Hoʻolauna me ka poʻe e hoʻohana i ka lole
(meet the designer)
ʻO wai au?
(Who am I?)
Aloha mai kākou! My name is Akahai Iida, the creative mind and heart behind Iida Keawe LLC.
Ka Huaka’i
(My journey)
Born in Hilo on Moku o Keawe, raised by a single mother, my passion for fashion blossomed at an early age. Growing up, I would watch my mom, who used to sew uniforms for the iconic Kīlauea Lodge in my hometown of Volcano, work into the late hours of the night. I remember the Hawaiian prints, the sound of the sewing machine, and the whirr of the serger. Naturally, as a mama’s boy who idolized his mother, I, too, wanted to learn how to sew. I remember my first ever pattern; a pair of sleeping pants. I remember the fabric I picked out for them, black, polyester satin. I wore those pajama pants to death and was so proud of them. From there, I would grow my passion for style and fashion, but as a “practical” kid, when I went off to college, I decided to major in Psychology, thinking it as a hobby, but not something I could make a life from. But as Fate would have it, a friend who was in the fashion program wanted me to take a fashion illustration course with her, but it required the fashion programs 100 level course. It was that semester when I truly found my calling and the fashionisto in me was reborn. I ended up switching my major to fashion, and I regret none of it. I would then go on to work for the luxury companies Ralph Lauren and Prada, further immersing myself in the world of luxury and high fashion. Although I loved both companies dearly, I had a longing to tell my own story and share my own vision of what fashion was to me.
Ka Hānau ʻIa ʻAna o Iida Keawe
(the birth of Iida Keawe)
Iida Keawe has always been a long time coming. For years, I had been denied and rejected at every turn. I was denied entry into the senior design class at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in my senior year. When given an opportunity to submit a design for alumnus, we weren’t allowed to walk with our designs. Numerous organizations that put on fashion shows that I’ve applied to told me that my designs were “just not what they were looking for.” Well, I was tired of being told “No.” I took matters into my own hands. This came at a time where I was also battling severe depression. I really had to fight through difficulties and almost lost my will and strength. But still I pushed on. I started going to therapy and set forth on my journey to recovery and rediscovered my passion for design and created a concept that told the story of my struggles. I made opportunities for myself and started taking what I wanted instead of asking for it. Now, I’m here. Launched my own company, currently planning my own show, and have concepts developed for the next two years. Looking back on it, all the rejection was fuel; the fuel to ignite the birth of Iida Keawe and all the many years to come.
Ka Iwi Hilo o Iida Keawe
(The core beliefs of Iida Keawe)
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Hawaiian culture has been a huge part of my life as an alumni of Kamehameha Schools. Throughout my time at Kamehameha, I chose to take ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi throughout the entirety of my education. As a Native Hawaiian, I felt it was my duty to learn the language and perpetuate the culture. My wish is to bring my love for my culture into the world stage and show that our culture is one of beauty and depth.
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It is a vision of mine to step away from the typical luxury brand model, in the sense that I do not plan on launching collections every season. I will release my collections on my own time and only when they are ready. My collections tell stories. My pieces are art. Each garment has been carefully designed to be the embodiment of complex emotions.
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As an industry, fashion stands as one of the most wasteful in the world. Whether it is the culture of fast fashion that demands new collections every season, or fabric scraps from production just being thrown away, Iida Keawe seeks to abandon the norm and find alternative ways of reducing the amount of waste created. We will do this by making a commitment to using all the fabric we purchase, utilizing the scraps to create things like accessories, stuffing for pet beds that we will donate to animal shelters and humane societies, etc.
Mahalo iā ‘Oukou ĀPAU
(Thank you all)