Yes, I grew up in Hawaii and yes, I am a haole (for you mainlanders, that's "white chick"). I may not be a true local per say, but Hawaii will always be home to me. Even after 15 years in NYC I've still always stayed true to the islands by pulling inspiration from the vivid colors and natural beauty of Hawaii. Even in stark, cold NY Februarys I filled my little shop with reverse-aloha print dresses and bikinis for Spring (that's using the reverse side of very bright Hawaiian prints to tone down the prints for a less "touristy" look). Anything to avoid the usual black in NY. Now in LA it's a no-brainer to show off my island roots. I used the same reverse-aloha print concept on my light-weight Hibiscus sweatertees (for baby too!). And my spacedye collections have always been created with Hawaii on my mind with collections inspired by my favorite places - Haleiwa, Road to Hana - and spacedye colors of bougainvillea, maile, waimea, and lanai. One of my new favorite blogs about Hawaii and everything that's cool coming out of the islands is www.hapahale.com. Check it out and support local Hawaiian artists (or haoles from Hawaii like me!)
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