Part 1
When I decided to close our Showroom in Manoa a couple of years ago, I signed myself up to be a part of an E-commerce coaching platform. It's been one of the best decisions I've made for my business and has given me a new perspective on what I can do with and through this business.
Being a 4th generation Japanese girl who was born and raised in Hawaii, I have a deep respect for the local culture and it's embedded into my soul. I never really knew how magical this place is until I decided to go away for college. As I packed up my bag and landed in NYC, I thought I would never return to Hawaii — I pictured myself in the fast-paced city of New York, wearing all black, stomping in my boots across 7th Avenue, then drinking cosmos at night with my fabulous friends in Soho (for all my SATC girlies out there!) But was I spent more time living there, I realized I was so homesick.
As much as I loved the fast pace and amazing fashion the city had to offer, I missed the culture of Hawaii — the people, the food, and the overall heartbeat of what makes this place so special. Even if you asked me today, I can't point to one specific thing — it's the energy, it's the vibe... nothing beats living in Hawaii.
It's the ideal place to live, but not the most ideal place to run a business. As an entrepreneur, I've had my fair share of difficult learning moments where I needed to be honest with myself, make hard decisions, and do the "right thing" for the brand, even though it pained me to do it.
The first thing was moving my manufacturing from Hawaii to California. I'm a maker deep within my heart — I loved visiting the local factories and picking up and dropping off bolts of fabric to the cutter — but it didn't make any sense for the business as I grew. Quality started to slip, capacity was limited, deadlines were delayed, and our seamstresses were getting older and retiring. I couldn't see a situation where this got better for me or the brand.
This change made me feel less like a Hawaii brand, and it affected me more than I allowed myself to realize. And then I chose to close my Showroom, something I struggled with for a long time. My one physical connection point to you needed to be closed. The cost of a retail space, along with the rising cost of staffing, became too much to bear — at the end of the day, we weren't making a profit, struggling to make ends meet.
And BOOM — my second connection point to Hawaii was gone . . .
Now, as I make the decision to move our fulfillment (where we pack and ship our orders) out of Hawaii — blame it on the ridiculously high cost to ship goods from California — another connection point to my home will be sadly taken away from me and the team.
But through all of this sadness, I had one clear moment of gratitude, my light at the end of the tunnel: myself, the team, and the heart of the business still remain here on Oahu. And I don't see that changing in the near future.
I returned to Hawaii to give myself the opportunity to live in this beautiful and magical place — to raise my kids here, for them to be surrounded by this culture, this beauty, and their friends and family. And when I look back at what I've been able to build here with this talented team, it's allowed me to see that we've built a community of amazing women who not only support us — you champion for us.
It's because of your love, your energy and your aloha spirit that I've been given the ability, along with the team, to live our dreams. This feeling, the mana (spiritual power) that surrounds me every day, is what allows me to continue in my darkest moments — from you and every single person who lives within these islands, keeping me supported every day.
So I hope you understand that this brand, this team, and I are still deeply rooted in honoring this place that has supported and raised us all these years. It is because of our deep respect for Hawaii that we will continue to honor what the aloha spirit truly means.
Thank you for supporting Allison Izu, thank you for supporting local, and for allowing makers like myself the opportunity to share our stories with you.
Sending you lots of love, aloha, and light from all of us here...
Mahalo — Allison
