FLUX No. 13 Fashion

THE fashion ISSUE

Radiant South:

Ari Southiphong Comes Into Her Own

The Aloha Zen of Lynne Hanzawa O’Neill

Alohawear, Then and Now

Radiant South | 28

A whirlwind of reality entertainment and global clothing distribution, Ariyaphon Southiphong is only now just getting comfortable with what it means to be young, free and ambitious in Hawai‘i. Writer Sonny Ganaden explores how her line Andy South is changing an industry.

Behind the Scene S | 34

Keith Kandell is one of the most innovative fashion videographers that you will never see in front of the lens. Writer Jeff Mull tells the story of how one chance encounter would change the Honolulu-born filmmaker forever. With photography by Aaron Van Bokhoven.

a loha Zen | 40

Lynne Hanzawa O’Neill has been at the helm of fashion shows and events for more than 30 years, where her philosophy of aloha zen has made her an industry staple. By Lisa Yamada, with photography courtesy of Gerardo Somoza.

looking i nwa R d | 44

A portrait essay by John Hook of those with unmistakable style and an even greater sense of who they are.

a lohawea R Mean S h ello | 50

Born and bred in the islands, alohawear has come to define fashion in Hawai‘i, although it has, over the years, been relegated to those of a past generation. Here, writer Anna Harmon delves into the history of the island staple and uncovers four brands that are defining its future.

d R ea M ing o F the new a loha | 58

A modern take on aloha-inspired wear featuring pieces by local and national designers. Photographed by John Hook and styled by Aly Ishikuni and Ara Laylo, A+A.

edito R’S lette R

M a Sthead

cont R i B uto RS

lette RS to the edito R

what the F lu X?! | 16

SKATEBOARDING AS HIGH FASHION?

looking B ack | 18 HAWAIIAN BRACELETS

FLUXFILES : de S ign | 20 MAKKURO MAKKURO

FLUXFILES : de S ign | 24

S.TORY STANDARDS

in F lu X

SPECIAL FASHION SECTION | 68

a + a on t R end | 72 SUNGLASSES

F ood | 74

HONOLULU BREADSHOP

PAIRINGS AT WAI‘OLU OCEAN VIEW LOUNGE | 76

Face S | 78

JEN KAHUANUI, MOJO BARBERSHOP

V iew F inde R | 80

Sous-vide duck breast, cherry gastrique & braised kale

Bruschetta of eggplant confit, herb goat cheese & basil aioli

ON THE COVER

Model Gabriela Pelletier wears a modern take on alohawear by designer Jeffrey Yoshida for our “Dreaming of the New Aloha” fashion editorial shot by John Hook and styled by Aly Ishikuni and Ara Laylo. Yoshida designs alohawear, evening and bridal on an order-only basis. To schedule a consultation, contact the designer at jeffreyyoshida@gmail.com or call 808-342-2039.

Reyn Tags

Emphasizing a high level of construction and a meticulous attention to detail, these labels were originally tagged onto every Reyn Spooner shirt. See more archived images from Reyn Spooner online at fluxhawaii.com.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH JOHN HOOK

Go behind the scenes with photographer John Hook to see what comprises his life as a magazine photographer. Get insider looks on what it takes to make fashion editorials come to life, or what inspires him and goes on inside that kooky, genius brain of his.

For private events and bottle service contact: info@bambutwo.com bambuTwo 1144 Bethel Street www.bambutwo.com Monday - Saturday 4:00 pm to 2:00 am

The story of fashion in Hawai‘i is really the story of aloha in Hawai‘i. In its simplest form, aloha is used to welcome and bid farewell; to express love; and paired with the right word, to greet morning, noon or evening. But an early lesson taught to children by ancient Hawaiians presents aloha as much more complex, used to define one’s place in the world, and essentially, a code to live by:

Aloha is being a part of all, and all being a part of me. When there is pain – it is my pain. When there is joy – it is also mine. I respect all that is as part of the Creator and part of me. I will not willfully harm anyone or anything. When food is needed I will take only my need and explain why it is being taken. The earth, the sky, the sea are mine to care for, to cherish and to protect. This is Hawaiian – this is Aloha!

According to kahuna David Bray, living with the aloha spirit is to realize one’s breath and body and to live in harmony with one’s self before being able to spread that love out to others. The spirit of aloha was even written into state law in 1986 as “The Aloha Spirit Law.” The aloha behind this code of conduct is defined as such in the following unuhi laulā loa, or free translation:

“Akahai,” meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness; “Lokahi,” meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;

“Oluolu,” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness; “Haahaa,” meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty; “Ahonui,” meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

This spirit of aloha radiates out from each and every one of us, from those who have spent their entire lives here to those who have more recently come to call Hawai‘i their home. Inevitably, this spirit of aloha is present in every part of our culture, despite our best efforts to mimic places worlds away or to look outside the islands to find a mold that fits.

To establish Hawai‘i as a place for fashion, we should adhere to that which makes us unique from any place else, which as it turns out, means to just be ourselves. This issue celebrates exactly that, highlighting themes of aloha, family, heritage and self-realization and focusing on individuals passionate for their crafts and dedicated to finding perfection in whatever they do. The rest of the world seems to be fascinated by what Hawai‘i has to offer. Isn’t it time that we are too?

With aloha,

Lisa Yamada Editor

SONNY GANADEN

L AWYER BY TRADE , PRINTMAKER AND WRITER BY HOBBY, S ONNY G ANADEN BRINGS FORTH UNI q UE COMMENTARY ABOUT H AWAI ‘ I , INTERMINGLING LOCAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES WITH POLITICAL COMMENTARY

He’s been published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hana Hou, Hawaii Bar Journal and Honolulu Magazine, recently completed the 2012 Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force Report, and serves as a staff attorney for Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii. He went inside the world of flowing fabric and glittering sequins to profile Ariaphon Southiphong and her growing business at her Andy South Atelier.

ANNA HARMON

A NNA H ARMON IS A H ONOLULU - BASED WRITER AND EDITOR WHO IS INSPIRED BY WHAT SHAPES OUR DAILY LIVES ON THE ISLANDS

When she’s not writing for local publications or patching up dangling modifiers as FLUX Hawaii’s copy editor, she defines the online voice of “made in Africa” footwear brand Oliberté. She’s learning to accept her penchant for wandering as a genetic trait. Anna has become increasingly intrigued by alohawear since her move to Hawai‘i from her home state of Colorado, so it’s only appropriate she be the one tell the story of its history and future in Hawai‘i in “Alohawear Means Hello.”

JOHN HOOK

J OHN H OOK DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS A “ PROFESSIONAL FUNTOGRAPHER .”

When he’s not capturing photo gold for FLUX, Hook captures magical moments with L’amour Photography and Dave Miyamoto & Company. This fall, he, his family, and several friends who are part of the Analog Sunshine Recorders traveled 3,000 miles down the Pacific Coast Highway snapping film photos along the way to create Wake Up, We’re Here, a book of images to be released later this year that’s inspired by travel and the idea that we’re really all just visitors of one place or another.

ALY ISHIKUNI

A LY I SHIKUNI IS THE CO - FOUNDER OF A RT & F LEA , WHICH WAS VOTED “H ONOLULU ’ S B EST M ONTHLY E VENT ” IN 2011 BY H ONOLULU M AGA z INE AND FEATURES VINTAGE WARES AND HANDMADE GOODS FROM MORE THAN 50 LOCAL VENDORS

The idea for Art & Flea took root when she and a few others sold off remnants of Ishikuni’s former line of deconstructed vintage mu‘umu‘mu, Mechekawa Vintage, with a garage sale-type market. The University of Hawai‘i marketing major has a unique eye for putting together looks that inspire and evoke emotion from even the most fashion-disinterested, and did so for this issue’s fashion editorial “Dreaming of the New Aloha.”

FLUX HAWAII

Jason Cutinella PUBLISHER

Lisa Yamada EDITOR

Ara Laylo CREATIVE DIRECTOR

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

John Hook

IMAGES

Keith Kandell

Jonas Maon

Gerardo Somoza

Ja Tecson

Aaron Van Bokhoven

Aaron Yoshino

CONTRIBUTORS

Beau Flemister

Sonny Ganaden

Anna Harmon

Jeff Mull

Naomi Taga

COPY EDITOR

Anna Harmon

AD DESIGNER

Joel Gaspar

COVER PHOTO

John Hook

INTERN

Matt Gonzalez

CREATIVE

Ryan Jacobie Salon

Timeless Classic Beauty

STYLIST A+A

WEB DEVELOPER

Matthew McVickar

ADVERTISING

Scott Hager Director of Marketing & Advertising scott@ FLUXhawaii.com

OPERATIONS

Joe V. Bock

Chief Operating Officer joe@ nellamediagroup.com

Gary Payne

Business Development Director gpayne@ nellamediagroup.com

Jill Miyashiro National Account Manager jmiyashiro@ nellamediagroup.com

General Inquiries: contact@ FLUXhawaii.com

Published by:

Media Group

36 N. Hotel Street, Suite A Honolulu, HI 96817

2009-2012 by Nella Media Group, LLC. Contents of FLUX Hawaii are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. FLUX Hawaii accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. FLUX Hawaii reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors and omissions and may feature same on fluxhawaii. com, as well as other mediums for any and all purposes.

FLUX Hawaii is a quarterly lifestyle publication.

Nella

Dear @supercheyne,

We W elcome a N d value you R feedback. Send letter S to the editor via email to li S a@fluxhawaii.com or mail to flux h awaii, P.o. Box 30927, h onolulu, hi 96820.

Nostalgia is relative, a sentimental longing for the past that is different from person to person and place to place. It is, in fact, a personal construct, an idealized version of the past that no one person can lay claim to, because as said before, it’s all just relative. If you had read the article that made use of the Instagram photos to which you refer, you would have discovered their reason of use was to show how our sense of nostalgia today is nothing more than an emotional (and technological) construct and that, as the writer points out, “Nostalgia is threatened because ‘vintage,’ ‘rare’ and ‘forgotten’ music, film and fashion have no place to hide in the Internet age.” He goes on to say: “This means that anything, from the most sentimental nostalgia … can be anticipated, analyzed and contextualized by coolhunters, armchair critics, comment trolls and market researchers … even if it was conceived and incubated offline. … If the future can be suffocated at birth but people adopt it anyway, what happens to the past? It becomes an obsolete medium, and just another option for filtering the present.” You would be so wise to take heed.

Dear Editor,

This is an informal note to say “thank you” for sending me FLUX. I just got through reading your Spring 2012 edition – I enjoyed the variety of stories – like Hawai‘i, a mixture of many things. The photos were superb. Again, a mixture, from your goat to the piggy, before the lovely ladies going to tea. Thank you again. Will pass along the magazine to friends.

May Oshiro

Congrats on an excellent Surf issue. The presentation and variety of articles was exceptionally well done, unlike anything I’ve ever seen regarding surfing thus far. It reminds me of my own story growing up surfing in Hawai‘i, from bodyboarding at Makapu‘u to surfing at Kaisers. Hopefully a second surf issue is in the works.

Mahalo, David Johnson

WHAT THE FLUX ?!

SKATEBOARDING AS HIGH FASHION?

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

RYAN ARAKAKI

In4mation co-founder

Years skateboarding: 26

“Skateboarding gave us the guidelines of what style is and the attitude to dress and go against the mainstream. This mentality carries over to the design process as well, and certain designs and concepts are direct references from skate culture. Skateboarders have always been ahead of the curve in terms of fashion trends; they are, in fact, the ones creating the trends. As far as In4mation goes, you will be seeing more cut and sew pieces starting from our spring 2013 line, with a full collection in fall 2013. We’re getting older and want a cleaner and mature look. Don’t get me wrong, if I was 15, I would still be rocking the “fuck you” T-shirt all day. The thing I love about a brand like Supreme is that at their core, it’s born and based out of skateboarding. Of course their exclusivity stems from the sort of rebellious attitude of skateboarding. The streetwear market is always changing. I personally feel that it’s going to be the smaller, underground, grassroots brands causing heads to turn this year. Streetwear was born out of the underground brands, and it’s coming back to basics.”

In the early 1990s, skateboarding was viewed as a nuisance, propagated by rebellious punk kids who held no esteem for, well, anything really. If you were a skateboarder, it meant you were going nowhere, relegated to becoming the likes of graffiti taggers and other degenerates of the sort.

Back then, if you told any of these kids that skate culture would come to permeate the world of high fashion, that luxury brands would soon be clamoring for their shirts and logos and hats, they’d laugh in your face and skate off. But today, celebrities, artists and musicians strut down red carpets in urban streetwear brands like Supreme and HUF; in 2011, Volcom, born out of snowboard, skate and surf culture, was bought out by PPR, the parent company of Gucci and Alexander McQueen, in a deal worth about $608 million. Local companies in Hawai‘i like In4mation, Prototype, Kicks/HI and Fitted have also gained cult-like followings and created an industry arising out of this counterculture.

IAN OKUI

Stussy Honolulu chapter manager

Years skateboarding: 27

“The way I see it, skateboarding goes against the grain from your traditional sports and is something that does not adhere to any stereotype. Skateboarders seem to find means of experimenting from whatever resources are available to them at the time and go for looks that they feel most comfortable in. Really, skateboarders are a diverse group, and with that come different looks that can branch out to almost any genre of fashion. I think it’s cool to see that a few elite brands are actually taking notes from the core market. I just hope to see more brands staying true to their roots in their pursuit of growth. Look for more of the same rad cut and sew items, knits, button-ups and outerwear from Stussy.”

Volcom , established in 1991 by Richard Woolcott and Tucker Hall, was born out of snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing culture and based on the motto “youth against establishment,” which remains its slogan today. Today, Volcom is owned by PPR, the parent company of such brands as Gucci and Alexander McQueen.

Supreme , founded by James Jebbia in 1994, opened its doors in downtown Manhattan with a crew of rebellious skaters and artists at its core. Today, its avid following scoops up limited-run offerings as soon as they’re released (a jacket made in collaboration with North Face, listed at $298, sold out immediately online and reappeared just as quickly on eBay for $700), and is often paraded down red carpets on the backs of such celebs as Kanye West and Frank Ocean.

HUF first opened its doors in 2002, arising from “a counterculture of outcasts misunderstood by the masses.” It was founded by Keith Hufnagel, who grew up skateboarding in New York and eventually went pro while living in San Francisco. Today, its impeccable line of footwear and cut and sew products are a favorite of rappers like Drake and Pharell Williams.

Ho W d I d t H ey G et t H e R e?

and though it has gone out of fashion as of late, the writer remembers its clang with fondness.

Ken Tseng of K & J Jewelry still crafts these intricate Hawaiian bracelets by hand,

Some thinGS Gold can StaY

The Brief and Startling Story of Hawaiian Gold Bracelets

I would hear that sound, that clanging, and it would take me back. I was an infant once, and maybe they clanged while she rocked me to sleep. And I was a child once, and maybe they clanged while she washed the dishes, or shook a finger at me, or clapped between tears at graduation. But I grew up, and I could still hear it. Even on the other side of the world, someone’s bracelets clanged around a corner and I half-expected my mother’s voice to follow. Some sounds are as sacred as blood, as gold.

The trend was born in death. In England, they called it mourning jewelry. Black, Old English lettering on half-inchwide gold bracelets. Our benevolent Queen Lili‘uokalani visited England and dug this trend. It was classy, unique. In 1861, Prince Albert, the cousin-husband of England’s Queen Victoria, died, so Miss Vicky wore hers in memoriam. And in 1862, maybe Queen Lili‘uokalani was such a stand-up broad that she had the first Hawaiian bracelet made and engraved with “Hoomanao Mau,” meaning “Lasting Remembrance,” to empathize with a fellow female ruler. Or maybe our queen had hers made with said engraving as a preemptive message prior to the overthrow to commemorate the native monarchy. Maybe both. And maybe she had a couple more made, and when she lifted her regal arm to wave, they too released a piercing clang.

Regardless, here in Hawai‘i, the style

took off. The monarchy would indeed be remembered forever by the islands’ women. Frankly, solid-gold remembrance looked good with, like, anything. Even mu‘umu‘u – definitely mu‘umu‘u. So for over the next century, these golden bracelets became one of Hawai‘i’s most precious, in-vogue gifts. It didn’t matter if they were once supposedly mourning jewelry. Miss Vicky was never Hawai‘i’s queen, so we would exalt the living. We’d give them to our sweethearts, emblazoning them with bold Ku‘uipos; to our wives on anniversaries; to chubby newborn babes with even chubbier wrists. But mostly, we’d give them to our daughters, who’d open up a small box in June, gasp, and then raise their diplomas high. And on their wrists, that gift would hit the one they got for their first communions, or maybe their 16th birthdays, and a thousand clangs would echo across an island. Some sounds are sacred.

But alas, a decline. Over the last five years, the price of gold has more than tripled. What was once $400 an ounce currently fluctuates between $1,600 and $1,800 an ounce. Gentle jewelers like the warm-hearted, soft-spoken Ken Tseng of K&J Jewelry Hawaii have witnessed this incident firsthand. “We’ve made a lot less bracelets for people in the last three to four years,” says Tseng. “And last year, hardly any.” But surely, despite a global recession, despite gold’s recently erratic behavior, surely people still

give gifts. Don’t they? Tseng continues, “Honestly, people want other gifts these days instead of Hawaiian bracelets. They would rather have an iPhone or an iPad or an iPod.” If we’ve forsaken the engraved for the encrypted, why are these bracelets still special? Tseng enlightens: “Well, every piece is different. Every piece is handmade; none of our bracelets are mass-produced. They are all individual treasures. Every single piece is one of a kind, and you can wear them.”

Once, that was enough, that 14-karat, smelted singularity. The sound could return, though. Some things gold can stay. If anyone could bring it back, it’d be our women. Our women, who brought them to life, who transformed mourning jewelry into ecstatic, echoing symbols of celebration. Our women, who still wear gifts – from the modest 10mm graduation loop to fabulous 4-inch ghetto gauntlets, stacks on stacks on stacks …

And Tseng is right. Each one is different, and you can wear them. And it doesn’t matter if originally you’re a Jewish girl from Buena Park, that your name is Amy but you had it Hawaiianized in Old English to Eme. Some sounds are sacred. And all women can be royal when those bangles are piled up and jangling. Daughters, aunties, tutus, sisters, wives, mothers – wrists blinging, waving, clanging — all, suddenly, queens.

The creatives behind Makkuro Mak-

are making a name for themselves for their dedication to creating quality small goods and accessories.

kuro

Pictured here: Reise Kochi, Mitcho Valenzuela, Aron Luangphinith, Amber Lim and Erika Enomoto.

Qualit Y in a BlinK

Makkuro Makkuro

Say it: “Ma-kku-ro Ma-kku-ro.” It rolls off the tongue. Although it may sound like your new favorite sushi, the catchy syllables do not describe what you are about to consume –or purchase, perhaps. Makkuro Makkuro is a collaborative effort between designers and artisans who create items such as jewelry, apparel, accessories and more. The designers not only bring their handmade pieces to the group, but also set up regular pop-up shops at R&D in Kaka‘ako to sell their new and secondhand goods. “I initiated this project because I wanted to support my friends and their creative endeavors,” says co-creator Erika Enomoto. “I wanted to provide a venue to show their work and rise in the local Hawai‘i fashion scene.” Enomoto had just the right group of people amongst her to manifest that vision. Not many introductions were needed, as the core group is composed of designers who, for the most part, have been friends since high school.

Makkuro Makkuro (literally meaning “pitch black, pitch black”) is named after Japanese anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s makkuro kuroske, tiny soot creatures that inhabit dark, desolate places. This is where the two ideas of Miyazaki’s “dust bunnies” and Enomoto’s newly conceived popup shop aligned. “While watching My Neighbor Totoro, I recognized these makkuro kuroskes would come out of nowhere and then leave. The shop name embodied what a makkuro kuroske is. I think people who

are fans of Studio Ghibli can identify with the concept.” Makkuro Makkuro’s curated spaces are only open for short periods of time – weekends, at most – before retreating back into the darkness.

Some would say that condensing its presence into one weekend and then retreating for three months is a disadvantage, but the pros of operating solely as a popup shop seem to outweigh the cons. Popup shops are a concept we’ve been hearing of more and more frequently these days. Maybe it’s the supposed hard economic times or better ingenuity, but the designers of Makkuro Makkuro find themselves without the day in and day out pressures of owning a permanent retail space. The elimination of having to pay rent or reach daily sales goals allows the designers, for this specific project, to focus on their craft.

What do the designers have a lot more of? Time. Everything sold at Makkuro Makkuro is handmade, so between openings, the designers have ample time to revamp and create more things or new products. The overbearing stress that comes with having to constantly replenish stock disappears, at least until crunch time. People that follow Makkuro Makkuro also get to see how certain designers’ art evolves over time, which is another advantage of always having the same group. Makkuro Makkuro’s first pop-up shop was in July 2012, and in the short amount of time

since, it has gained a following to justify the hype.

“When I first conceptualized it, I didn’t think it was going to be a big thing,” recalls Enomoto. “I thought we’d do it once and then see what happens. It’s kind of been overwhelming how great of a response we’ve gotten so far. It makes us want to work harder, to make it better.” Mitcho Valenzuela, who makes paracord bracelets, agrees: “It helps when you do something like this, and you get such a great response. During the weekend we talk to people, get contacts, give away business cards, and we still get responses after it’s done. It makes us want to continue.”

Walking into a Makkuro Makkuro shop is anything but stuffy or alienating. What’s on the tables and hanging on racks isn’t general or typical, but rather, personal. “When I first saw everybody’s craft, I thought it embodied everyone’s individuality,” says Aron Luangphinith, who makes jewelry and art. “That’s one of the reasons why we collaborate so well and everything is so cohesive. … But if it was permanent, it probably wouldn’t be as fun.”

It’s a lot of work, with hours of preparation in advance, but for the group, the fun cancels out everything. “All of us do this as a second job,” says Amber Lim. “I wouldn’t be staying up until 2 a.m. making jewelry if I didn’t love it.”

ABOUT THE MAKKUROS

E RIKA E NOMOTO

Makkuro Makkuro brand items, secondhand clothing

Erika Enomoto is business savvy and one of the masterminds behind the group. She’s currently working on obtaining her master’s degree in art history. Getting events and people together is her main contribution to Makkuro Makkuro. Her advice to others: “Use your network because I wouldn’t be able to do all this if it weren’t for my relationships with people.

R EISE KOCHI

Handmade leather goods

Reise Kochi is a graduate of Honolulu Community College’s fashion technology program and was named designer of the year in 2010 at HCC. More recently, he’s worked as an assistant to Andy South on the launch of previous fall and spring collections. His one-of-a-kind clothing and impeccably crafted leather bags are staple items at Makkuro Makkuro.

A MBER L IM

Handmade jewelry

Amber Lim, like any girl, started off with an affinity for jewelry shopping. She came to the realization that it was all too expensive, but unlike most, that thought turned her to making jewelry under her own line she calls Mango Luxe. Lim, who is cousin to fellow designer Luangphinith, is currently an architecture student at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

A RON LUANGPHINITH

Handmade jewelry, art

Aron Luangphinith has an arts studio background from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and works at Genius Outfitters in Waikīkī. He began making his quirky pieces solely for himself, and once friends started to take notice, it grew from there. Of Makkuro Makkuro he says, “We’re all creative people, put our two cents into every single thing, and it turns out great.”

M ITCHO VALEN z UELA

Handmade jewelry, vintage clothing

Mitcho Valenzuela creates unisex paracord bracelets that are earthy in tone and often decked in gold or silver fixtures. Attending Kapi‘olani Community College, Mitchell has a background in graphic design. He doesn’t note graphic design as an inspiration, but sees its aid in trying to sell a product, especially when it comes to branding.

Not pictured:

J USTIN N AKASONE , vintage clothing

TORIE O KEMURA , handmade jewelry, secondhand clothing

A NELA OTA , handmade jewelry, accessories

R YAN OTA , menswear, secondhand clothing

zEN YOSHIFUKU , Makkuro Makkuro brand items, secondhand clothing

The designs of Makkuro Makkuro include leather accessories, branded goods and handmade jewelry.

Though she’s a roofer at heart, Sandra Tory is finding creative relief with her S.TORY Standards line of swimwear, featuring buttery-soft stretch fabrics in flattering cuts that accentuate all the right places.

KeePinG You covered

S.TORY Standards Swimsuits

Roofing, come to find out, has more in common with swimsuits than you might think. “You have to make sure the construction of both is sound, especially when you’re dealing with materials that expand and contract and have to withstand the elements,” says Sandra Tory. “And hey, these are important parts you’re covering!” During the day, Tory, along with her three brothers, runs Tory’s Roofing, a company started by her father in 1972 that has grown to become one of the largest roofing contractors in the state. Then after work, when most reach for a pau hana beer, Tory retreats to her home studio to cut, sew and ship the custom swimsuit orders that have been streaming in since her S.TORY Standards website went live in November 2012.

“I recruited my mom to help me now,” says Tory. “My mom is the one who taught me all the basics of sewing – but with cotton. She hates stretch material, but she’s been helping me cut all my fabric.” Growing up, Tory was always surrounded by family members who were seamstresses. Her dad had nine sisters, and her baby sewing machine could always be found right alongside theirs. She got her

first taste of design while dancing keiki hula and prepping for Merrie Monarch, where they were responsible for sewing all their own costumes. It was here that Tory gained a greater appreciation of garment construction.

Be that as it may, Tory admits that her first suit was not constructed properly. “When I first started, I didn’t care what it looked like on the inside, I only cared about what it looked like on the outside and that it didn’t fall off,” she remembers. “I just wanted to have this look for this day, and I didn’t even care if it was reusable.” But soon enough, that was not good enough for her. “I always have these ideas; before swimsuits, it was jewelry, before jewelry it was beanies, but this has been the most challenging for me. I cannot get into something I can conquer really fast. I need something that can fight back.”

And fight back they did. Tory spent hours trying to perfect her stitches, patterns, seams and fit. She would call her aunt, who’d been a seamstress her entire life, who would suggest different machines, different needles or different tensions. “It

was like I had a professor at my disposal that I could just ask questions,” says Tory. But soon, even her family of teachers could no longer help her, and in trying to create new techniques of sewing, Tory was left to figure it out on her own. “It became an obsession,” she says. “I knew I could do it better, hide this seam, make the fit more flattering. … Pretty soon, I could sew the whole suit with no seams showing.”

The quality of her first collection, released last August, was remarkable. Soft lines accentuated by even softer stretch fabrics in bright hues and vivid prints hugged every curve and cut in all the right places – all without one visible seam inside or out. It’s hard to believe that this is her first

crack at swimwear, but Tory acknowledges that it wasn’t easy getting there. “Seventyfive percent of the time, what you see in your head does not come out how you want it,” she says. “I’ll draw it out, write out the steps, draft a pattern, sew it, find out it doesn’t fit right, go back and adjust. … I’ve been working on a one-piece suit, and I’ve sewn three full-on suits that are almost there, but say for example I don’t like how it pulls too much on the chest, then I gotta go back in and tweak the pattern.”

Her second collection, which she hopes will be released in April, is inspired by Morocco and will feature gem tones of blue sapphire, slate gray, desert sand and lipstick pink. Instead of prints, she’ll work with

different seams to create a pattern within the solid-colored fabric itself.

It’s hard for Tory to pinpoint what’s next for her, but she knows that her life right now, balancing a hectic work schedule with a passion for making swimsuits, is as it should be. “I don’t know exactly what I want to come out of this whole thing, because I have such an attachment to my job,” she says. “But I needed to do this as an outlet, because when you’re doing something for the love of your family – for the love of your father – eventually you start to look at your life and ask yourself, ‘How am I loving myself?’ At the end of the day, when you spread yourself so thin for other people, you don’t have anything left for yourself,” she

says with a pause. “So I think this is for me. What I’m doing is because I have a story.”

On thing’s for certain: With the orders stacking up and a new collection on the way, Tory is sure to need some help soon. “I looked into finding a manufacturer for months, but I realized that no one’s going to care like how you care, and since sewing is a dying trade, it’s hard to find people that do it because they care about it.” For now, Tory will enlist the help of mom and a few helpful aunties. It is, after all, a family business.

For more information or to see the full collection, visit storystandards.com.

From S.TORY Standards’ first collection inspired by the islands. Look for her second collection, inspired by the gem tones of Morocco, to be released in April.

radiant S outh

The last few years for Ariyaphon Southiphong , or “Ari” for short, have been a whirlwind of reality entertainment, global clothing distribution, and what it means to be young, free and ambitious in Hawai‘i. Her line Andy South, and her recent expansion to the production side of fashion, are changing an industry.

TEXT BY SONNY GANADEN | IMAGES BY JOHN HOOK

Ascending the refurbished spiral steps of a modernized red brick building in downtown Honolulu, I come upon Ari in her swanky atelier doing what she is always doing: working. She sits near the center of three rows of unmanned workstations. “Sorry, I’ll be right with you. This machine is giving me trouble,” she says as she lines up thread with the overhead spool pin of a vintage sewing machine. The atelier, the French term for “artists’ workshop,” radiates spacious glamour. A third of the space is dedicated to industrial sewing machines, from an era prior to their plastic modern counterparts, which Ari has collected, refurbished and maintained over the past decade. In the center, near sorting tables and bolts of fine linene, are racks of garments for sale. At the entrance is a fainting couch, with a table graced with vegan cookies baked by Ari’s mother alongside it.

A moment later, Ari gently runs the hem of an off-white racerback tank top through her machine’s steel feeder. “There we go, it’s going again.” But she’s not ready to stop working. “Give me five minutes. Please speak to Alex.” As I wait for Ari’s attention, Alex Propios, one of the atelier’s current interns, is working out the placement of a cascade of delicate

chains across the bust of a dress. The chains, and the couture work required to place them, will be reviewed by Ari. The dress, held together perilously with pins on a mannequin, is for Ashley Layfield, former Miss Hawai‘i 2007, as she competes for the 2013 Miss Universe contest. “I love being here,” Alex tells me as he places miniature tabs where chain, lace and stitching will meet. Alex is receiving credits for this work through the Fashion Technology Program at Honolulu Community College, where Ari once attended and, time permitting, now teaches a course on fashion show production.

Much labor has been invested in being so glamorous. “We’re not in New York, where machines, fabrics and people who know how to use them are readily available. We make do with what we got,” she tells me. At the age of 27, Ari now has quite a lot to make do with: a brand recognized in high fashion, several contracts to produce garments for fellow Hawai‘i-based designers, a staff of 10 full-time employees, several interns, dozens of friends who assist her during shows, and countless fans and customers

Ariyaphon Southiphong works on a gown for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in her expansive atelier located in downtown Honolulu.

who support her work and her identity, and eagerly purchase her product. “OK, ready to talk?”

A N EW YORK M INUTE

Andrew “Andy” Southiphong was born in Kailua and raised on O‘ahu’s rural west side, attending to his mother’s fish farm with his four older siblings. “Wai‘anae was good to our family,” Ari remembers. “I was the youngest, so I suppose I came out bouncing with glitter,” she jokes. “But growing up, I never really enjoyed spending the weekends doing chores like cleaning out fish tanks. There was always so much to do for the Chinese freshwater catfish and sunfish, or ahem, tilapia.” After graduating from Wai‘anae High School in 2004, Andy attended the Fashion Technology Program at Honolulu Community College. Like so many young, aspiring individuals, he ended up in retail. By 2009, Andy was working for local fashion designer Mahchid Mottale at her store Baik Baik in Kaimukī and constantly sketching out new ideas for designs. Nothing seemed to be happening.

Then suddenly, for a few weeks in 2010, Andy South was a household name on prime time television. One of a rash of reality shows that swept up western culture, Project Runway differs from other reality-based entertainment by focusing on the skill of its contestants. If one follows such trends, it’s a model that has been copied in countless other programs: a group of young, (mostly) talented professionals are pitted against each other in weekly tasks that mirror what they might face in their actual careers, with the addition of colorful commentary and HD cameras. Each week challenges the contestants with a new task: repurposing old garments, creating a dance costume, using specified fabrics, not being evil; the whole time, celebrity judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia offer biting dissections of the work and Heidi Klum dismisses the losers with European panache.

Andy shone in the national spotlight. With a local following, he emerged as one of the standouts of the show’s eighth season, making it to the finale, for which

contestants produce a full collection to show during New York Fashion Week, and placing third. What is more important in the story are the lessons that a national spotlight can teach: that the world, particularly the fashion world, still has room for hardworking, ambitious individuals. “When I got word that I was going to New York to film, I let go of everything, and tried to tie things up at home in case the opportunity arose. I was ready. I put everything in storage just in case I stayed and never came back,” she says of the experience.

For Ari and her business, the work has been nonstop since returning from television reality to literal reality. “I guess I could have easily stayed in New York and not be so stressed out,” she says. “When I came back, it felt like a clean slate. I was pretty much homeless, couch-hopping and working out of a tiny shared space in Chinatown with Reise.” The Reise that she speaks of is Reise Kochi, an O‘ahu designer who handcrafts leather accessories. “People read about the opening of the show, or the Neiman Marcus pieces, but they don’t see the amount of work that goes into getting there. After a few years, I realized we needed to take a step back and build the business.” Playing on the English pronunciation of her last name, the Andy South brand’s first 25-piece collection for Neiman Marcus in 2011 was a nearly all-black affair, with gowns and blouses adorned with leather and silk downward chevrons, accentuating the female form. “It just worked. South is going the wrong way, I wanted to do my own thing,” she says of the motif that has become something of a trademark.

Andy South’s first show at Ala Moana was an explosion of local fashion. “After we filled that first Neiman Marcus order, I realized that I needed to produce on a larger scale,” she explains. In the winter of 2010, Andy had visited China. “It was a tough experience,” she remembers. “I saw piles of denim on the sidewalk next to an open factory. I saw these old ladies sewing in the cold. It was 40 degrees in this freezing warehouse, so we felt bad and bought all these cheap heaters for the ladies. Everybody looked miserable. Deciding to produce here in Hawai‘i, and to stay here, ended up being an ethical

thing. That experience alone made me realize that, at least in business, I’m alone.”

For the brand Andy South, the last year has been focused on being a viable company for the next decade. In the summer of 2012, the business moved into its present location at the King’s Court building downtown, a gorgeous red brick studio space built in 1896 that was once the site of the Yat Loy Dry Goods Company, where local workers purchased their clothing throughout the first half of the 20th century. The decision to create locally was as much externally motivated as it was internally; it has less to do with Marxist conceptions regarding the alienation of labor and more to do with the realities of what it means to be a contributing citizen in the push for community sustainability. It also means wearing something quite nice. “We can’t really compete with the lower-end stuff,” Ari tells me. “Sometimes I walk into Forever 21 and wonder ‘How the hell did they get this on the rack for 20 bucks?’ But in the higher-end markets, there’s no reason we can’t compete. There’s no reason we can’t produce.”

The Andy South atelier is now producing. With a full-time staff, Ari’s workshop is handling the manufacturing of aloha shirts for Hawai’i Island-based designer Sig Zane and several other smaller local creators, along with the Andy South line for Neiman Marcus and other local boutiques. “Sig’s work is similar, so the partnership is working wonderfully. We took a season off to move into the new place. We’ve established ourselves now. We’re working hard to get the staff up to speed, because if I don’t train people to help, this is just a hamster wheel on fire.” As we speak, Ari points to a small label on the interior collar of a blouse I’m playing with, which says “Made In Hawai‘i.” “It was tough at first, training the local ladies how to do complex construction, the kind of stuff that I taught myself over the years. The bread and butter of local fashion has been the aloha shirt for years now, but even that has moved off to China. If there’s anything I want people to know, it’s what that little tag means.”

“I’m going by Ari now, it’s time I asked that people call me that.” Southiphong on her decision to formally change her name.

The Andy South atelier produces everything in-house with a full-time staff of seamstresses, even taking on the production of smaller Hawai‘i-based lines like Sig Zane Designs.

Hawai‘i fashion has always been influenced by the hot trends abroad. In the territorial era, when a trip to the mainland was a month-long affair, new clothes were on the minds of the young women in Honolulu’s emerging urbanity. Danced at countless keiki hula recitals, this song written in the 1930s by Bina Mossman, “Hele Au I Kaleponi”, captured the spirit:

Hele au i Kaleponi

I’m going to California

Ho‘i mai, male kāua

When I come back, well be married. He aha kou makemake What do you want me to bring you?

A pane mai la ‘oia ala She answered: Pāpale ipu kapakahi

A hat with a crooked crown, Kāma‘a hila ‘auli‘i

A pair of high-heeled shoes, Kīhei ku‘u weluwelu

A shawl with a fringe, Palekoko hap nihoniho

A petticoat with half scallops

Ame ka lolo mū‘ekeke‘i

And a very tight skirt.

A few decades later, in the post-war boom of Hawai‘i’s tourism, the clothing of Alfred Shaheen re-imagined and recreated Hawaiian fashion design. Shaheen’s designs remain bold amalgams of Polynesian and Hawaiian motifs and patterns with the cuts and silhouettes of the era. The dresses and aloha-print shirts that were produced by the nearly 400 artisans in Shaheen’s employ throughout the 1950s and 1960s have been described as timeless. In 2012, when the Bishop Museum debuted their retrospective of Shaheen’s work titled HI Fashion: The Legacy of Alfred Shaheen in the museum’s modern Castle Building, they hosted a fashion show to launch the display, and Ari was tapped to show pieces that bridged the ideological and productive gap between then and now.

“What I loved was that he was based here,” says Ari. “When I was getting ready for the show, I liked every single one of those looks, and I just thought, I wanna be that girl. For him, it was all

about the silhouette. But the idea of quality has changed. It’s not as connected to production. So many folks don’t know the meaning of quality. What’s worse is not knowing the difference.”

Shaheen, and the best of local designers, have picked up on what Hawai‘i residents figure out fairly quickly when they make their foray into adult fashion: This place is unique. We are in the tropics, but not thoroughly outdoors. We appreciate color, but the average consumer cannot saunter downtown dressed as Carmen Miranda or a hula dancer in a hapa haole routine. Fashion must contend with the tradewinds that do not always blow and a winter season that provides the island population approximately four months, from November to March, to comfortably wear more than a single layer in a nonair conditioned room. Ari has gotten it, and the sales have matched. “My first collection looked straight out of New York, because it was. But then I saw what my customers in Hawai‘i wanted. With the Shaheen work, I got to wrap my head around what it’s like to be on resort and experimented with patterns.” At the opening of the show, museum patrons were offered a chance to purchase vintage dresses and shirts, as well as the looks on Ari’s models. Ari sold nearly every piece.

A D APPLED I DENTITY

Much of the discussion about Ari has been less focused on the work, its quality, and its uniqueness to Hawai‘i, and more on the identity of its creator. Beginning in the fall of 2011, Andrew Khansanith Southiphong began living life as a woman. Not just any woman, mind you, but an attractive, headstrong, formal-dress-wearing woman about town. This news was reported on the celebrity gossip show TMZ and the blog for E! Entertainment. If you know Andy, this was not a very big deal.

Ari sews as we speak. When I loosely raise the concept of identity, and question how that identity has influenced the work, she speaks of fish. “In Wai‘anae, the ponds out there don’t need to be lined because the soil is compact enough to just fill them and get to work. It’s why we moved there when I was so young. I appreciate my country raising. It taught

me a lot about values, and now I know how to work hard,” she tells me. “The last few years, my mom’s been able to help me and not do all that hard work back at home. She only has one fishpond now.”

The last several years have been intense for the young fashion designer, and I get the sense that she is only now allowing herself moments to reflect. “I feel like part of my purpose, of going through what I’m going through publicly, is meaningful. Who decides to change genders in the middle of starting a new business? Who does that?” she asks. “So many people I meet don’t listen to themselves. My sister just quit her job in a shiny office building to become a baker, and it turns out she’s really good at it. I’m getting emails all the time from people I’ve never met that are just so kind. This was something that I had to do. I knew that if I didn’t do this now, I would never be able to truly move forward.

“I’m going by Ari now, it’s time I asked that people call me that,” she continues, looking up from her work. “My mother prayed on it at the Buddhist temple, and she came up with Ariyaphon, which means ‘radiant light.’” An Instagram photo she took a few weeks later shows the official name change published in the newspaper. “People have been very supportive. I thank God I’m based in Hawai‘i. It wasn’t a part of staying, but going through this experience and not having a backlash has let me know that I’ve made the right decisions.”

As she speaks, I see one of the remaining patterned dresses from the Shaheen show a few months previous. “It’s meant to move,” Ari says of the fabric. The dress is a western silhouette, the pattern a vibrant mix of multiple colors, like a golden-hour rainbow, reflecting on a dappled pond. For Ari, success has something, but not everything, to do with being the youngest child of immigrants, changing genders, and being a little bit lucky. It has far more to do with being young and free in a place that allows it, and the constant labor of growing something, reaching into the liquid unknown, and bringing it to market.

B ehind the S cene S

the S tor Y of a filmma K er ’S chance encounter that P o S itioned him to B ecome one of fa S hion video G ra P h Y’S mo S t innovative P ioneer S.

TEXT BY JEFF MULL

PORTRAIT IMAGES BY

AARON VAN BOKHOVEN

PORTFOLIO IMAGES COURTESY OF KEITH KANDELL

It’s spring in New York City and the hub of the world is in full bloom. Out of the dark, unforgiving winter, a warmth has begun to envelop the city. The uniforms of the season, the dark grays and the muted blacks, have been replaced with streaks of color. For the first time in too long, the city feels alive again.

On this same day, somewhere on one of New York’s maze of streets, a young man weaves through the city on his skateboard. He kicks with his right foot, glides for a few brief moments, and kicks again. His face is tanned, his cheekbones high, his brown hair streaked with slices of blonde. His name is Keith Kandell, and in much the same way wind has a knack for blowing, Kandell has a knack for gliding through life. Always in fashion, always unintentional, and always with ease. This is not the story of a young man that follows trends, but one that creates them. Though at this point, he never fathomed that just shortly after graduating from film school at New York University, he would be jet-setting across the world, behind the scenes of million-dollar photo shoots for some of the world’s biggest stars and models.

On a crisp Hawaiian morning, Keith Kandell, now 34, is chasing his 2-yearold son Makua through the backyard of their home. Tucked away discretely near the base of Diamond Head, his home is spacious, clean and open, and his son’s laughter echoes off the walls. The entire abode exudes the happiness of a young family without a care in the world. Kandell bends down, scoops up his son – who bears a striking resemblance to both parents – and passes him off to his wife Jyoti, who looks to have just walked

off a Parisian runway herself. With a cup of steaming tea in his hand, Kandell and I gather at a table in his living room to discuss how a seemingly regular kid from Honolulu with a love of film found himself pioneering a new industry in fashion videography.

Growing up near the slopes of Diamond Head, Kandell fell in love with four things that would come to alter his life forever: music, surfing, film and a girl. As a student at Punahou School, all of the aforementioned subjects tugged

Filmmaker Keith Kandell with his wife Jyoti and son Makua.

at his attention. His passion for music would see him become a notable DJ in both New York and Los Angeles. As an adept surfer, Kandell would base himself in locales close to lineups he loved. When it came to filmmaking, the chance to capture emotions and craft stories from behind the lens kindled a passion in Kandell that would not only satiate his creativity, but also pay the bills and see him travel the world. And as far as his would-be wife Jyoti was concerned, well, falling in love with her was almost as predetermined as taking his next breath.

In 2002, after graduating from film school at NYU, Kandell made his way to Los Angeles, where he freelanced as a videographer and editor, working on a variety of projects for a number of creative agencies. On the side, Kandell continued to DJ and surf as much as possible. At the time, as a young 20-something, it felt almost idyllic. Sure, the money wasn’t great, but it was freedom, salt water and a creative outlet. And then one day, in a remarkable string of events, his life took a course that he could never have foreseen.

“When I was living in LA, I had this beat up old car that I had piled with boards to surf Malibu,” Kandell recalls vividly. “It’s always fun to bring a bunch of different boards down to Malibu to experiment and play around on. Anyway, on my way down to go surf, I stopped at this bank to get some cash. Going back to my car, I see a car parked next to me and there’s this guy in the passenger side trying to get my attention. I’m sort of confused because I immediately think I’m about to drive away with my coffee on the hood of my car or something. Anyway, this older guy signals me toward him and says, ‘My God, I love your look.’ I was instantly crestfallen. And then he went on and said something like, ‘I love your car, and my God, I want to take your picture.’ And I was like, uh, okay… Who are you? And he said, ‘I’m Mario, a photographer … Mario Testino.’”

In the world of fashion photographers, it should be noted that Mario Testino is not just any photographer. For more than two decades, the South American-born photographer has shot everyone from David Beckham to Jennifer Lopez, along with hundreds of other top models and Hollywood stars. In the world of fashion photography, Mario Testino is a dangler.

Kandell, who had little, if any, inclination or interest in the world of fashion photography, somehow instantly recognized the man’s name. “He’s basically the biggest fashion photographer of the past 20 years. But I don’t think I would have normally known who he was by any means. At that point in my life, I had always liked fashion in the sense of style, but I wasn’t following it really at all. The way I recognized his name was actually through surfing and growing up in Hawai‘i.” A phenomenally talented surfer in his own right, Kandell had grown up very much in the surf scene in Hawai‘i and had befriended professional surfer Chris Malloy, who, as it turns out, had worked with Testino on a North Shore photo shoot for Vogue.

“I told Mario that I was familiar with his name, he snapped a few photos of me, we exchanged contact info, and he drove off,” Kandell recalls. “And it was really funny, because not 10 minutes after Mario drove off, my friend called, the same guy I was supposed to go surf with. It turns out he had actually been a model for Mario a few years back. He said he’d give Mario a call and tell him that I was a DJ and filmmaker and that we should see if we could do some sort of project together. Mario was stoked. He told me to come down to a shoot he was doing for Dolce & Gabbana. It was a big group shoot, and he actually wanted me to DJ the shoot to keep the mood going. He said that I could bring my camera and shoot when I wasn’t playing music, sort of to see if we could do something interesting on film.”

As it turns out, Kandell was an ace on the turntables. But because he spent the majority of his time deejaying, he couldn’t fully commit to the behind-the-scenes video of the shoot and the end result, according to Kandell, was mediocre. Fortunately for Kandell, his prowess as a DJ continued to keep him in business with Testino and when the opportunity arose to produce another video, he leapt at the chance. This time, the behind-thescenes edit he produced was met with rave reviews by both Testino and the client.

A testament to the old adage of “right time, right place,” Kandell had just unwittingly created a lucrative niche for himself in the fashion world. With the rise of the Internet as both a commerce and

(RIGHT) Behind-the-scenes stills and video grabs courtesy of Keith Kandell, clockwise from top: Jennifer Lopez for Tous jewelry, 2010, with Ellen von Unwerth; Natalia Vodianova for Yves Saint Laurent SS 2010 with Inez and Vinoodh; Stella Tennant for Givenchy FW 2012 with Mert and Marcus; Doutzen Kroes and Adriana Lima for V Magazine, 2012, with Mario Testino; David Beckham for David Beckham cologne, 2011, with Alasdair McLellan.

One thing remains constant in

Kandell’s life: his devotion to his family.

The candid, behind-the-scenes moments of these million-dollar shoots provided enough branded material to fill an entire warehouse; all that was needed was someone to see the opportunity – and capture it.

branding destination, an insatiable thirst for content arose. Photo shoots were no longer enough to fill websites and instore displays alone. The candid, behindthe-scenes moments of these milliondollar shoots provided enough branded material to fill an entire warehouse; all that was needed was someone to see the opportunity – and capture it. This someone became Kandell.

Gucci. Prada. Miu Miu. The clients lined up like it was going out of style. Where Testino went with his lens, so too did Kandell with his camera. One week a photo shoot with David Beckham in London, the next Jennifer Lopez in Milan. Kandell was swept into enormously opulent campaigns and often found himself rubbing shoulders with the fashion elite on a daily basis.

When asked if suddenly finding himself in this undeniably strange world left him feeling the slightest bit out of place, he simply shrugs his shoulders. “It would have been easy for me to feel like an outsider being thrust into that world so suddenly,” he says. “But I’ve never really had any pretense to anything and I just kind of went with the whole thing. Plus, Mario was always very open and didn’t approach any project with any real pretense, either. It also helped that I was surrounded by a lot of surfers that worked on the production side and at that time, all the fashion people seemed to love the nonchalance of these big productions being essentially run by surfers. So it was easy for me to feel comfortable in that world. It felt

like I had a foot in both worlds.”

With his reputation growing, Kandell’s career shooting fashion snowballed and he was soon picked up by New Yorkbased agency The Magnet in 2007, which supplied him with a steady flow of international jobs. “Shooting fashion videos turned into a career and at the time I loved it. I had total freedom to do what I wanted. The photographers weren’t too familiar with video and neither were the fashion companies. They all knew that they had to have this thing. These behind-the-scenes edits. They were paying these crazy rates for photographers and models, and so for them to capitalize on this video, it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

As the years went on, Kandell’s work became even more in demand. If you can think of a high-fashion magazine or brand, there’s a good chance that Kandell has worked with them extensively. But it wasn’t necessarily the money, or the fashion itself that kept Kandell’s interest, but rather the freedom. “For companies like YSL and Gucci, the videos were almost an afterthought at the beginning, and then it morphed into more of a real project that paid really well,” he says. “It’s trippy, because it was all kind of a fluke that I was able to get involved in fashion, and I loved the freedom I had. When the shoots were over, I would go back to my home in Echo Park in LA, and I could be alone to work without someone looking over my shoulder. I would literally be doing the edits lying around in my underwear from my home

and uploading them to the studios in Paris, London or New York. I’d work with these giant companies back and forth and I was completely autonomous. It was wonderful.”

In 2009, Kandell and his wife decided to move back to Hawai‘i, and in 2010, they had their first child, Makua. While he’s still spanning the globe shooting high-end fashion spots – and bringing his family with him on almost every project –Kandell hopes to slowly transition out of the fashion world and renew his focus on his first love: independent filmmaking. “I think I’m ready to start slowly segueing out of fashion and back into filmmaking. I’ll continue working in fashion. I do love the visual side of it and a lot of the work, but I’m also really excited to get back into filmmaking and start a new chapter.”

In the coming years, as Kandell begins his slow transition away from high-end fashion videography and wades deeper into independent filmmaking, there will continue to be a single constant: his devotion to his family. “I’ve been able to travel with my son and my wife so much. We’ve seen a lot together and I feel so fortunate that my job has been able to keep me close to my family and we’ve been able to do the things we’ve done. And to be able to post up some roots back here in Hawai‘i and raise my son here and have a family – that’s just very special.”

more than 30 years,

For

Lynne Hanzawa O’Neill has been producing fashion shows and events for the likes of Macy’s, BCBG, Perry Ellis, Hervé Léger and Vivienne Tam.

aloha Z en

l Y nne han Z awa o ’ neill on B ein G at the helm of fa S hion S how S and event S for more than 30 Y ear S.

TEXT BY LISA YAMADA

IMAGES COURTESY OF GERARDO SOMOZA

Lynne Hanzawa O’Neill is in the middle of a story about working at King’s Bakery in the ’70s, selling dozens and dozens of its nowfamous sweet rolls, when her mother Florence stops by our table to drop off a plate of six perfectly round Portuguese sausages. “Go eat,” says Florence, her eyes crinkling warmly above a deep smile before she flits off to check on another table. We’re at the breakfast buffet at Marriott’s Kuhio Beach Grill, where Florence has been working diligently for the past 29 years. Despite the shuttered windows and cavelike feel due to a recent hotel renovation, the restaurant is buzzing with guests.

“My mother is 78,” explains Hanzawa O’Neill, “and she’s still working five days a week, still wants the best schedules, the best tables, wants to turn the most tables. She’s always kind of pushing herself.” Recently returned from New York City, where she produces fashion shows and events for eight months out of the year, Hanzawa O’Neill has agreed to let me interview her at the restaurant her mother has become practically legend at. Appropriately so, since the story of Lynne Hanzawa O’Neill and her “aloha zen” starts with mom.

Hanzawa O’Neill was born in Hawai‘i in 1953, the eldest daughter of Roy and Florence Hanzawa. They moved to Los Angeles when she was 3 years old but came back every year to the islands to spend time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. She remembers going to bon dances, the warm summertime months spent listening to her father sing and play taiko drums at the Soto Mission Temple in Nu‘uanu. “I had the best of

both worlds because I was exposed to other things living in California,” she says. “But I always felt really misplaced because I felt a real connection to Hawai‘i, like this is really my home.”

Hanzawa O’Neill went on to graduate with an art history degree from University of California, Los Angles, and as timing or initiative would have it, a volunteer position opened up at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Hanzawa O’Neill jumped at the chance to man one of the information hotlines, providing inquiring callers details on the blockbuster exhibitions showing at the time. She soon worked her way up to managing the phone bank and then to a paid position as assistant volunteer coordinator. “I really thought I had this dream job, working in a museum after everyone told me all I could do with an art history degree was teach,” she says. Then her boss told her about a job opening at Macy’s in Union Square in the public relations and special events department. “The only hitch was that it was a six-month, temporary job. But I didn’t have the five-year plan, and so I was just really open to opportunities. … Growing up, my mother never told me what to do. She always just said to me, ‘You can do it.’ She didn’t ask me if I thought I could do it. So I think that’s why I didn’t know about planning ahead, because she always gave me the freedom to find and figure it out myself, as well as instilled the confidence in me to think that I could do whatever I wanted to do in my life. … So I went, interviewed for four hours, got the job, and this six-month job ended up being

five years before I left.”

Macy’s ended up as a training ground for Hanzawa O’Neill, what she calls the Harvard of retail. Her first day on the job, she was thrown into the fire – or rather, the flowers. She was assigned to coordinate Macy’s Easter Flower Show, a lavish display of pluming flowers, topiaries and other verdant plant life, an overwhelming task for a young art history major. “I was given so much responsibility my first day, I just felt like I was drowning,” she recalls. “This was the first time in my whole life that I thought, I don’t know if I can do this.” But harkening back to those words from her mother, she did. From the ground up, Hanzawa O’Neill successfully took on all of the position’s challenges: working with Macy’s in-house PR and advertising departments, aligning window displays with print ads and visual merchandising; hosting VIPs; dealing with security, guest lists, ticket sales. Together with what she calls “creative geniuses,” Hanzawa O’Neill would help to redefine Macy’s San Francisco as a purveyor of designer goods and set the department store to become a leader in the fashion world. They achieved this through coming up with innovative special events like a tapestries exhibition in Berkeley held in conjunction with a fashion show for Missoni’s new line and a complete overhaul from top to bottom (including plumbing) of an abandoned warehouse to host the elegant collection of Japanese designer Matsuda. After five years, tired of what she describes as a politically motivated atmosphere and in need of a change of pace, Hanzawa

O’Neill up and left everything at Macy’s and made a break for Japan. And though enthralled by the fashions there, after five months, she came to the realization that she was “Japanese from Hawai‘i” and “not Japanese from Japan,” and that “there was a really big difference.” So she returned to San Francisco thinking she was going to be a housewife and take cooking classes and such. But “I was not very successful at that,” she says, “and fortunately my friends started calling and that’s how it all snowballed.”

One of those friends happened to be an old colleague from Macy’s who went to work with United Colors of Benetton, a company known then for its controversial, multi-ethnic ads. Hanzawa O’Neill was invited to produce a yearlong fashion tour for Benetton’s 25th anniversary, which took her to five different cities, including New York City, where she remains to this day. Working on fashion shows and events for independent designers and large companies alike, Hanzawa O’Neill has made name for herself solely through word of mouth. A big part of her business is taking part in New York Fashion Week.

Hanzawa O’Neill has worked every NY Fashion Week since its inception in 1994, when it hadn’t even gained the name it’s known by now. Initially called Market Week, it originated when designers opened up their showrooms to display their current collections for buyers and press. Back then,

Hanzawa O’Neill coordinated fashion shows within the individual show rooms. According to her, and as documented in The Tents, which chronicled the beginnings of NY Fashion Week and how it positioned the city to become one of the leading fashion capitals in the world, NY Fashion Week grew out of the desire to have one central location for press and buyers to converge. That location eventually became Bryant hanger.

This past fall, Hanzawa O’Neill produced 17 shows, from womenswear designers like BCBG, Hervé Léger and Vivienne Tam to menswear shows for Perry Ellis, Todd Snyder and Duckie Brown. “You only have this short window of time to produce the show,” she says. “We have just three hours to get the show up and running, and sometimes it’s a huge, 360-degree turnover from the show before.” And setup is just the beginning. “We have to move the collection in, bring in models, usually over 20 of them, hair and makeup teams, nails – and I mean that could be like 35 people right there – and then we have the dressers, backstage PR, VIPs, photographers. It’s kind of all just organized chaos.” For her part, Hanzawa O’Neill oversees everything and is responsible for getting the show going. This is when her “aloha zen” kicks in, a term her husband Bobby coined to describe the way she works. “When there’s so much chaos, I get really calm, sort of into this meditative

state, because if I react, then everybody else is going to react. I cannot be hysterical.” Hanzawa O’Neill and her team have been working on this for months, the designers even longer, so it’s a satisfying moment to build to. Everyone works to that point, to be ready for that moment. And then the show starts.

“I’ve been doing this for so long, but it’s still really exciting,” she says. “It is formulaic, but what makes it different is the people.” Though she’s worked in the tents, some of her most memorable shows have been with young, up-and-coming designers, like Miguel Androver, who quickly catapulted to fame to become the fashion darling of the likes of Vogue editorin-chief Anna Wintour for transforming items into wearable pieces of art (a Louis Vuitton handbag into a skirt; a frock from Quentin Crisp’s discarded mattress ticking). Hanzawa O’Neill produced his first show, which was held in a little theater in a Hispanic part of town. “Then all his clothes were brought in on broken broomsticks by his friends, and his father, his sweet father, was sweeping up all the dried grasses, which was what the set was made from, that had fallen around the runway,” she says. “I remember Alexander McQueen was there with his little disposable Instamatic camera, but that first show was not completely full, not even all the editors were there. … Then the collection was brought out, and oh

I remember Alexander McQueen was there with his little disposable Instamatic camera, but that first show, not even all the editors were there. Then the collection was brought out, and it was just unbelievable. It was couture. And then of course his second show, Anna Wintour came with her fur coat on.

my god, it was just unbelievable. I said to myself, I get it now – it’s couture. And then, of course his second show,” she continues, “Anna Wintour came with her fur coat on.”

Producing fashion shows for real has also spun off to consulting on producing staged fashion shows for TV. Probably the most beloved by fans, and most infamous, is her work for Sex and the City. Diehard Sex and the City fans, you know the one: Margaret Cho plays Lynne Cameron, “a much soughtafter fashion show producer as valuable to a show’s success as Valium or Velcro;” Carrie models a set of sheer rhinestone underwear alongside Heidi Klum, trips and falls (“She’s fashion road kill!”). The character played by Cho was modeled after Hanzawa O’Neill, who Sex and the City writer and producer Michael Patrick King shadowed during fashion week. For the record, Hanzawa O’Neill says, “Margaret Cho is not aloha zen at all. That was Margaret Cho channeling me. She’s the potty mouth version of me.”

That year, 2001, Sex and the City received its first Emmy award for outstanding comedy series.

Hanzawa O’Neill attributes much of her success to spending time in Hawai‘i growing up. “I think what I’ve been able to get from Hawai‘i is the aloha spirit, and I think that carries over every day to whoever I meet. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the fashion and glamour of it all, but I can always tell people from Hawai‘i right away. It’s just that

aloha spirit.” I ask her to explain, and she says: “It’s the warmth, the friendliness, not the attitude. It’s wanting to help people, to connect with people. You feel that as soon as you meet them. I just feel when I see people from Hawai‘i, I’m back home again, back home in Hawai‘i.”

It is that permeating sense of aloha spirit that prompts Hanzawa O’Neill to help out wherever she can. On her recent trip home, she was immediately corralled onto the steering committee for Hawai‘i Fashion Month, which is being organized in collaboration with the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and Hawaii Fashion Incubator, on which she serves on the advisory board. To be held this October, Hawai‘i Fashion Month’s goal will be to stimulate creative sectors in fashion garment and jewelry design industries and encourage local merchants to celebrate made-in-Hawai‘i fashions.

She also serves as the at-large director for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. It’s her way of honoring the heritage of her grandparents, who left Japan to make Hawai‘i their home. “I feel that it’s important to preserve the history and culture of the first generation of Japanese, who were the seminal generation of the ever-evolving and unique JapaneseAmerican history in Hawai‘i. My Hanzawa grandparents came from Fukushima and my Nekomoto grandparents came

from Hiroshima. I admire and appreciate their bravery and pioneering spirit, and I am proud to be part of their legacy.”

As a way to honor her father, she is on the board for the Honolulu Fukushima Kenjin Kai. “My father was a big influence on me because he taught me a lot of discipline. He taught me how to throw the football, play baseball, basketball, to swim perfectly. … I used to call him ‘Coach.’ But it wasn’t about finding the perfect stroke or throwing the bullet, it was about the discipline of doing it, giving it your all and trying to find perfection in whatever you do.” Like her mother, her father worked until late in his life, until he was 75 years old, as a groundskeeper for the aquarium. He only retired when he broke his femur after a fall from a ladder while trying to trim the aquarium’s hau tree. “You know, before, when I was young, it was always, ‘What’s your five year plan?’ Now, it’s, ‘When are you going to retire?’” she muses. “But I don’t even think about retirement, because of how my parents are. They just enjoy their life.”

She continues: “My parents are both such great role models for me. They’re both full of the aloha spirit, so yes, I guess I get it from them too.” Lucky for us, and Hawai‘i’s future in fashion, Hanzawa O’Neill’s career is just getting started.

LOOKING INWARD

A portrait essay of those with unmistakable style and an even greater sense of who they are

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

JOHN HOOK

Name : Dee o ccu Pat I o N : Retiree, student and volunteer in the arts

aG e : 60+ cI ty : Waimanalo

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? Discovering Diane von Furstenberg and Elie Tahari dresses at Neiman Marcus.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e?

My Turkish gold bangles and Tahitian black pearl necklace for their elegance, timelessness and versatility, whether dressing down or upscale.

Name : Omer

o ccu Pat I o N : Software developer

aG e : 16+

cI ty : Waimanalo

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt

SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? AllSaints menswear.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S

you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? My Robert Graham shirt. The artsy and colorful touches have the right nonconformist feel for my aging-hipster disposition, and it is flexible for many Honolulu events, from dinner and drinks to concerts and parties.

Name : Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence

o ccu Pat I o N : Student at Harvard University aG e : 19

cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? See answer below; I used to wear it back in seventh grade. It got me a lot of stares walking down middle school hallways. WHat aRtIcle of clotHING defINeS youR faSHIoN SeNSe? A vintage, purple, psychedelic floral print ’70s mini dress with matching jacket. It was once a wedding dress. It’s my lucky dress. I wore it to take the SATs and on my first day of college classes.

Name : Lesli-Ann Yano

o ccu Pat I o N : Director of special events, American Heart Association

aG e : 38 cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING

f IRSt SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? T-shirts. When I was 5, my mom would dress me in T-shirts with quirky sayings: “Clean rooms are boring,” or “When I learn how to cross the street, I am running for President.”

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? Just one? Too many too choose from. I think my shoes are my defining point … maybe my skirts … or my dresses … or my accessories …

Name : Melissa May White

o ccu Pat I o N : Co-founder and partner, Hawaii

Fashion Incubator

aG e : 34

cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt SPa R ked

you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? My interest in fashion extends beyond the limits of human memory. I have distinct recollections of pieces that sparked my imagination, such as a pair of vintage gold lamé pumps my neighbor had worn on Broadway or my grandmother’s crocodile purse with a baby crocodile on it. Those things inspired in me a love of fanciful style.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? The pieces I can never get rid of are my vintage classics. Tailored dresses, structured bags, costume jewelry and hats. This red vintage wool coat dates back to my college years, and though it rarely sees the light of day in Hawai‘i, I will always keep it in my arsenal. A red coat imparts an attitude and a togetherness that is hard to emulate with any other article of clothing.

Name : Toby Portner

o ccu Pat I o N : Co-founder and partner, Hawaii Fashion Incubator; resource teacher for Homeless Concerns, Hawaii DOE

aG e : 44

cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt SPa R ked you R

IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? I can’t remember exactly when I started to appreciate fashion because it goes back pretty far. My memories from childhood always include clothing and accessories on my mom, aunties, grandmothers and teachers. On my seventh birthday, I received a denim vest with patches and leather laces from a friend. Most girls were into dresses, and I was sometimes teased for being different. That vest let me express my personal sense of tomboy style with an edge. I wore it season after season until it was too small. I found it in a box of old things just a few weeks ago.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? A basic denim jacket. The story above might help explain it. Even as I evolved into a lover of dresses, the denim jacket remains a staple that gender-neutralizes nearly any outfit. I appreciate versatile clothing and style that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Name : Tom Park

o ccu Pat I o N : Owner, Leather Soul

aG e : 34

cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? My first pair of Nike Air Jordans back when I was in first or second grade.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? Besides the obvious – my shoes – I would have to say any one of my bespoke Orazio Luciano suits. I really enjoy the Neapolitan style of suiting.

Name : Hannah Broderick

o ccu Pat I o N : Student, Punahou School

aG e : 16

cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING f IRSt

SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? I remember seeing this old lady in the Kaimukī Goodwill wearing a long-sleeve, black velvet pleated dress with buttons down the back. She was without apology, daring you to stare. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but easy to imagine that she’d been where I was standing, had looked out the other side.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? A secondhand floral tea dress belted at the waist, because it makes me feel like a pinned-up garden.

Name : Andy Reilly

o ccu Pat I o N : Associate professor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, apparel product design and merchandising

aG e : 39

cI ty : Honolulu

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING

f IRSt SPa R ked you R IN te R e St IN fa SHI o N ? I recall designing clothing ever since I was a child, probably about 4 or 5 years old. I would draw and then try to sew out of fabric or in some cases paper towels. So for me, it’s always been a part of who I was. I recall a threepiece suit I had when I was probably 5 or 6. It was sky blue with gold pinstripes. It sounds garish now, but it was my favorite piece of clothing. I

remember it fondly. I think what I liked about it was that it was different from suits – not white pinstripes but gold.

W H at a R t I cle of clot HING

def IN e S you R fa SHI o N S e NS e? I like fragrances. They can be paired with any clothing options and can really become synonymous with a person. My favorite cologne currently is M/MINK by Byredo. Byredo is a Swedish company that makes the most interesting fragrances. When I first smelled M/MINK I immediately bought it. It was different: surprising and subtle. It was different from anything else I have smelled and that speaks to my sense of fashion –different but subtle.

No longer just your “dad’s shirt,” Reyn Spooner is reinventing itself by creating aloha shirts with modern cuts and vintage patterns. Shown here is current Reyn Spooner CEO, Kirk Hubbard, III.

alohawear mean S hello

the clothe S that have defined our i S land S, and four B rand S that are definin G it S future

TEXT BY ANNA HARMON

IMAGES BY JOHN HOOK

I can’t remember the first time I saw an aloha shirt. Growing up in Colorado, it may have been on a friend’s dad recently returned from that long-awaited vacation in Hawai‘i, or in a Hollywood spin like 50 First Dates. Not until I moved to O‘ahu did I realize that alohawear isn’t just a tacky tourist thing – it’s the real deal. My boss, a 60-year-old local Okinawan woman, wore a mu‘umu‘u to the office for a meeting and looked stunning. I saw downtown swarmed by reverse-print buttonups at noontime. I bought my first aloha print tank top. I got a job at a local restaurant and was issued that island-style service uniform: a set of three interchangeable pareau-print shirts in green, blue and khaki. I began to see that what alohawear means to each of us is complicated, and what makes us want to wear it (or not) has been determined by decades of tourism, garment and service industries, selfexpression and a tropical setting.

The aloha shirt was born in the 1930s at a local tailor shop and was

quickly snatched up by tourists arriving by boatloads who wanted a “visual postcard” of their time in paradise. It became widely adopted locally when WWII limited garment exports and imports, and Hawai‘i folks found it truly did express and fit our islands’ vibes better than mainland fashions. Inevitably, as with most fashion crazes, the aloha shirt aged with the industry and population that first adopted the trend.

But today’s alohawear designers – both locally born and mainland transplants, as it has been since day one – still have plenty to say about the islands’ signature style. Here, we explore the roots and aspirations of four trending alohawear names: Reyn Spooner, Jeffrey Yoshida, Roberta Oaks and Sig Zane Designs. Because we all agree about one thing: Alohawear won’t be saying goodbye anytime soon.

reYn SPooner

Turning alohawear inside-out since the 1960s

“What makes something alohawear? That’s a tough one … I would say it’s by the islands, for the islands.”

It was the 1950s. WWII had ended and Boeing 757s were flying over Catalina Island from LAX with increasing frequency, headed to a tropical destination in the middle of the Pacific. For Reyn McCullough, whose home placed him right below those jet streams, Ala Moana became a persistent daydream, an industry man’s paradise rising from swampland amid the deep blue sea. He wanted in. So he left behind his successful menswear shop, Reyn’s, and headed to Honolulu.

It wasn’t until the next decade that McCullough decided to introduce aloha shirts to his high-end menswear shop at Ala Moana, which gained the “Spooner” name after he bought out Spooner’s custom swimwear manufacturing business, which originated with a few seamstresses sewing board shorts from rice bags along Waikīkī beach. McCullough

initially avoided the aloha shirt, adamant that the bright prints clashed with his idea of refined menswear involving white pants, blazers and polished loafers. But he began to want something that reflected the island setting in a trendy, refined way befitting of the up-and-coming young gents who worked in a tropical setting and frequented his shop.

“Reyn’s style was menswear preppy, Ivy League, which is where the buttondown comes in,” say Kirk Hubbard, III, the current CEO of the company. Inspired by the polo shirts of the day, McCullough hunted down his own patterns for the brand and would eventually create Reyn’s signature pullover-style shirt, the oxford cloth of the islands. Reyn’s signature reverse print soon became the other key ingredient to his island-inspired sportswear shirt, an appropriately refined interpretation that could go under a blazer for a fine-dining resort destination or stand alone for daily wear. To this day, the print is made with a technique in which the dye is controlled to penetrate the fabric evenly, creating a “wrong side” that becomes the outside of the shirt.

It was, in fact, Honolulu bartender

Pat Dorian, who is said to have crafted the first ad-hoc reverse-print shirt. Dorian, a charismatic, enterprising beach-boy type, would wear his own line of alohawear while serving drinks and pull out a box of stock if a customer complimented it. In time, he got to talking with Tom Andersen, then the assistant manager at Reyn’s. In exchange for getting his shirts in the store, Dorian offered Andersen a customized shirt. Since Andersen wasn’t keen on bright patterns, they discussed muting the print by turning it inside out. Dorian made good on that idea, and next time Reyn’s ordered, reverse-print aloha shirts were a portion of the batch. And they sold, and sold and sold.

While manufacturing originally took place on the islands and in Asia (today, almost everything is sewn abroad), prints have always been designed locally and have even included some patterns by Alfred Shaheen, who is celebrated to this day for bringing printmaking home to the islands in a big way. Throughout the years, Reyn Spooner has been adopted as a surf staple in California, claimed as classic American sportswear in Japan, and featured in collaborations with the likes of Vans (then Van Doren) and

Stussy. They made some killer jumpsuits for ladies – and men – in the ’80s. And their original customers stayed true to the brand, which is why you see reverse print in almost every bank and father’s closet – picture George Clooney in The Descendents, or your favorite uncle who always has a $20 to spare.

But dressing like your folks isn’t necessarily trendy. “Younger customers were saying, ‘I know Reyn’s, sure. I buy that shirt for my dad,’” says Hubbard. “Reyn’s is a well-known name but we need to stay relevant for generations coming up.” Hubbard himself didn’t warm to the trend until he was reporting to an office in downtown Honolulu and realized that not only were the higher-ups bedecked in aloha print, but that you didn’t have to iron the shirts either, which younger generations can relate to, if nothing else.

In response to this changing of the guard, Reyn Spooner kicked off their Modern Collection three years ago, with a slimmer fit and an overt reference to classic, vintage patterns, even bringing back a pareau print designed by Shaheen, a nod to the fact that vintage shops and thrift stores have become a trending place to dig up favorite aloha shirts. Hubbard is also sure to point out that while women’s options have been relegated to a back corner for the aunties who would miss them otherwise, the idea of rejuvenating womenswear is just awaiting the right moment and inspiration.

In 2011, Reyn Spooner collaborated with high-fashion mainland brand Opening Ceremony, creating jumpers and summer dresses rocked in their campaign by Kirsten Dunst, and extremely tailored, classic aloha-print shirts that were paired with mid-thigh-length shorts and modeled by a bleach-haired hipster with a steady smirk.

“You get a lot of customers still asking, ‘Tucked in or tucked out?’” remarks Hubbard at his storefront in Kahala Mall. “I tell them, that depends.” Right then, a grey-haired gentleman strolls in with the signature reverse-print tucked into khaki pants, a man who would have certainly scoffed at Opening Ceremony’s rumpled, untucked interpretation. From the looks of it, Reyn Spooner will continue sparking this debate for generations to come.

TIMELINE:

1820s: The mu‘umu‘u was born as a more islandfriendly version of a floor-length cotton dress introduced by Protestant missionaries.

1930s: Aloha shirts made their debut and a crop of sportswear brands quickly arose. One such brand was Kahala Sportswear, a staple to this day that originated in partnership with Duke Kahanamoku.

1942-1945: With WWII, importing materials (and exporting alohawear) became impossible.

1945: WWII ends. Swarms of servicemen and women take home aloha garb as proof of their time in paradise.

1947: The first City and County of Honolulu employees are allowed to wear aloha shirts, though the practice remains controversial for years after.

1948: Alfred Shaheen starts making alohawear and takes huge steps in bringing the creation of prints and fabrics home to the islands. By 1952, Shaheen is printing more than 60,000 yards of fabric per month on O‘ahu.

1953: Iolani Sportswear is born.

1960s: Reyn Spooner adopts the reverse print-aloha shirt, incorporating it with a signature cut ideal for “young men who would one day be the boss.”

1961: Elvis sports a Shaheen aloha shirt on the cover of his album Blue Hawaii

1964: Jams shorts debut out of an Ala Moana surf shop, featuring a drawstring waist, back pocket and wild patterns.

1980s: Alohawear has a fun romp in the sun with matching jumpers for both men and women. Jams (and island-inspired prints in general) make a comeback on the mainland.

1984: Reyn Spooner does a collaboration with Van Doren, the original Vans shoes brand name.

1985: The first Sig Zane Designs store opens in Hilo, Big Island.

1988: Alfred Shaheen retires. No more large-scale printing on the islands.

2009: Roberta Oaks debuts her first men’s aloha shirts.

2009: Reyn Spooner launches its Modern Collection, with a slimmer fit and vintage references.

2011: President Obama forgoes aloha shirt attire at APEC.

2011: Aloha print starts trending again on the mainland, with brands like Christian Dior and Stella McCartney featuring aloha-inspired prints on the runway. Opening Ceremony and Reyn Spooner collaborate.

2012: Jeffrey Yoshida makes his official women’s vintage-inspired alohawear debut at the Pacifikology pop-up for Hawaii Fashion Incubator.

2012: Sig Zane Designs unveils their collaboration with surf brand Hurley.

J

effre Y Yo S hida

Bringing women’s vintage alohawear home

“It would be so easy to say, ‘Oh it’s something in a Hawaiian print,’ but I don’t think that’s it necessarily at all. I think it’s really more of the feeling of how we live here on the islands.”

“Every generation of women wants to have their Audrey Hepburn moment,” says Jeffrey Yoshida, who’s sitting on a couch in the home where he grew up in the heart of Kalihi, soft jazz crooning in the background. “So I thought, how fun would it be if I created that dress, but in the right Hawaiian print that was a little vintage and modern looking?” Just a few feet away, an off-the-shoulder dress in a simple, vintage aloha print with a slim waist and a full, knee-length skirt with petticoats (“That’s so a Grace Kelly dress”) hangs from a dress form. It brings unexpected clarity to this Hepburn statement from a 50-year-old local Japanese man in a city where dressing for winter currently involves “people wearing their Las Vegas leather jackets over their shorts,” as Yoshida jokes.

For the last 12 years, the couture designer has flown under the radar in his hometown of Honolulu, handcrafting glamorous aloha, evening and bridal wear on order-only basis. He returned after 16 years working on 7th Avenue in the New York City fashion district, where he began making his signature retro-inspired aloha dresses, to take care of his ailing parents. It was a time for family, not a time for self-promotion.

But 2013 is the year, a “now or never moment,” he insists. He is eager to branch out and offer limited, vintage-inspired ready-to-wear batches locally, and has already created a solid base. Jeffrey’s main clientele are women in their 30s and up who are looking for alohwear that exudes poise and glamour: “I’ve always had clients who say, ‘What do I wear to an invitation that says elegant aloha attire? I don’t want to wear a mu‘umu‘u with ruffles.’” While aloha shirt companies have cropped up as plentifully as bougainvillea blossoms since the first ad ran in 1937, women’s high-end options have waned through

the years and become even more limited since renowned designer Alfred Shaheen retired in 1988. And in fact, Yoshida found inspiration early on in Shaheen creations. “I love the glamour of the old Shaheen dresses,” he says. “I started examining Alfred Shaheens and other dresses and that’s how I started doing a vintage style.”

Lately, Jeffrey has been surprised by the interest many young buyers have shown. Perhaps it’s because they’re imagining snagging their own special dress with delicate aloha print and a keyhole neckline for a classy brunch outing – or to wear while recreating a tropical version of the famous Hepburn scene outside of Waikīkī’s Tiffany’s.

T HE I NSPIRATION : Alfred Shaheen

In the forefront of a 1950s black and white photo advertisement for Alfred Shaheen, two women pose in a matching swimsuit and sundress in the Waikīkī factory. On the floor in front of them, endless yardage of the very same fabric, a floral aloha print, seems to flow straight from the creation process via a rolling press. Shaheen himself stands in the midst of it all, one hand grasping the fabric, the other holding a lit cigar. These Shaheen heydays stretched on for 40 years. During this time, his prints became esteemed for paying tribute to Hawai‘i’s multi-cultural elements, leading the way to today’s fusion fashion. But most significantly, Shaheen insisted on bringing the creation process itself home, opening up a company base in Waikīkī where not only were the popular men’s and women’s styles sewn, but the fabric itself was designed by local artists and printed until the day he retired. He was also one of few brands who brought long-lasting charm and recognition to women’s alohawear, creating a variety of sundresses, jumpers, eveningwear mu‘u, and modified sarongs.

Designer Jeffrey Yoshida works to create that “Audrey Hepburn” moment for women everywhere with his romantic, custom-made aloha, evening and bridal wear.

Sig Zane Designs’ feature a slimmer cut and a more youthful look.

ro B erta oa KS

Creating a fresh take on the classic

“The print. An aloha print makes an aloha shirt an aloha shirt.”

In the window of Roberta Oaks’ storefront in Chinatown, a women’s mannequin wears a half-buttoned aloha shirt with rolled up sleeves tucked into highwaisted jean shorts. Just inside, a mix of mod-inspired dresses and tailored aloha shirts, all made in Hawai‘i, line the walls. The store is strategically scattered with handcrafted leather goods, beach jewelry and rugged hiking backpacks. The xx plays in the background. It feels anything but dated, and only a bit like the islands we’ve come to expect from alohawear.

And it welcomes a broad array of shoppers. “It’s everyone,” says Roberta Oaks, a tall blond with a pierced nose, about the men who snatch up her alohawear. “I have the young, hip, professional guys – I don’t want to call them hipsters, but that kind of client. I have older business men, tourists. It’s 80-year-old men and 25-year-old guys.” Her sales are split fifty-fifty between locals and visitors, and Japan has a soft spot for the brand.

Oaks herself is originally from Missouri and found her way to the islands 10 years ago from New Zealand. “I fell into the lifestyle, fell in love with the tropics. The mountains, the ocean,” she says. In 2009, after five years of wholesaling her women’s clothing, she debuted her store along with her first line of men’s aloha shirts. “I wanted to do something nice and clean and modern. I put a lot of time into that first pattern, and it was worth it. … Alohawear wasn’t cool, but I think I started doing it right at the right time.” The launch coincided with the beginnings of aloha print trending on the mainland, and a new generation looking for a different outlet.

“You can design a hideous aloha shirt, it’s really easy,” she says. “A lot of people do. It’s about keeping it fresh.”

She uses all-natural fabrics and continues to scavenge for just the right textiles at tradeshows around Asia and North America. Coming up, she has a new

round of aloha shirts planned, as well as a women’s spin on the men’s classic.

“The aloha shirt is not going anywhere,” she says, after waving goodbye to a middle-aged man with a ponytail who had stopped in to snag a chambray longsleeve. “It’s here to stay.”

S i G Z ane de S i G n S

Introducing alohawear to its roots

“We don’t create ‘alohawear’ as it’s categorized. We create what we live. Labels and categories follow ...”

Sig Zane Designs originated out of a desire to take alohawear back for its people, a repossession of the patterns that visually define our island lifestyle every day. The family members behind the company have found design inspiration in their roots in hula; in lava flows and tropical fauna; in surfing at Honoli‘i; in maps of their hometown, Hilo. (FLUX delved deeply into their hula roots in our Fall 2012 Nostalgia issue, as well.)

And the brand quickly found a community that understood the depths of their alohawear. “Our main base is island locals,” says Kuha‘o Zane, son of namesake Sig and the director of design and marketing. “We celebrate our land, culture and the people that live it. If tourists want to learn more about our lifestyles, then great. Our designs and stories offer an authentic education from all that we have learned.”

For him and the entire familyrun brand, the future is not just about fashion that returns to its roots. It’s about supporting a community. “We believe that with every collaboration and project, we are building a blueprint of options for the next ‘kid from the homestead.’” They have a few things on the horizon that will link the company’s values with a more youthful audience, but their clothing is only a part of the brand’s story. Because as they know, true aloha is both in the clothing we wear to the conference room or the beach and in the lives we lead on our homeland in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

“All things aside,” says Kuha‘o, “we are blessed to be from Hawai‘i.”

On Gabriela: Jeffrey Yoshida dress, custom-order; Proenza Schouler bag, Neiman Marcus; sunglasses, stylist’s own; pumps, model’s own. On Steven: Reyn Spooner shirt and blazer, Reyn Spooner; Alexander McQueen shoes, Neiman Marcus.

DREAMING OF THE NEW ALOHA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN HOOK

STYLED BY ALY ISHIKUNI & ARA LAYLO, A+A

HAIR BY RYAN CAMACHO, RYAN JACOBIE SALON

MAKEUP BY DULCE FELIPE , TIMELESS CLASSIC BEAUTY

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: MATTHEW GONZALEZ

MODELS: GABRIELA PELLETIER & STEVEN STINSON

LOCATION: VANGUARD LOFTS

On Steven: Reyn Spooner shirt, blazer and shorts, Reyn Spooner; Roberta Oaks tote bag, Roberta Oaks; glasses, stylist’s own. Sculpture by John Koga.

On Gabriela: Stella McCartney dress; Marc Jacobs cardigan; Oscar de la Renta earrings; Proenza Schouler bag; Alexander McQueen pumps; all available at Neiman Marcus.

On Gabriela: Emilio Pucci top and pants; Kendra Scott earrings; all available at Neiman Marcus; hat, stylist’s own. Painting by Beau Bassett.

On Steven: Roberta Oaks shirt, Roberta Oaks.

On Gabriela: Kate Spade top; Theory pants; Phillip Lim blazer; all available at Neiman Marcus; pumps, model’s own.

On Gabriela: Phillip Lim top, pants and jacket, Neiman Marcus; Salty Girl earrings, Roberta Oaks; pumps, model’s own. Sculpture by John Koga.

almoSt home

Honolulu’s vibrant jazz scene welcomes a new leader ready to take center stage: tenor saxophonist Reggie Padilla. With the release of Almost Home, Padilla positions himself as a voice for the next generation of jazz purists and contemporary musicians. The 12-track album perfectly captures Padilla’s diverse compositional style and musical depth. Enlisted to interpret his musical vision are some of Honolulu’s finest musicians including Waikīkī pianist Jim Howard,

former LA session bassist and David Benoit band member Dean Taba, and the explosive percussion styling of 2012 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drum Competition semi-finalist Abe Lagrimas, Jr. Recorded live in two days, Almost Home conveys the essence of the quartet’s fresh, yet seasoned vibe.

To listen or purchase Almost Home, visit passoutrecords.bandcamp.com/album/almost-home.

HOMECOMING

Spring/Summer Trends

From the feminine sophisticate to the tough tomboy, this season’s summer and spring must-haves covered the gamut. Homecoming Boutique offers of-the-moment items that you can style with clothes in your own closet to give you a new, updated look. Here are four of the top spring and summer trends that you can find at Homecoming.

1 THE COMEBACK OF THE ’90: Army jackets, velvet and embellished tees make a loud comeback. Think Courtney Love meets Parker Posey meets Shirley Manson. Camouflage jacket, $88; tee, $48; Veronica velvet shorts, $30; Luka Lika love bands, $5 each.

2 BOLD AND GRAPHIC PRINTS: It’s an exciting time to be daring this spring with the continuation of bold and graphic printed dresses. Try a big splash of color paired with geometric or tessellated shapes on a cap-sleeved mini dress. Finders Keepers dress, $128; Jeffrey Campbell Digital Solitaire heel, $140; Fringe cord necklace, $15.

3 METALLIC ACCENTS : For those who aren’t brave enough to stack metallics on one another as shown, try incorporating something as simple as an A-line metallic skirt with your everyday basics. Metallic moto vest, $68; Gold Bar blouse, $45; skater skirt, $38; hologram bag, $48; Jeffrey Campbell Koons heel, $135.

4 WHITE ON WHITE ON WHITE : The trick to wearing all white is to mix different fabrics to give your look a multi-dimensional feel while still sticking to a monochromatic palette. Another good trick: Keep a bleach pen in your clutch for the accidental spill. Snake charmer bodycon dress, $48; MinkPink essential white blouse, $80; blazer, $52; metallic wallet, $28; Jeffrey Campbell 4Evz, $100.

Homecoming is located at 1191 Bethel St. For all their newest arrivals, follow them on Instagram @homecominghonolulu.

PRECIOUS ZEN

Intricately cut and symmetrically zen, Jason Dow handcrafts precious metals and gems into powerful works of art. When you own a unique piece by Jason Dow, you are more than just a wearer of something beautiful, you become one with the energy that it possesses. Jason Dow Jewelry is available exclusively in Hawai‘i at Hildgund Jewelry of Hawaii stores.

jasondow.com

OONSTONE A MULET, 18 K GOLD, 8 CTS ROYAL BLUE MOONSTONE CABOCHONS, .48 CT DIAMONDS

MISA JEWELRY

Through the ancient art of wax casting, Misa Hamamoto skillfully carves her designs from wax, which then undergo a casting process that solidifies the molten metal. Much of her handcrafted jewelry is inspired by her island upbringing in Hawai‘i. Featured here is a piece from her Journey collection, which was inspired by steps.

Misa Jewelry can be found at Riches Kahala, located in Kahala Mall, or online at misajewelry.com.

M ANDALA E ARRINGS, 18 K GOLD, 2.65 CT CHAMPAGNE DIAMONDS

M

F ULL N ATIVE N ECKLACE , ADJUSTABLE 16”-18” LONG , AVAILABLE IN SILVER OR GOLD, $160.

B OWTIE R ING , AVAILABLE IN SILVER , GOLD AND ROSE GOLD, $36.

IMI JEWELRY

Imi Jewelry was founded in January 2012 with designs that are minimalistic and geometric in nature. Inspired by art, industrial design and architecture, Imi Jewelry’s pieces are made of sterling silver and gold-filled metals. Look for a new spring collection to be released in March.

Find Imi Jewelry at select boutiques around the state and online at imijewelry.com.

MINEI

Katye Killebrew’s love for the ocean, mountains and scenery inspires the delicate lines and intricate weaves of her whimsical designs of MiNei Jewelry. Intrigued by the past, the modular and the anomalous, Killebrew especially values objects with character and history, which make her designs refreshingly unique and nostalgic. One of Killebrew’s signature pieces are earrings made from recycled sunglass lenses, some which were found at the bottom of the ocean and are encrusted with coral, and others that have been embellished with vintage labels. To Killebrew, a broken piece of jewelry will always be more interesting than an intact object.

mineijewelry.com

A+A LOOKING SPECTACULAR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN HOOK

Square sunglasses, Tom Ford

Purple sunglasses, Prada

Cat-eye sunglasses, Tom Ford

Rectangle w/side detail

sunglasses, Prada

Black pearl sunglasses, Chanel

All sunglasses from Neiman Marcus

WAI‘OLU OCEAN VIEW LOUNGE

Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge’s inspired collection of eclectic offerings starts with the simplicity of tapas infused with international flavors, thus crafting a simplistic and refined menu. Guests can dine in an intimate setting for two, or choose to share flavorful small plate creations while lounging with family and friends. Home to liquid artistry and the world’s best mai tai, Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge is the perfect choice to unwind after your day.

Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge is located in Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, 223 Saratoga Road. Lunch served 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; sunset hour from 4-6 p.m.; dinner served 6-10 p.m. Complimentary valet parking (four hours with validation) and live music Wednesday through Sunday nights.

RISING TO THE OCCASION

At 9 p.m., Christopher Sy promptly rises to mix and shape his first batch of dough. The bread is leavened, mixed with a yeast starter that Sy has been cultivating for four years. At 3 a.m., the process repeats for a second batch. At 7 a.m., Sy is up again, this time in the kitchen of Prima in Kailua, where he makes use of their wood-burning oven, to bake the dough he so laboriously made the night before.

To watch Sy, the owner of the company Honolulu Breadshop, roll the fluffy dough into loaves is something like watching a work of art being created. Portions are cut and weighed into precise 840-gram servings (approximately 1.85 pounds), sprinkled with a bit of flour, folded, pulled at the corners, folded, pulled, folded, pulled, folded once more into itself, and then rolled

into a football-shaped loaf. The dough is left to set after which it’s plopped ever so gently onto wooden pizza paddles and scored down the middle, causing the unbaked pillows to burst open and expand even more. Up to 10 loaves are placed in a 570-degree kiawe wood-fired brick oven.

From start to finish, it takes Sy about 12 hours to create one batch of loaves. Compare that with the one to two hours it takes for the store-bought kind, and the $7.50 price tag per loaf seems low. “I’ve been doing this for about five or six years now, and it’s taken me that long to come up with a formula I’m happy with for the two types of breads that I have,” says Sy, who offers a city white and a country sourdough.

“People have labeled me as a ‘master baker,’ but I don’t like that because when

it comes down to it, it’s just bread,” acknowledges Sy, who has worked in the kitchens of Trio in Chicago, Cru in New York, Aux Vieux Four in France, and Chef Mavro and Town here in Honolulu. “I really see myself as more of a cook. There are so many others out there that are really technically trained in a lot more as far as baking goes.” Still, there’s something about the repetition and dedication to perfecting a singular craft that’s undeniably artisanal and undeniably artful.

And the bread, oh the bread, is wonderful. Its crust is not something you’d quickly cut off and toss out but is thick and rich in flavor with a slightly charred taste reminiscent of pizza crust. The bread itself somehow manages to be airy and soft yet dense and chewy all at once.

Honolulu Breadshop

SAY, CHEESE!

Naked Cow Dairy

Though Hawai‘i is mainly a rice-eating culture, Sy has always been fascinated by bread. “When I started to get bored working in the restaurants, I’d go home and cook, but I never had any pots and pans because I was in the restaurant all day,” says Sy. “With bread, all you need is a bowl, so I started out of necessity, and also, I was tired of not being able to find any good European-style bread here.”

Though currently Sy’s breads are only available in small quantities at Pig and the Lady and The Whole Ox, he hopes to start a bread subscription service similar to the community-supported agriculture, or CSA, programs. Good things, after all, take time.

For more information, visit breadsbybreadshop.com.

Creamy, luscious and velvety smooth, Naked Cow cheesses are the perfect complement to artisan breads, like the ones available from Honolulu Breadshop. Started by sisters Monique van der Stroom and Sabrina St. Martin, Naked Cow is the only cow dairy on the island of O‘ahu. Their mission is to keep the art of caring for dairy cows alive and well in Hawai‘i and to bring island-made, fresh-churned butter and artisan cheeses to the table.

T he stinking fact of the matter is that currently, 100 percent of cow’s-milk cheese in Hawai‘i has been imported, some coming from as far as 10,000 miles away. Since they opened in 2008, Naked Cow Dairy has grown considerably due to the ladies’ hard work (they milk and churn everything themselves) and Van Der Stroom’s knowledge of Hawai‘i’s dairy industry. Van Der Stroom studied dairy science at the University of Arizona and managed Hawai‘i’s largest dairy, Pacific Dairy, for 12 years. After it closed in 2007, Van Der Stroom wanted

to offer Hawai‘i a healthier option. The dairy products from their grass-fed cows are absent of the hormones and pesticides that can be present in cheeses available in supermarkets today and have increased levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and vitamins A, D and E. Their products include gourmet butters that come in such flavors as macadamia nut honey, cranberry orange, garlic truffle and artisan cheeses like Koolau peppercorn, freshly pulled mozzarella and Hawaiian lava jack. Their top-selling yogurt cheese, made by draining the whey from yogurt, is a creamy white, low in fat, high in protein, and a healthy alternative to cream cheese. Dedicated to producing quality products, Naked Cow Dairy will surely remain the big cheese.

Find Naked Cow products at your local farmers markets around O‘ahu. To keep up with Naked Cow’s latest offerings and locations, follow them on Twitter @nakedcowdairy.

Christopher Sy of Honolulu Breadshop bakes for 12 hours to craft one batch of his artisan bread loaves.

PairinG it uP

A roundup of cocktail and food pairings at Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge

Located in the breezy passageway at Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge is a fresh dining concept pairing international flavors with local flair. Based on the idea of what food and beverage manager Jay Kitashima calls “social dining,”

THE dRINK: The lychee fizz mocktail, made with fresh lychee, simple syrup and sparkling water is so refreshing, you won’t even miss the alcohol.

PAIREd w ITH: A dainty loco moco, made with beef and rice croquettes, a sunny side quail egg and veal demi-glace.

wHy IT wORKS: Though it’s small in stature, the Trump’s loco moco is silky and rich, and the fizzy lychee mocktail is a refreshing counterpoint.

Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge features a small plates, tapas-style menu that can be shared easily amongst family and friends. Here’s a roundup of five food and drink pairings that are perfect for a casual pau hana with friends or for celebrating something special.

THE dRINK: Manju Kubota sake, six generous ounces served in a wooden masu box, is the most popular sake in Japan.

PAIREd w ITH: The firecracker roll, which is made with habanero masago, king crab and fresh ahi.

wHy IT wORKS: The crisp, clean flavor goes down smooth and cools off the palate after the spicy kick of the habanero masago.

THE dRINK: The Ilikea Mai Tai, which was awarded the title of world’s best mai tai at the 2011 International Bacardi competition in Kona, remains the hotel’s most popular cocktail. It’s topped with a Bacardi rum pineapple sorbet, which transforms the flavor of the drink once mixed in with the accompanying sugarcane stick.

PAIREd w ITH: The edamame hummus, set atop balsamic vinegar and chili oil and served with crostini.

wHy IT wORKS: The mai tai packs a deceptively wicked punch and just one or two will put you in high-spirits, so the edamame hummus is a light yet substantial spread that will keep your spirits high.

THE dRINK: Trump is the only hotel in Waikīkī fitted with the Asahi draft system, which pours beer from one tap and foam from another, making for the ideal proportion for which to drink Asahi beer, a 30-to-70 percent foam-to-beer ratio.

PAIREd w ITH: Porcini mushroom and goat cheese flatbread.

wHy IT wORKS: The pizza and beer combo may go down as the pair for the ages – and for good reason. The Asahi draft beer is unlike any Asahi beer you will ever have, and the draft system results in a creamier foam and crisper, fresher-flavored beer, complementing perfectly with the savory flavor of the pizza.

THE dRINK: The BYO, “build your own,” mojito, allows you to pick between flavor purees of strawberry, mango, lychee, caramelized pineapple, blood orange and white peach.

PAIREd w ITH: The In-Yō burger, made with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon and a sunny side up egg. wHy IT wORKS: In-yo, the Japanese version of the Chinese yin and yang, is based on the idea of opposites, and opposites surely attract with this burger and mojito. Just as you can build your own mojito, patrons can build their own burgers, choosing from a variety of burger toppings.

Wai‘olu Ocean View Lounge offers complimentary valet parking with validation from the restaurant for up to four hours, as well as live local music every Wednesday through Sunday from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Wai‘olu

Ocean View Lounge is located on the lobby level of Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, 223 Saratoga Rd. For more information, call 808-683-7777 or visit trumphotelcollection.com/waikiki.

favceS

Jen Kahuanui OF M OJO B ARBERSHOP

Eventually, after a fateful move to Kentucky, she would discover a lifelong interest upon walking into an old-school barbershop. While most women gravitate towards cosmetology, Kahuanui chose the path that challenged her and pursued a degree in barbering. “I didn’t get it right away, cutting men’s hair. The first day of school they make you cut, and I’m like, ‘Cut? Cut what?’ It took me two hours and I struggled a lot, but I didn’t want to let it overcome me, I wanted to overcome it.”

Those hours paid off when after coming back to Hawai‘i and cutting childrens’ hair for six years, Kahuanui discovered a new shop looking for experienced barbers. After 13 years of learning her craft, Kahuanui met Mojo Barbershop owner Marian Lee. At Mojo, Kahuanui could get back to what drew her in years prior. There’s a common misconception that men’s haircuts and grooming are relegated to the $10, 10-minute, in-and-out type of cut that definitely does not involve pampering. Mojo Barbershop presents an experience that goes against that grain. “You don’t have that opportunity with other jobs or that one-on-one feel,” says Kahuanui. “I try to be as real and

It’s a question we all contemplated after high school and many times after: What do I want to do with my life? Jen Kahuanui, a graduate of McKinley High School, found herself asking the same looming question.

genuine as I possibly can, and I don’t let the guys scare me. I just take control from the beginning. Because I’m a younger female, it’s only natural that they’re going to stereotype you.”

Mojo Barbershop sends men of all ages out the door with a confident attitude, but it starts with the one holding the razor. On honing her service skills, Kahuanui salutes her training in Kentucky. “Everybody there talks about Southern hospitality. I was a typical local girl, very tita-ish, but when I went up there it changed me a lot. You meet people who are very genuine. I learned a lot about taking that shell off. You can be nice person and you can be kind. It’s not a weakness. That’s my thing.”

For more information, visit mojobarbershop.com.

“This picture is of Hawaiian model Mahina Garcia, who had just landed back home on O‘ahu from a month of modeling in Los Angeles. Obviously, Mahina is no ordinary model. She started modeling at 14 and has worked all over the country for brands such as Target, Reebok, Microsoft and Neiman Marcus. I can

THEME: Stewardship

dEAdLINE: May 8, 2013

EMAIL: contact@FLUXhawaii.com, enter “Viewfinder” in the subject

THE VIEWFINDER IS WHAT PHOTOGRAPHERS USE TO FRAME AND FOCUS A SUBJECT:

Submit a photo you think captures the theme of our upcoming issue for your chance to be published in FLUX Hawaii and a cash prize of $100, and an annual subscription. Include a description of your photo no more than 150 words. Please include your name, mailing address, email and telephone number in your submission. You must have a high resolution version of the photo.

VIEWFINDER

Frame + Focus

remember as a little girl how much models like Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks stood out from the jumble of pale waifs that graced runways of the day. Fashion is now experiencing the great post-boomer demographic shift, and has adjusted accordingly. Mahina is the icon of our new generation. Exotic faces have

arrived in fashion.” – Image by Daniela Voicescu, daniela-v.com; with hair and makeup by Kecia Littman and styling by Tiare Thomas. Mahina wears lavender high-waisted shorts and a pink blazer by MOD Vintage; accessories and bra by Siam Imports.