Hilo Hattie

In memory of former "The Store of Hawaii", I inaugurated my Pacific Fashion blog with Hilo Hattie.

Hilo Hattie used to be one of the most famous brands from Hawaii, alluring tourists with free trolley rides and free juices and shell necklace at the door. What a luxurious display of generosity and hospitality! You could find souvenirs and Hawaiian wear, such as a family outfit of same-print shirts and dresses. It used to be a Hawaiian must-go shopping destination.

Bygone those glorious days back in the 1980s. Today, their website cannot be opened. The disappearance of their online presence is an indicator of how dissolved they are, as retail stores, a brand and embodiment of what Hawaii has to offer.

Last summer (2008), I almost made my internship gig there. A week before I started summer days in that green two-storied building of Hilo Hattie's headquarters, I received a phone call from their HR, telling me to hold on, because they are undergoing restructuring. Then, boom, they just went bankcrupt.

I can only guess why. Consumers find many other and better alteratives of Aloha wear and souvenirs. Maybe it is a failed outsourcing endeavor. Instead of offering Hawaiian shirts in cheaper prices, the price tag remained higher than competitors. At the same time, the brand lost the charm of being Hawaiian by "made in Hawaii".

For many, Hilo Hattie is a landmark of Hawaiian retailing achievements and an emotional attachment to the land. Like Super Ferry, the Hawaiian-born brand could not live through this harsh winter of economic downturn.

I hope something new will spring from the root.