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Fitted Hawaii: Keeping it Homegrown
For those not familiar with Fitted, here’s a look at what makes the streetwear company so successful.
3 Steps to Success
There are three key strategies (in my opinion) that make Fitted a world renonwed and respected brand:
- Keep it Local.
- Keep it Limited.
- Collaborate Often.
Homegrown, and proud of it.
From the very beginning, Fitted has supported local culture and communities with a mission to ”fill the void of custom New Era caps and penetrate a market that was missing the voice of the people.”
Before Fitted, Honolulu street style emulated looks from places like New York or Los Angeles. But the local Hawaiian culture has its own unique vibe, an energy and history that no other city can call their own. With fresh designs and an eye on an untapped market, Fitted took Hawaii to new heights in the world of street fashion.
“Fitted’s mission is to teach the youth [of Hawaii] the importance of embracing [Hawaiian] culture and history, while maintaing a high standard on quality, functionality and aesthetics [similar to the standards of NYC, LA, SF and beyond].”
While Supplies Last.
Fitted releases don’t last very long. And once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Of course, if a release is successful and demand is high, Fitted makes a new version–like this Home Grown tee (“Lihue” fans: look familiar?):
With hats and tees typically limited to 30 units total, people line up hours before the store opens. Some people have lined up outside the store the day before the release. The super-rare releases can reach super-high prices online, but if you stop by the shop near Ala Moana you can pick up any number of styles that they carry (in ever-changing colorways, of course).
And every release has a story behind it, which makes each product even more special. Here’s what Fitted had to say about their Homegrown release:
Homegrown. The general definition of this is: “Raised or grown at home.” To us, the definition of Homegrown is much deeper than that. Homegrown is more than a sense of pride, it’s the way we carry ourselves, whether we’re at home or abroad. It’s the way we treat others (with the utmost respect, as we’ve been taught by our elders), the way we greet each other, the way we may seek out for a Spam Musubi somewhere as far off as Tennessee, knowing very well that we more than likely won’t find it. Homegrown to us is embracing our sports teams and hometown heroes, even if when they’re on the receiving end of negative press. That’s a brief glimpse into what Homegrown means to us…
Work with the Best
I don’t want to make an over-statement with this, but Fitted collaborates with the best in the industry, whether it’s custom Vans sneakers, hi-top kicks by Element Skateboards, exclusive apparel with Primo Beer, tag-teamed tees with fellow streetwear innovator Cukui–the list goes on.
Which brings me to the Aloha Got Soul x Fitted Hawaii collaboration.
The upcoming release, slated for February 2012 (and hopefully no later), will be all three things: local, limited, and a collaborative effort between two of the best in their respective industries.
(Except in my case, Aloha Got Soul is the only one in its industry.)
Learn more about Fitted and Aloha Got Soul here.
Don’t miss a single update:
Digging in Hawaii: Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts
There are so many directions I could go with this post. Should I spill more details about the Fitted x Aloha Got Soul project? Should I highlight a local music shop? Maybe I’ll showcase my latest song-that’s-on-repeat?
Wait, why can’t I just talk about all of it?
Click here for the latest updates on Fitted x Aloha Got Soul.
Fitted x Aloha Got Soul at Bailey's Antiques & Aloha Shirts on Kapahulu Ave.
Somewhere near University Avenue, 10:00 a.m.
OK, so I took a day off to hunt for records with a few members of the Fitted team. We hit a handful of spots in the Honolulu area on a typically hot yet overcast Thursday in Hawaii. We climbed into one car and I popped in a CD-R of some Hawaiian stuff not featured on the upcoming Fitted x Aloha Got Soul mix, including Hal Bradbury’s “You Win, I Lose” from the singer’s solo album, This Is Love.
Before the big release (tentatively dropping in February), we’re giving away a free 30-minute teaser mix to get people excited about the project. This musical appetizer (we call them pupus in Hawaii) will be a delectable prelude to the main course: a 1 hour, 16 minute blend of Hawaiian jazz, funk and soul.
Ready for some digging with a portable turntable plus coffee.
That’s right, the main course will be an original Aloha Got Soul x Fitted shirt with a professionally pressed CD featuring over 25 tracks of Hawaiian grooves—delicious to the last bite, just what a main course should be.
The hunt begins: Hawaiian LPs at Bailey's
Digging for vinyl at Bailey’s
Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts specializes in what tourists usually call “Hawaiian shirts”. That’s how you can tell whether someone’s a local. Bailey’s offers a sizable collection of used Hawaiian music, though no local ever calls it “Aloha music”.
Condition dictates price at most vinyl music stores. But, because Bailey’s is at the edge of Waikiki and Hawaiian music is a novelty most tourists pay more for, price tags here discourage me from buying more than two records.
Of all the stores on Oahu that carry vinyl, Bailey’s boasts the most aesthetically intriguing environment—with over 15,000 Aloha shirts, hundreds of posters, and thousands more trinkets, this Honolulu vintage store sells enough tropical paraphernalia to hypnotize any shopper.
Vintage aloha shirts on display outside, 15,000 more on sale inside.
Redeeming a broken record
If you follow @alohagotsoul on Twitter, you might remember the day I fell down while skateboarding with records under my arm. Bad idea. Crack in ground = cracked LPs.
I redeemed my tumble after finding another copy of the fourth album in the Homegrown series, produced by radio DJ Ron Jacobs. This time, my four-wheel ride home was a pickup truck, so my records were safe.
Stay broke: My Homegrown IV LP from September 2011. Rest in Peace.
Digging in Hawaii is more fun with friends, especially when you’re filming for an upcoming Fitted project. Did I forget to mention that we’re also filming a teaser video for the upcoming project? Well, there you go, secret’s out!
Mahalo for reading, and remember: support local. Stay tuned ’cause there’s lots more to talk about!
Don’t miss a single update:
Look for the Hawaiian vinyl at the end of the maze at Bailey's.
Like this:
Hal Bradbury “You Win, I Lose”
“You Win, I Lose” by Hal Bradbury Continue reading
Aloha Got Soul Served Daily: Announcing the Fitted Collaboration
Seventies and eighties funk-soul music is pretty obscure. The average listener has little idea there’s a world beyond the Golden Oldies station their parents jam to. My friends tell me that once you add Hawaiian funk-soul music into the mix, you’ve launched yourself into near nonexistence.
That’s about to change.
Aloha Got Soul is collaborating with Fitted—a streetwear powerhouse rooted in local culture and aloha—to launch Hawaiian funk and soul music to the forefront of this generation’s ears.
Click here for the latest updates on Fitted x Aloha Got Soul.
Writing on the wall: the Aloha Got Soul x Fitted collaboration is currently in production.
There’s going to be so much to share as the project comes to life.
Hold me to my word: I’m going to upload more videos, write more reviews, and post more interviews of the artists featured in the collaboration.
I might even release some Aloha Got Soul shirts before the 2012 release.
In the meantime, don’t miss a single update:
Like Aloha Got Soul on Facebook
All You Really Need: Jonathan’s “I’ve Got Love”
If all you got is love, what would you do with it? Record an album of love songs, of course! And that’s just what Filipino crooner Jonathan Potenciano did with I’ve Got Love, his first U.S. release.
What’s Inside that DVD Set? The Final 70s Nightclub Reunion
Just got an email from Supes aka Irwin Santos:
the 70s Nightclub Reunion DVD Set is ready to launch!
There’s over 3+ hours of music shot in HD and presented in Standard Definition Widescreen & Dolby Digital Stereo. The audio is a combination of ambient microphones, plus the feed that was coming from the mixer. When combined…BOOM!!! Just sit back, crank up the volume, and listen to a LIVE performance.
Thousands of cut edits between camera angles and synchronization to music, separate this from any other video presentation that’s ever been produced in Hawaii and is available on DVD. There wasn’t someone that nuts enough to make it happen. Lucky you.
The 70s Nightclub Reunion IX Final Show DVD is a defacto collector’s item for us locals here in Hawaii (and readers like you who love this music).
Here’s a piece of history that you can
relive over and over again,
just crank up the volume!
Click links to online videos & teasers. Please note that the YouTube videos posted online by me (Irwin), are rough cuts. What you’ll get on the actual DVD may slightly differ in the final cut-scenes and audio play. Oh yeah, VERY IMPORTANT, please do NOT make copies or upload any of the videos to You Tube or other online website(s)s from the 70s NCR IX DVD. Otherwise, some large 6’4″ ~300lb Hawaiian Guy will come after you with a baseball bat and will teach you a lesson in copyright.
Disc 1
- Greenwood: Get Down Tonight / Play That Funky Music / Back In Love Again / Summer Sun / Sweethearts / Get Down On It / Movin’ / I’ve Got My Mind Made Up / Jungle Boogie/Funk Stuff/Hollywood Swinging / One Fine Morning
- Aura (Part 1): EWF Medley (Shining Star / Serpentine Fire / Sing a Song / September / Let’s Groove / Getaway) / Best of My Love / To Be Real / Another Star
Disc 2
- Aura (Part 2): If I Could / That’s the Way of the World / Don’t Stop Believing / Separate Ways / Kool & The Gang Medley (Hollywood Swing -In / Jungle Boogie / Ladies Night / Get Down On It / Let’s Go Dancin {Ooh La La La}) / Last Dance / Heaven Knows / Boogie Wonderland /The Bird
- Nueva Vida featuring Pauline Wilson: Do I Do / Cantaloop / Ain’t Nobody / Baby I Love You / Angel of Mercy / Boogie Wonderland /Addicted to Love / Follow Your Road / Superstition
- Powerpoint (Part 1): Fire / Love Rollercoaster / Skin Tight
Disc 3
- Powerpoint (Part 2): I Wish / No Parking on the Dance Floor / Too Hot Too Trot / Play That Funky Music / Disco Inferno / Jungle Love
- Phase VII: Peg / September / Don’t Take Away the Music / Heaven Must be Missing An Angel / Babe / Lady Love / You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine / Lowdown / I Wish / Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing / You Ought to be Having Fun
All the discs are DVD-5, playable in any region, placed in a single standard “Amaray” DVD 14mm case with 3 disc holders and a song title insert. There’s a 30-day warranty on defective discs during playback, disc replacement only. Every set has been tested prior to packaging.
“Alcohol & Disco Ball NOT included”
DVD sets are $39.95 USD plus shipping.
(otherwise, don’t bother him with anything else cause that guy is busy!)
A Forgotten Album: Kalapana Plays Southern All Stars
Today is a special day, my girlfriend’s birthday! This post is in honor of her and her Japanese roots. It’s also a post about a Kalapana album that not many people know about. Enjoy!
Kalapana sat down in 1991 to create what should be a monumental album in their long list of recordings, but has been largely overlooked in their discography. My guess is that people enjoy the 1970s and 80s sound of Kalapana, but never really got used to the 90s sound of this CD.
Kalapana plays Southern All Stars—featuring ten tunes written by prolific songwriter Keisuke Kuwata—showcases the Hawaii group singing some of Japan’s most beloved songs from the 1970s and onward.
I once read that Southern All Stars is to Japan what Kalapana is to Hawaii.
It took me a long time to track down this CD which never made it to vinyl as far as I know.
Kalapana translated all ten songs from Japanese to English from the CD. A big challenge that succeeded by keeping the meaning of the original lyrics intact.
My girlfriend’s favorite Sazan song is “Itoshi no Ellie”, and we’ve been playing it on repeat for months now.
The details:
1. Sorry To Make You Cry (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
2. Unaware (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
3. Just A Little Bit (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
4. Miss Brand-New Day (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
5. Ya Ya (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
6. Melody (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
7. Please! (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
8. Capricious (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
9. Ellie My Love (Keisuke Kuwata, Varnes & Hawkins)
10. Big Wave (Keisuke Kuwata & Kalapana)
Executive Producers : Yoshiya Omata & Tom Sassa
Produced by Kenji Sano
Recorded at Garden Rake, California; Village Recorders, California (The Steve Lindsey Studio) & M-Bar, Osaka
Mixed at Garden Rake
Engineered by Gaylor Holomalia
Assistant Engineers : Greg Loskorn, Eric Anest & Hideo Ueda
Kalapana :
Malani Bilyeu : Guitars & Vocals
Mackey Feary : Guitars & Vocals
Gaylord Holomalia : Keyboards
D.J. Pratt : Guitars
Kenji Sano : Bass & Vocals
Additional musicians :
Alex Acuna : Percussion
Tris Imboden : Drums
Michael Paulo : Sax
James Studer : Keyboards & Vocals
A Love Supreme: The Lyman Legacy Lives On
Sometimes a realization hits you so hard, you don’t believe it’s been staring at you for so long.
Case in point: I recently re-connected with guitarist Alika Lyman, a good friend of mine since elementary school. Continue reading
Music Magic Reunion Recap: The Band Makes the Name
Music Magic, their name lives up to the show!
Some 28 years after the group disbanded, Music Magic proves worthy of their name with a string of reunion shows at Jazz Minds Café. I was lucky enough to catch one of their weekend performances on a Friday night (one of five gigs total).
It blew me away.
Jay Molina, Darryl Blouin, Fred Screuders, Al Pascua, Peter Factora, and Fred Li all sounded tight as ever. (Not that I would know, this was my first-ever Music Magic performance!)
Super funky, super soulful, super jazzy. Just the right blend.
Fred Schreuders (left) and Jay Molina (right) of Music Magic performing live at Jazz Minds Café.
They hit every song with enough energy to excite the crowds into rounds of shouts and howls. If there was a bigger dance floor, people would’ve stood up and, how do you say? Get their groove on.
And the percussion: flying all over the place, and loud, too, just like Darryl’s shirt, bright gold. Darryl was another show of his own accord, adlib-ing and scat-ing his way through songs, even singing Stevie Wonder’s “Do I Do” with the same conviction as the Wonder man himself. So good.
Songs included “People Make the World Go Round”, “What’s Goin’ On”, “Spain” by Chick Corea, and Music Magic originals “Ray Alan” and “Only Ours to Share”, and more.
Fred Li (right) and Darryl Blouiin of Music Magic
My iPhone failed to make any decent audio recordings. Luckily, YouTuber bassplayer60 just uploaded some videos of Music Magic! (*Note: Darryl must’ve changed shirts for the 10:30pm show, because he was glittering gold a few hours earlier).
Mahalo to Jay Molina and the crew for a truly magical moment in Hawaii’s music history! And thanks to Fred Li and Joe Hee of No Hum Yet and Sound Systems Hawaii for organizing the Music Magic reunion shows!
Read more Music Magic
Doing Something Special: An Interview with Jay Molina
Mixed-Up Music Magic: The Many Styles of Hawaii’s Jazz-Fusion Group
Doing Something Special: An Interview with Jay Molina
This weekend, jazz-fusion band Music Magic reunites for a three shows at Jazz Minds Café.
I had the opportunity to ask Music Magic bassist/vocalist Jay Molina some questions over email before the band’s rehearsal this past Sunday. Continue reading
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