For our Summer 2014 collection, we’re taking it back to the early to mid-1900’s, from the annexation of Hawaii to our admittance into statehood and beyond. The overall theme is “Perception,” and with that we focus on the tourism boom in Hawaii and the perception of outsiders looking in vs. the insiders looking out. The hula shows, tiki bars, wahine in grass skirts, and everything in between — there was a grand perception of Hawaii that wasn’t necessarily matched from the inside.
The entire collection revolves around three patterns: Maiʻa, Vanquish, and Kālā Pepa, with all three relating to either an outside or inside perception of Hawaii during this time period. Please stay tuned as we bring you pieces of our Summer "Perception" collection over the coming weeks.
MAIʻA
A bright floral pattern that embodies the look of the classic aloha shirts found at Dukeʻs Lane, the popular open market spot where tourists would go to find loud and cheap aloha shirts. It acts as a representation of the outside perception of Hawaii in the mid 1900’s, being a bright and colorful tourist attraction.
VANQUISH
This pattern is an amalgamation of Hawaiiʻs lost native birds. All the extinct birds seen on this pattern have been vanquished due to invasive plants and animals after foreign assimilation. From an inside perspective, Hawaiians see the ruins of a once thriving ecosystem.
KĀLĀ PEPA
A collage of early Hawaiian bank notes that used to be in circulation, representing the basic principle: cash rules everything around us. Before paper money, Hawaiians mostly bartered with sandalwood and handmade crafts and tools. Monetary value was not placed on things until the western world influenced the printing of bank notes. Thus spawned the root of all evil: money.
