A few days ago I had a conversation with a long-time friend; we are both passionate fashion admirers, though neither of us are in the industry. We reminisced about bad fashion trends that we lived through during our high school days – stuff we hope never makes a comeback like the color mustard; baby doll dresses with ripped fishnets and Dr. Martens; plaid flannel shirts and baggy jeans (bottoms cut off and frayed, of course). I don’t want to age myself, but I’ll put it out there – it was the early 90s, I was dating a skater, and back then shopping with a minimum-wage budget meant falling into the Gap or getting creative with second-hand goods picked-up from Savers in Kalihi. My friend and I questioned if we would’ve fulfilled our true destinies – she a Vogue fashion writer, me a shoe designer – had we had the World Wide Web, which now seems to make the globe so much smaller and dreams that much more accessible. Lately, I’ve been working toward finding my dream career and have found solace in being a part of the Hawaii Fashion Incubator (Hifi), a new organization that aims to serve as a resource for the state’s fashion community. I am currently a member of Hifi’s planning committee and I write the monthly newsletter. Perhaps if this organization existed when my friend and I dreamt about what to do when we grew up, we would’ve had a ground zero to becoming Hawaii’s version of Anna Wintour and Manolo Blahnik. In 2006, two fashion-loving friends – Melissa May White and Toby Portner – formed the Hawaii Fashion Incubator (Hifi). They noticed an emergence of local fashion talent, events and media yet realized that most of it was an isolated resurgence. Inspired by fashion incubators in other cities, Melissa and Toby set out to create a place for the fashion community to network, collaborate and collectively drive the local fashion industry forward. Hifi’s greater mission is to promote and sustain an integrated fashion community in Hawaii. In addition, their goal is to raise awareness and appreciation of fashion as both art and industry through alliances with the arts, government and business sectors as well as cultural organizations and educational institutions. The Fashion Incubator envisions creating a fashion district, affordable workspace for designers, and trade shows for international and local designers. If Hifi is a group with a familiar-sounding ring, it may be due to their official debut during the October 2007 F.A.C.E. of Nuuanu Honolulu Fashion Week. Titled “Huna Aloha,” event attendees were treated to a rare exhibit of several decades worth of aloha shirts and swimwear exclusively selected from the University of Hawaii’s costume collection as well as a presentation by Kahala designer and aloha shirt expert Dale Hope. April 2008 was a big month for Hifi. Members jetted off to Kauai to present Green Style on the Garden Isle, which was a weekend of environmentally friendly fashion promoting collaboration and commerce between Kauai designers and businesses. That same month Hifi introduced its official membership program with a special introductory rate of $40 per year. Benefits include invitations to and discounts on Hifi and Hifi partner events; permanent “founding member” status; a 30 percent discount on a Hifi limited edition shirt designed by Kealopiko; access to special offers from other Hifi members and sponsors; discounts on Hifi speakers, workshops and classes; opportunities for below-market advertising rates and publicity in Hifi’s newsletter; access to online designer profiles; and an optional listing in Hifi’s online fashion directory. Expect the list of benefits to evolve as their network grows. Sign up now to become a Hifi member at www.hawaiifashion.org.
By: Gina Baurile
