Article: the rules

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the rules

Respect the ancestors.

We tie our lineage back to the history of feminism and the “reform dress.” We take the essence of historic Mu’umu’u forms and make them current.

Don’t cut the print.

The print should stay unburdened with seams and details. Cut the front as a single piece whenever possible. No fuss.

Don’t cinch the waist.

This is not a fitted brand. A belt can be added as necessary.

Pleats over gathers.

A gather is soft and romantic. A pleat is elegant, crisp, and signals intentionality.
In aloha wear, the pleating that graces the back of the Holoku dress
is a visual reminder of the 1893 overthrow. Victoriana as protest.

Mu’umu’u is always the right answer.

Forms are comfortable: suitable for all types of work and play.
Read our manifesto.

Have fun.

If ornament is a crime then arrest us. We are unabashedly maximalist.
Dressing is a celebration.

all in the details

We source shell and vintage buttons for our clothes. And use finishing touches like sewn down facings and self same fabric pockets and linings. We are committed to these heirloom techniques so our garments last a very long time. Care and craft is what motivates us.

fabric & Manufacture

For this form we chose a medium weight BCI* cotton woven with a slightly polished finish. This allows the garment to breathe and cotton is a long lasting, hard wearing staple. It biodegrades and is compostable as well. The fabric is printed in Italy using azo free pigment ink.

*BCI is the Better Cotton Initiative which tracks environmental sustainability and ethical labor practices.

We cut and sew each dress in our barn studio in Upstate NY. We support a MTO (made to order) and limited batch production model. This means that we make each item as it is ordered and cut down on inventory waste.

our prints

disco

westbeth

pareo

mango

1961

rainbow

and now...

some history

why are the prints so big?

Large scale prints are integral to muʻumuʻu and all aloha wear. How did this happen? There are a lot of apocryphal origin stories. One we particularly like is that Wong’s Drapery Shoppe helped create the aloha shirt for college bound Hawaiians going to the mainland. The students needed something both warm and that felt Hawaiian. Wong’s initially used thick Japanese upholstery fabric for the warmth so the large print scale became locked in as “Hawaiian.”

These prints represent the multicultural history of Hawaiʻi. They may refer to Japanese Kimono fabrics, European chintz florals, Indian paisleys, Indonesian batiks, and traditional kapa patterns. They may be designed “authentically” by a native Hawaiian, a kamaʻāina (a local), or a transplant to the islands. The authenticity comes from the knowledge, sense, and respect of place.

Elsie Das

In the 1930s and 40s there was a concerted effort to create the modern Hawaiian print using local themes. This has been much lauded in Alfred Shaheen’s work. Also consider Elsie Das. Elsie Das was an American of Danish descent who went to art school in California. In 1950, the Honolulu Advertiser wrote “Elsie Das can lay close claim to being the originator of the aloha print.”

Her approach to print shows a sophistication and a worldliness at odds with the stereotypes about “isolated” Hawaiʻi. Compare her ulu print with the great 20th century print designer Josef Frank. The similarities indicate a deep understanding of print design and trends at the time.

Left: Elsie Das “Breadfruit,” Right: Josef Frank “Hawaii”

For more read: The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands, Dale Hope and Elsie Jensen Das, Peter Young.