By Julie Sotomura, Special to the Star-Bulletin
A stage set up in Union Square in front of Macy's brings
a taste of Hawaiian music and dance to San Francisco shoppers.
For its 1998 annual spring show, Macy is showcasing the
blossoms of Hawaii as well as Hawaii's people and culture.
San Francisco samples
By Greg Ambrose
Hawaiian spirit
Special to the Star-BulletinBay area residents who aren't attuned to the great outdoors first discover that winter is over during Macy's annual Spring Flower Show.
Spring of 1998 will be especially confusing for such people, because Macy's has gone to great lengths to bring Hawaii to San Francisco.
People are flocking to San Francisco from around the world after the vernal equinox to gaze in wonder at the hundreds of thousands of flowers that transform the department store at Union Square in a yearly extravaganza.
Through April 18, the elegant store is an exotic tropical paradise featuring 20,000 pounds of fresh-cut flowers flown from Hawaii.
The lovely, fragrant products of some of Hawaii's top nurseries have transformed the upscale store into a rainforest jungle of plumeria, pikake, heliconia, orchids, tree ferns, red banana trees, torch ginger, fragrant yellow and white ginger, and anthuriums.
By Julie Sotomura, Special to the Star-Bulletin
San Franciscans in rain gear watch
a traditional Hawaiian dance presentation.
But there's more. Shoppers and gawkers can buy the locally made goods of companies from all the islands, while admiring hula performances, Hawaiian musicians, chanters, cooking demonstrations by the islands top chefs, and artisans creating traditional crafts."This is a fabulous opportunity for large and small specialty companies to make a big splash in one of our most important West Coast markets," said Roberta Rinker-Ludloff, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau vice president for marketing.
HVCB officials are betting that once they get a taste of Hawaii in San Francisco, some of the 200,000 people expected to stroll through the flower show will visit Hawaii to see the real thing.
Macy's has put on 51 Spring Flower Shows, and this will be the first dedicated to Hawaii, courtesy of serious lobbying from the HVCB as part of its "Aloha, San Francisco!" marketing campaign.
Macy's media blitz includes nearly full-page color ads in Bay area newspapers, featuring beautiful models in beautiful Big Island locations, hotel information and Websites.
Even with Hawaii as a theme, it might have been just another stunning display of beautiful foliage if Betty Krogh, Macy's West public relations vice president, hadn't fallen in love with Hawaii during a scouting trip last May.
A native of Southern California, Krogh had her stereotype of Hawaii --as just another place to get a tan on the beach -- shaken to the core by close contact with Hawaii's people.
"Everybody was so gracious to share their culture, to share everything that makes Hawaii special to them," Krogh said. "Everybody had so much to contribute, they are so proud of their heritage."
As Krogh visited botanical gardens and the Bishop Museum, she realized that Hawaii isn't just another pretty face, that it has a cultural depth and resonance that she wanted to present in the flower show.
By Julie Sotomura, Special to the Star-Bulletin
Shoppers crowd Macy's flower show floor.
"I didn't have a beach vacation, I had a cultural experience," Krogh said."In working with Gail Chew and the others at the HVCB, they have opened a lot of doors to allow us to be authentic in how we present this show."
Thus you have "The Spirit of Hawai'i," an homage to the rich cultural melange of the islands. Kapena is performing and Na Mele Hula 'Ohana is offering lessons for keiki.
Paulette Kahalepuna is showing how to make feather leis, while Margaret Lovett weaves lauhala hats and baskets and Lillian Macedo stitches quilts.
Master chanter Charles Ka'upu is certain to raise some serious chickenskin on people who may be mystified by why he affected them so strongly.
Visitors can check out displays of surfboards, outrigger canoes and classic aloha shirts, while Edgy Lee's documentary "Paniolo o Hawai'i" plays continuously throughout the store.
Macy's is dedicating six windows, each to a different island, with extravagant displays. And with such masters of Hawaiian regional cuisine as Sam Choy, Alan Wong and Alan Tsuchiyama whipping up ono batches of local food, it's likely that visitors will leave the flower show craving another taste of Hawaii.
"I hope the people who visit the flower show take away same sense I did, that Hawaii isn't just a beach, that there is a cultural and a wonderful spirit there, a spirit of of many cultures," said Krogh.
For information on "Spirit of Hawai'i" flower show, call (415) 393-3455.
Calendar of Macy's events
