foundation, and where I come from. The front logo and top button are purple for a simple reason: it’s my favorite color. You can ask anyone who knows me well; purple is the best color ever. The all-black visor, snap enclosure, side New Era logo, back FITTED crest, and eyelets help add subtle character while accentuating the purple and woodland camo.
Accompanying Imi’s Āpaʻa H Pride snapback on Saturday is our new Endless design printed in green on a heather grey tee. It features an aliʻi illustration on the back, surrounded by our Nihi logo, the words FITTED HAWAII, and a saying in both English and Hawaiian: “Endless is the good that I have given you to enjoy.” The design is also featured as a small left chest print on the front.
