tamara catz resort collection

 

if you are lucky enough to be spending your winter holiday in hawaii, then you have to take a peek at the latest from maui designer tamara catz. the 2007 resort collection features tamara's trademark beachy bohemian vibe that can go from sightseeing around the island to lounging on your lanai.

her designs have been featured in vogue, in style, and have even made the pages of the sports illustrated swimsuit issue yet curiously she has received relatively little press in the islands and only a handful of local boutiques stock the collection. that doesn't seem to matter to those in the know who adore the hand done embellishments that are tamara's signature.

this more cosmopolitan tropical style may not be typical of hawaii and can be traced to tamara's stops around the world on her way to maui. she grew up in buenos aires and later moved to nyc to train at the fashion institute of technology in nyc (alumni include calvin klein, carolina herrera & michael kors). one day she moved to the islands, found love, and established her business in upcountry maui.

to see more stop by the online shop, use the store locator to find the stockist near you, or hit the eponymous boutique in paia when you are on maui.

polynesian ink

getting a tattoo to honor his hawaiian heritage has been on my fella's wish list for years so i know he would love these tatau tees from manoatoa. the company's mantra is to express their passion for polynesian art & culture through their clothing line so if you share that fancy odds are you will be a fan after one look at their collection.

in addition to their tatau collection it looks like manoatoa will eventually delve into the designs of tapa cloth & woodcarving which is good news for those who admire these traditional art forms of oceania and are looking for a more modern way to show their polynesian pride.

by the way, if you are interested in hawaiian tattoos, tricia allen, who is probably one of the only anthropologist/tattoo artist's on earth, published her book tattoo traditions of hawaii last spring (friends may remember that many moons ago we went up to no/cal so the fella could get footage of tricia at work for the tattoo documentary he made in film school).

definitely click over to her website if you are serious about getting inked hawaiian style (fyi - tricia hits the mainland a few times a year and her schedule gets booked quickly).

more from sig zane

sig zane is kicking off the new year in style! i love the koi tee which is a new take on the second design the illustrious mr. zane created back in 1978.

students of the hawaiian language may want to snap up this aloha shirt which donates a portion of its proceeds to the ke ana la'ahana charter school. the design is currently 25% off but act quickly since there are only a handful left in the smaller sizes.

ke ana la'ahana ki'ikau

sig zane x kicks/hi

a clearance section also recently made its debut in the online shop so click over asap if you have been daydreaming of splashing down rainy streets while twirling one of those lovely umbrellas i wrote about back in november.

finally, 2007 brings a much anticipated collaboration with kicks/hi (word is one of the projects is with converse for bono's [product] red campaign). first up is the uluwehi keaukaha cap which is being released tomorrow. this is a limited edition so if you want to score one get yourself to a sz shop, kicks/hi in honolulu, or the cutlery (kuhao zane's new shop in hilo) on saturday.

roketo tee house

 hawaii + cheer squad

if t-shirts & jeans/shorts are your standard uniform then you have to check out roketo, an up & coming design company from kaneohe. limited edition tees have gotten big in the past few years (check out threadless for a taste) and roketo is all about going back to the past to create t-shirts that connect with their customers.

yes, if you dug through your brother/uncle/cousin's closet you could probably unearth a graphic similar to roketo's hawaii tee that conjures up sweet memories of the 80's, but there is something to be said for a tee that is clean and free of stains and smells embedded since 1983.

here are a few more reasons to shop roketo: designs are available for both guys & gals, tees are sweatshop-free and organic when possible, and roketo donates a portion of sales to island non-profits.

roketo tees can be found online and at ma honolulu and sera's surf & shore.

bliss lau - spring 2007

large pleat

while cleaning up the archives on friday, i discovered that bliss lau's website had been freshened up for the new year. bliss has always been known as a designer who had the ability to merge city style with a more organic construction technique inspired by the islands (and one of the reasons why new york magazine made her someone to watch back in 2005).

the spring 2007 collection features updates on the popular accordion style (be sure to check out the woven version in beach-friendly cotton canvas) as well as new designs like the recently introduced suspension tote which echoes the lines of the brooklyn bridge.

disco accordian

flora belt

bliss also has a belt collection which is designed to show off your curves (my favorite is the spring 07 take on the flora belt which is inspired by hawaiian quilt making), and, if you love what you see, you may also want to take a peek at her spankin' new jewelry collection.

{update | jan 18th, 2007: bliss recently emailed with news that riches hawaii at kahala mall is now stocking her line! they are currently the only shop in the islands to carry her collection so do stop by and take a peek the next time you are down that way.}