Name: Dee
Occupation: Retiree, student and volunteer in the arts
Age: 60+
City: Waimanalo
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? Discovering Diane von Furstenberg and Elie Tahari dresses at Neiman Marcus.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? My Turkish gold bangles and Tahitian black pearl necklace for their elegance, timelessness and versatility, whether dressing down or upscale.
Name: Omer
Occupation: Software developer
Age: 16+
City: Waimanalo
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? AllSaints menswear.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? My Robert Graham shirt. The artsy and colorful touches have the right nonconformist feel for my aging-hipster disposition, and it is flexible for many Honolulu events, from dinner and drinks to concerts and parties.
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Name: Melissa May White
Occupation: Co-founder and partner, Hawaii Fashion Incubator
Age: 34
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? My interest in fashion extends beyond the limits of human memory. I have distinct recollections of pieces that sparked my imagination, such as a pair of vintage gold lamé pumps my neighbor had worn on Broadway or my grandmother’s crocodile purse with a baby crocodile on it. Those things inspired in me a love of fanciful style.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? The pieces I can never get rid of are my vintage classics. Tailored dresses, structured bags, costume jewelry and hats. This red vintage wool coat dates back to my college years, and though it rarely sees the light of day in Hawai‘i, I will always keep it in my arsenal. A red coat imparts an attitude and a togetherness that is hard to emulate with any other article of clothing.
Name: Toby Portner
Occupation: Co-founder and partner artner, Hawaii Fashion Incubator; resource teacher for Homeless Concerns, Hawaii DOE
Age: 44
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? I can’t remember exactly when I started to appreciate fashion because it goes back pretty far. My memories from childhood always include clothing and accessories on my mom, aunties, grandmothers and teachers. On my seventh birthday, I received a denim vest with patches and leather laces from a friend. Most girls were into dresses, and I was sometimes teased for being different. That vest let me express my personal sense of tomboy style with an edge. I wore it season after season until it was too small. I found it in a box of old things just a few weeks ago.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? A basic denim jacket. The story above might help explain it. Even as I evolved into a lover of dresses, the denim jacket remains a staple that gender-neutralizes nearly any outfit. I appreciate versatile clothing and style that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
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Name: Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence
Occupation: Student at Harvard University
Age: 19
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? See answer below; I used to wear it back in seventh grade. It got me a lot of stares walking down middle school hallways.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? A vintage, purple, psychedelic floral print ’70s mini dress with matching jacket. It was once a wedding dress. It’s my lucky dress. I wore it to take the SATs and on my first day of college classes.
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Name: Tom Park
Occupation: Owner, Leather Soul
Age: 34
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? My first pair of Nike Air Jordans back when I was in first or second grade.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? Besides the obvious – my shoes – I would have to say any one of my bespoke Orazio Luciano suits. I really enjoy the Neapolitan style of suiting.
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Name: Lesli-Ann Yano
Occupation: Director of special events, American Heart Association
Age: 38
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? T-shirts. When I was 5, my mom would dress me in T-shirts with quirky sayings: “Clean rooms are boring,” or “When I learn how to cross the street, I am running for President.”
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? Just one? Too many too choose from. I think my shoes are my defining point … maybe my skirts … or my dresses … or my accessories …
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Name: Andy Reilly
Occupation: Associate professor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, apparel product design and merchandising
Age: 39
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? I recall designing clothing ever since I was a child, probably about 4 or 5 years old. I would draw and then try to sew out of fabric or in some cases paper towels. So for me, it’s always been a part of who I was. I recall a three-piece suit I had when I was probably 5 or 6. It was sky blue with gold pinstripes. It sounds garish now, but it was my favorite piece of clothing. I remember it fondly. I think what I liked about it was that it was different from suits – not white pinstripes but gold.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? I like fragrances. They can be paired with any clothing options and can really become synonymous with a person. My favorite cologne currently is M/MINK by Byredo. Byredo is a Swedish company that makes the most interesting fragrances. When I first smelled M/MINK I immediately bought it. It was different: surprising and subtle. It was different from anything else I have smelled and that speaks to my sense of fashion – different but subtle.
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Name: Hannah Broderick
Occupation: Student, Punahou School
Age: 16
City: Honolulu
What article of clothing first sparked your interest in fashion? I remember seeing this old lady in the Kaimukī Goodwill wearing a long-sleeve, black velvet pleated dress with buttons down the back. She was without apology, daring you to stare. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but easy to imagine that she’d been where I was standing, had looked out the other side.
What article of clothing defines your fashion sense? A secondhand floral tea dress belted at the waist, because it makes me feel like a pinned-up garden.
