It seems like a lifetime ago but 4 years ago we started this collection as a creative outlet when we were all staying at home during those early covid days. You know, the 2 week stay at home orders that eventually stretched out into what I call, bonus family time that we would never have had if we were still in the daily grind.
The inspiration
The palaka fabric brought back memories of my childhood, the shorts my grandpa and dad wore. Something about it just takes you to a time full of good memories. At the time we made some just for the kids to play outside in the yard with, shorts for Kalei and I played with overalls for the girls.
We released the first set of palaka overalls as a creative outlet after making so many masks (and to this day I hope to never have to sew another mask).
About Palaka
Palaka prints come from the old plantation days here in Hawaii. It was Hawaii’s plaid fabric and was usually blue and white. It was then adopted by paniolos or Hawaiian cowboys and eventually became what we know Palaka as today.
When reading the history of Palaka in Hawaii...I was drawn to the fact that Palaka was the clothing people wore when it was time to build and time to relax. What started off as cheap clothing for plantation workers evolved into clothing that became part of local Hawaii culture.
The Collection
What makes this particular release special is this is our first collection made with our new partners, Kaholo. In 2021, I realized quickly sewing with 4 kids was just plain difficult. It took me forever and a few days to get enough items sewn for a full release. And so the collection took a break as I explored options to continue making clothing but in a way that I could keep up with the demand, because honestly, saying sorry we sold out isn't a great feeling always.
We found great partners for our clothing outside of Hawaii but part of me always wanted to have a collection of products made here in Hawaii, not just designed here.
So here we are, 4 years from our original launch, bringing this collection back.
Just like the fabric, this collection is timeless despite her taking some breaks from the lineup of clothing we offer.
Release date March 29, 2024 at 9am HST
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