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: Chris Fujimori
AKA: Fuj, @cfujifilms, FYF
Title/Position: Lifestyle Photographer
Favorite place in Hawaii? Everywhere. There’s no place like home.
One thing you can't live without? My camera.
What are you doing when you aren't working? Traveling, watching movies, drinking.
Favorite FITTED hat? Anything Kamehameha.
What inspires you? Anything and everything.
KAULELE MUA SNAPBACK
By Chris Fujimori
First of all, mahalo to those of you that read my first story! I talked about my past with FITTED, how it shaped me into who I am today, and how it was the inspiration behind the conception of my first hat. This next hat is geared toward the future, and the adventures in store. In the past year, I have been extremely fortunate to land a job as a flight attendant for Hawaiian Airlines. I had never thought about becoming a flight attendant before, but if it wasn’t for JG telling me to apply the day that the hiring process started, my life would have been very different. This job has given me an opportunity like no other—the chance to see the world, and as a photographer, it gives me a chance to capture it in my own perspective.
Now I know what you’re thinking, Kamehameha graduate = Hawaiian Airlines employee huh? Pretty much. Except I think there’s more to it than that. I’d like to think that in life, timing is everything. It has the ability to transform bad times into incredible opportunities. As I was starting my inflight training at Hawaiian, I took a leave of absence from my current job at the Aliʻi Kai Catamaran, where I had worked for six years. Then, midway through training, due to Coast Guard issues, the boat shut down and laid off all of its employees, as you may have seen in the news. Thankfully, most of my coworkers had secondary jobs and were only working there part-time, except for me. How crazy was it that I got hired when I did?! Like I said, timing is everything. Now, as I look back to a year ago, I realize what a blessing it’s been to have landed this job. I have just started my career here and have already been to such amazing places as New York, Sydney, Brisbane, Tokyo, and Beijing. Working at Hawaiian has also allowed me to be a frequent visitor to one of my most favorite places, Disneyland. I can only imagine what amazing adventures and destinations my future holds.
I’ve dubbed this hat “Kaulele” which means “to take flight,” referencing the start of an incredible journey at my new job. Starting with a black base, the Mua consists of purple, pink, orange, grey, and white—inspired by the Hawaiian Airlines logo. The lime green side New Era logo, pink back crest, and white eyelets take inspiration from the famed Pualani snapback that previously released directly through Hawaiian Airlines. A white snap enclosure around back finishes off the look. It’s also quite fitting that my hats drop on March 5th and 8th, because it marks the dates that I was invited to become a flight attendant at Hawaiian. Like I said, timing is everything.
Releasing alongside the Kaulele Mua is our new Greetings tee and tank top, both in heather grey. The design is based on the idyllic Hawaiian postcard, flipping it on its end. It features a scene from the movie “North Shore” as the postcard photo, with the words “Greetings from the North Shore” written on it. This is a tongue-in-cheek play on the “greeting” Rick receives from the local boys who regulate the breaks up north in the movie. In real life, the pride and respect on the north shore is second to none, and it’s all about earning your keep. The back features a crown seal and “Bumbai you learn,” reminding everyone that both respect and knowledge come in due time.
