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anatomy of a dress
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The rainbow is so associated with Hawaiʻi that just having it in a print means Hawaiʻi. How could we breathe new life into this form?
Read our manifesto on this durable continuum of a dress called Mu’umu’u - a garment recognized by its vibrant prints and relationship to Hawaiian identity.
How our dresses are are informed by history but built for the twenty-first century. And we love pockets. We explain it all in The Rules.
more modern mu'umu'u
Language of the Birds makes print driven, ethical clothes. We were founded in Honolulu and our studio is now an unheated barn in Upstate NY. We design all our prints. We cut and sew our dresses in the US.
our prints
We are concept driven and our development may span years. We love history and embrace a research heavy process. Our prints are held in a museum collection and our work has been recognized by Pantone.
our dresses
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 modern. Forms are suitable for all types of work and play.
Let customers speak for us
I worked directly with Tsia on this bespoke piece, not knowing my exact size due to my current pregnancy, but being drawn to the design of the dress as a great one that would accommodate my bump. Tsia was amazing, detail-oriented, and thoughtful, reaching out to me before starting to verify measurements and how I planned to use the dress -- for my sister's wedding. The dress arrived. I tried it on. It fits perfectly, and I feel so beautiful in it.
