DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
A recent fashion show at Macy's Ala Moana featured Iolani Sportswear designs through the years: Lisa Okimoto, left, in a brown and gold pant set, Ryan Kilborn in a purple and white pullover (both are in polyester from the 1970s), Moani Hannahs in a vintage dress with "Spider Mum" design and Tony Chav in a polished-cotton vintage shirt in olive and blue, paired with a khaki jacket.
Inset: Company founders Edith and Kenji Kawakami are in the front row on either side of an employee holding the 1971 Sears Award of Excellence.
Iolani Sportswear's grown
from humble origins to survive
50 years in a fickle business
In the world of fashion, what's here today is gone tomorrow, and that's expected. Change is the only constant in the fashion industry, and no one knows this better than Lloyd Kawakami, president of Iolani Sportwear, a family company celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Fashion show
The Hui Makaala Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show will feature designs by Linda Iki and Iolani Sportswear:Where: Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom
When: 1 p.m. Oct. 26, with boutique sales from 9 a.m., and lunch at noon
Tickets: $45 per person; reservation deadline is Friday
Call: Lillian Miyao at 837-8466 or Karen Shishido at 527-5598
To survive, he said, his staff adopted a "go with the flow" attitude "to be quick on our feet and have the right look and the right price."
Lloyd's parents, Edith and Keiji Kawakami, founded Iolani Sportswear in 1953. Keiji Kawakami, a World War II veteran and member of the highly decorated 442nd "Go for Broke" Regimental Combat Team, had returned home to start the company with four sewing machines and seven employees in a dirt-floor room behind a gas station. These days, 35 employees keep the factory humming.
Lloyd, who has run the company for 15 years, was there through it all. "I remember being in a playpen or some type of confinement."
When he was old enough to help, "I used to work after school and in the summer. I was curious to find out what it was all about," he said. "I felt a responsibility and commitment to carry on something great.
"My parents always told me to do what I wanted. They presented the opportunity -- it was there if I wanted it. But, they backed me 100 percent if I chose to do something else," he said.
"My parents were both unusual, so they made a good pair. I recall doing deliveries with my dad. My mom was the one who built and ran the factory," he said.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Jordan Segundo, left, of "American Idol" fame wears a brown floral print shirt from Iolani's retro line, while company president Lloyd Kawakami wears a shirt from the contemporary line.
"Although the business kept the family busy, they always had time for us kids," Lloyd added.
"Now that I run the business, my parents don't look over my shoulder. They strongly believe that we learn from our mistakes ... our failures," he said.
Although his parents dealt with challenges typical for any startup, the fashion world has grown much more complex since the 1950s, with ever more competition from global corporations backed by gargantuan marketing budgets. Lloyd said his parents did not need to deal with global and distribution markets. "Things move a lot faster today. It's the nature of the beast.
"Our biggest accomplishment is that we have always tried to provide something different to the market. It's hard to stay in business for 50 years, so we needed to be creative.
The family purchased a small company, Young Hawaii, a small children's wear manufacturer, in the 1960s. Although Iolani was founded primarily in men's wear, the company is best known today for its women's line.
Luckily, a love for aloha attire is not restricted to Hawaii, and Iolani has found a niche in department stores across the country.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Joseph DeGracia lays out fabric for cutting in the Iolani Sportswear factory on Kona Street near Ala Moana Center.
"We are latecomers to selling offshore," he said, noting that his father felt strongly about keeping things local. Keiji told Lloyd, "Until you can service Hawaii completely, you have no business going offshore."
Hawaii is a one-season market, which can also be limiting. "We need to come up with new prints, fabrics and designs each month," Lloyd said. Establishing partnerships has helped. For instance, the "Island Moments by Emme" line -- created with the help of TV personality Emme Tomimbang -- emerged in the late 1990s with both retro and contemporary designs suitable for career wear.
In recognition of the anniversary, the company recently debuted a retrospective collection bringing back popular prints and of the past, slightly updated for contemporary consumers.
Even so, much of the old prints have been lost. Lloyd said his parents are also from an era when humility was prized, and caught up in the daily task of running a business, did not keep an archive of their accomplishments, said Kawakami. The view was "the past was the past."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Modeling designs from Iolani Sportswear's present and past are Marlene Baldueza, left, in a blue capri set from the contemporary line, and Anita Hall, right, in a gold kimono-style pants set.
As a result, original prints were discarded. "I remember us donating bunches of stuff to Goodwill," Lloyd said.
But those acquainted with the company will remember its famous three-quarter sleeve wedding shirt, one of the garments that stood the test of time. "Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise used to come in and bought them to bring back to friends. People still come in and buy them," said Kawakami.
These days, Iolani's factory on Kona street still produces nearly all of its products locally. Four seamstresses are known as the "S.W.A.T." team "who jump in and work on all the rush jobs," Lloyd said. Each of them has worked more than 25 years.
The pressers have one of the toughest jobs. "Their job is crucial because they make everything look good," said Lloyd, who adds, "I'm just a cheerleader."
"We are one of the few kamaaina companies that is being run by the original owners," he said. "We try to manufacture as many products locally as possible. It gives us a great source of pride.
"There is no such thing as taking a breather. We need to continue to break the mold," he said. "The next 50 years will be an interesting challenge."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lelita Cabanilla works at her sewing machine at the Iolani Sportswear garment factory.
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