Blogs by Allison

I was talking to some friends the other day and we were discussing age - how we feel vs. what the year says we are. I’m currently 47 but I still feel like I did when I was 36. I say 36 because it was that “middle ground” for me, where I felt mature and youthful. And I still feel that way today. A good balance of fun-loving, kinda crazy, youthful, and vibrant.  My physical body has changed and I’ve grown emotionally and spiritually - all signs that I’m not actually 36 anymore, but my spirit and my mind are still there. The youthfulness I feel hasn’t reduced as my age increased.  It's only our outward appearance that “gives us away.” So why do we prevent ourselves from acting like our younger selves?  Maybe I can't take tequila shots the way I used to (nor do I want to) or binge on Taco Bell late at night and not gain a pound. But when it comes to how I decide to live, I can still be the same vibrant human being that I was when I was 36.  Fashion is a physical representation of who we are and can express how we feel in the moment. And I think it allows us to get closer to how we feel inside. So if I’m feeling extra youthful that day, I can dress to match that feeling. I hear so many customers saying “I shouldn't wear tank tops, I can’t show my bra straps, or wear sneakers with a dress” - all because they’re “too old” for that. But who made up these rules? And why do we listen to them?  Every time I hear these “rules,” I’m reminded why I design clothes. It’s to help change our mindset, give us permission to not listen to these made up rules. And to wear what we want, just because. Fashion has the ability to make you feel more confident. Like when I have customers try on pants and a top that fits them well, I can see their posture and mood change instantly. It’s one of my favorite things to witness when I’m in the Showroom - to see someone look at themselves in the mirror and truly like what they see! And when I design each piece - this is the goal. I want you to feel confident, vibrant, youthful, and maybe even a little rebellious. That’s what I think will keep us joyful and engaged with life. Pushing the boundaries of our personal style and trying new things. It’s not about becoming a different person - it’s about letting go of all the “nos” or “cannots” in your head and allowing yourself to show up as that youthful, vibrant woman you deserve to be.   That’s the WHY behind my designs for 2024. To push my own boundaries of design and challenge myself (and you) to try new things. We’re gonna add a little spice to our life. Like new designs that allow my edgier, avant-garde side to come out more. New colors and fabric textures too. And hopefully that’ll push you to step outside of your comfort zone I’ll be here with you. Encouraging you to try a wide-leg pant this year or something a little more fitted on the top. I’m giving you permission to wear a sleeveless top or try the half tuck I swear by. We’re gonna wear a color you ‘never thought you could’ and push the boundaries out of the safe zone a little. Together, we’ll see how that one choice can shift the way we feel about yourself. We’re gonna have fun and see what we can explore in 2024! 

Every year, right when December starts, I feel a sense of anxiousness wash over me. Did I do enough? Is there anything left that I need to do this year? Am I ready for the new year? But this year was different. . . I’m shocked that I feel a sense of calm.   In 2023, I was practicing Surrender. If you haven’t read “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer - I recommend it. This book taught me what true Surrender felt like and what it means.  I’ve always been a “forceful” person - I can make things happen through sheer will and determination.  I used to think this was my “gift,” something to be proud of. But as I go through life, I realize that I’m creating more problems than solutions for myself. I’ve held onto things with a white knuckle grip that would suffocate whatever I couldn’t let go. And in the end, I’d create more pain for myself than anything else.  I could also force things into my life that weren’t meant for me, just because I selfishly wanted it. It was rare that I could allow things to happen FOR me.  But through many lessons throughout this year, I’ve learned to Surrender. I was talking to a friend about this and we were talking about working hard and giving it 100%. I still think we’re meant to work towards a goal, or excellence in our lives, but the difference is to find peace in knowing that we did all we can, even when our mind is still racing and feels like we haven’t. I now know I need to release it to the Universe. Like when you go into a project or task and you’ve turned in all of the work, done all you’ve can - that’s where we should leave it and pat ourselves on the back. Say “great job, I did what I could to the best of my abilities in that moment.” No more tossing and turning at night wondering what else I could’ve done. Or criticizing what you did or trying to answer the “what ifs.” It’s in these moments where we should let it go and be in a state of surrender and gratitude for what is. So I’m continuing to work on building my Surrender practice. To trust in my creativity, my inspiration, do the work, and then SURRENDER. To give myself the praise that I did all I could do because it’s out of my hands. Realizing that I can no longer force things to happen, I can no longer take control of everything because that isn’t “my job” anymore. As we close this chapter of 2023, I’m left with a sense of peace, joy, and gratefulness. For all that I’ve learned and all that I’ve received. I’m giving myself a pat on the back and taking in all the blissful moments that were gifted to me.  I can't say it enough, but I’m eternally grateful to you for your support of me. Grateful that I can wake up everyday, supported by an amazing community of women. I’m so grateful for my family, my team and for you. Thank you for allowing me to show up flawed and bruised, as you watch me stumble, make mistakes and figure it all out. THANK YOU for staying by my side and being my biggest cheerleader! The words don’t ever seem enough for the fulfillment that you give to my life. But humbly, it's all I can offer . . . THANK YOU!  I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and wonderful new year. I hope you’re excited for what 2024 has to offer. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you next year.  Much love, light and bliss!  XOXO, Allison 

The longer we live, the more beautiful life becomes. I think aging gets a bad rap, especially for women. It’s like society doesn't value our novelty after a certain age. I find it a little sad that as men age, they gain more prestige, they appear to have more knowledge, they become “experienced”, they become mentors and experts in their field. While women’s value seems to be more attached to our physical appearance than our knowledge or experience. We’ve been raised in a society that, still to this day, only gives women “air time” when we’re young and beautiful. We rarely see women over the age of 50 in magazines, in movies (as the leading lady, and not the “mom”) or even in board rooms. It’s as if our value decreases as men's increase.  And because of this disparity, we obsess over beauty products or undergo procedures to make us look 10 years younger. I admit that I sometimes stare at my face in the mirror and wonder where the taut, fuller face of my 30 year old self went. When did I buy into all of it and only focus on my physical appearance? Why am I telling myself this false narrative about my aging? And why can’t I replace this narrative with all that I’ve accomplished? Maybe that’s my lesson and resolution for my birthday. Every time I say something negative about my loose skin or a new set of wrinkles and age spots - I’ll need to say three nice things about myself. And slowly I’ll be able to undo the programming in my head about aging.  Isn’t that what we’re trying to work towards?  Positive change. Righting the “wrongs” of our lineage and this patriarchal society, to improve the lives for ourselves and our children?  That positive change starts with us. It’s not enough to just tell my daughter, I have to teach her through doing and showing her how I’m proud of myself and how much I value myself. So my promise to myself is every time I find myself counting the lines on my neck or wishing my age spots on my face and neck would stop multiplying - I will stop, and then replace them with three positive ones. That is my birthday wish for you too . . . To not just stop saying the negative things to yourself, but replace them with positive ones.  Can you imagine how this will change the trajectory of our lives? Maybe create a new societal norm for our children? I think it will make us love our age more, appreciate our wisdom and experience (even if our society won’t) and it’ll allow us to create a supportive community for other women. I’m so ready for this . . . what about you? - Allison

In this video, Allison thanks you all for your unwavering support throughout the years.

In this video Allison shares how important it is to give yourself permission to stand firm in your own light, radiate confidence, expand into the space you deserve, and boldly claim your worth.

So many of you reached out after I shared my last blog “As we age…” that it got me thinking… How many of us really feel this way? I did a little research and the results I found were astonishing! Did you know that 98% of girls feel there is an immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way (National Report on Self Esteem)?  That’s almost every single girl in the United States!  That statistic is way too high in my opinion and it left me thinking ‘how can we change that?’ As a mother of a daughter myself, I’m left baffled to assume that no matter what I do, Olive will feel pressured to look a certain way. She’s already shown signs of this - worrying about her skin and the pimples that are popping up here and there. She watches skincare videos on Youtube where girls have flawless skin. We’ve tried everything but I keep telling her that it's a process and her body is figuring it out. I also see insecurity seeping in when we go shopping. She tells me that she’s self-conscious when she shops with her friends and feels like people are judging her when she walks in a store. When I looked at research, I found that 20% of women felt judged by a salesperson.  And another 43% of women gave up and left a store because they felt defeated. Mind blown!  Although I can’t change every store and the experiences my daughter has, I can create a safe space to shop with no judgment for you. As an owner of a clothing store, I figured I could tackle some of this by making it my priority to figure out how we can improve this.  I think if we can start with something simple, like creating a comfortable and supportive shopping experience, maybe we can then take on the bigger issues of insecurity. I ask myself, how I can make sure that our space feels supportive and the designs I create to compliment that. For one, I work to hire a team of women who are warm, vulnerable and supportive. Yes - they’re usually on the young side, but what I love about them is that they can connect to my own deeper purpose, they get it. And we work on educating ourselves about different body types, silhouettes, and how to utilize different styles to get the best look for your body.  And as a designer, I’m working to create a brand that stands for more than just beautiful clothing. I’ve been trying to focus on designing for you, for women at any age, size or height - so we can feel beautiful at every stage of life. I don't think because we age, we need to give up looking/feeling beautiful, cool or fashionable. It’s our right to feel good in our skin, in our bodies and in our clothing. That’s why I love hearing from you, especially when you try new styles. I love hearing your feedback, making edits, and releasing them to see if you like the end result.  We’re constantly improving styles and editing them - to make them better for you. It’s why the Marketing Team makes it a priority to feature our clothing on “real women,” customers like you, peers and friends. We want there to be a body type you can relate to and connect with.  I don't want to add to these negative statistics. I don't want to become one of the many fashion brands that made us feel bad about ourselves. I’m taking one step at a time to create a space where we feel love and accepted for who we are, right now. As always, I love hearing from you! Leave a comment below or send us an email at shop@allisonizu.com.  love + light,  - Allison

I was talking to my team the other day about how they connect to the brand. Mind you most of my team are in their 20’s... But they bring a different perspective to the table and it’s inspiring to hear from them. One of them mentioned when she’s in the Showroom helping customers, she views it like shopping with her mom. She talked about how she noticed that her mom has lost some confidence as she ages and is frustrated with the clothing that is out there.  I’ve always loved fashion. I was a slave to every fashion trend and learned how to sew so I could alter clothing to get the look to work for my shorter frame. I love all of it - the fabric, the styles, the colors. But most of all, I love how fashion can transport you to another place. How it has the ability to make you feel like another person. I think that’s why we name our outfits - POWER SUIT, DATE NIGHT OUTFIT, or CASUAL FRIDAYS. For some of us, it’s a suit of “armor” we wear to gear up for the day ahead. And we use these guideposts to help show up as who we want to be.  And as I age, I want fashion to be something more than that. I want it to be the support system that allows me to show up authentically as myself. I didn’t realize it until talking with my team, that my focus has been to design clothing for every stage of our life. When I started, I was 20ish and focused primarily on my plight as a short woman. I designed premium petite denim to solve the current problem I, and many others, were facing. Fast forward to my 30’s, after having kids, and accepting that my metabolism slowed down - I started to design clothing that could minimize my additional weight gain. They were styles that would cover and drape my soft tummy, minimize my wider hips and back side.  And as I enter my second half of my 40’s, I’m asking myself “now what?” I’ve been FINALLY accepting and loving who I’ve become and who I am right now. Yes, it comes with saggier skin, a wider midsection and wrinkles (thanks perimenopause) - but I’m learning to love every part of myself, even when I look down and wonder - what’s happening to the skin around my knees?? And because of it, my designs (like myself) are evolving. I don’t believe as we age, it means our lives (or our love of fashion) are over. It doesn’t mean we’re no longer sexy, or attractive, or worthy to take up space. It’s the total opposite.  Now, I’m more interested in loving and accepting what I see reflected in the mirror.  Who is this person? Is it an authentic reflection of how I feel? This is my new challenge. And I started to design for that. I’ve slowly been challenging myself to design new styles that will give us (dare I say) “older women” the permission to take back our beauty and worthiness.   My new mission is to begin to design pieces that will allow us to see ourselves in a new light, to journey towards loving all of ourselves. It’s going to be designs that are more about us, and less about how it makes others feel. So what if people get a little uncomfortable seeing a 40 year old (or 70!) woman wear a top that hugs a little more mid section (that may or may not be flat). Or maybe pants that hug our hips and butt (that may be a little lumpy). If you look in the mirror and like what you see - then go for it. Wear the tank top that shows your arms - they may not be like the arms of your 20 year old self, but these arms have lived life and deserve to be celebrated. They’ve given many hugs of comfort and have pointed towards so many goals and destinations. And I say, let’s wear those shorts that show off your legs more than you’re used to - those are the legs that have carried you through every major event in your life. They were the coziest lap for my kids to curl up on, even as they get older. So why not celebrate them? Because you are beautiful and you are worthy to take up space in this world. To stand firmly in the light. You have every right to wear a shorter dress or a top with a low sexy V-neck if that’s what your heart is asking for. We deserve to feel vibrant, confident and beautiful - this is my goal, this is my purpose. I can't wait to continue this journey right next to you and share all of it!    - Allison

  I’ve been in denial a little… As I embark on my 15th year in business, I honestly can't believe it’s been that long! If you asked me 15 years ago where I envisioned myself, this would not have been my answer. I’m not disappointed in any way. I’m grateful for my life and how everything has led me to this point. But, 15 years ago (or even before that) when I had the inspiration to start this business, I was a completely different person. I was focused on making beautiful clothing and I’m ashamed to share this with you, being rich. Isn’t that what all 20 something year old fashion designers want? sigh… I was 30 when I finally left my family business and embarked on my own (that’s some scary sh** for someone in an Asian family!) I dabbled in other businesses, until I found my passion in creating premium petite denim. I stumbled a lot in the beginning, facing numerous road bumps and dwindling funds. I started this business selfishly, for myself. I was short and I wanted clothing that fit my height. And then realized that other people were facing the same insecurities and frustrations with the fashion industry.  I went from trunk shows to consignment into local boutiques. My dream was to launch my denim in every boutique from here to New York. I heard a lot of “no’s” along the way, it was discouraging and set me back a bit. But it also pushed me to go deeper and understand what my purpose was. I wanted to offer my customers classic, clean styles that were timeless and easy to wear. I went from wholesaling into Nordstrom to retail in the blink of an eye! And then the Universe pushed me to grow once again . . . Ala Moana. It was daunting but the opportunity led me to meet a lot of people and grow my reach here in Hawaii. It was there that I was able to find a deeper why. It was there that I was inspired to create IZU Body Types and the idea to Live Your Letter. To give women permission to be proud of their unique shape, their bodies, their height, their age.  Whatever it was that was holding them back, I knew it was the brand’s purpose to let women know - ‘own your uniqueness, you are beautiful and worthy!’ It was through seminars and events that I was able to meet more women and hear their struggles. And as a designer (and obsessive problem solver) I went to work, designing styles that could help them feel better about themselves. Minimizing those parts that we want to stop thinking about, and highlighting the parts that we ‘kinda like’. This was my inspiration, this was my focus - YOU.  At the core of every decision, every design, every fabric or color choice, I would picture you and ask if you would love it. It was a long journey to get here, but it’s because of my deep respect and care for you, me, our community of women, our struggles, and our uniqueness that kept me going. I wanted to create a brand that stood for more than just clothes. I wanted this brand to be a beacon of light for women, a permission slip of sorts to say, “yes, you can be 100% yourself with us!” The heart and soul of this business is you - my customers, my team, my friends, and family. So yes, this isn't where I thought I’d be 15 years ago. It’s not jetsetting from New York to Paris or rubbing elbows with famous people. It’s deeper and more fulfilling and it’s better!  Every time I get to talk with you, every time I see the joy in someone’s eyes, the way they stand a little taller or stare at themselves a little longer in the mirror, that is what my dreams are made of. That connection back to you, to have you know that your worries are my worries, that your insecurities are the same ones I share, that is priceless. To have the honor to be connected to you and your life in this way, is an honor.  Thank you for allowing me to be on this journey with you. I am grateful.   Cheers to 15 more.   - Allison

I love planning events and with our 15th anniversary coming up, the team and I began working on how to celebrate this year. If you’ve been to Manoa Marketplace and visited our Showroom recently, you definitely noticed all the construction going on around us. We thought it would be a great opportunity to plan an event outside of our Showroom so we could celebrate with all of you. We decided on hosting down the street from us at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. It’s a great space, a wonderful organization, and easy parking! As the planning progressed, serendipitous moments started appearing . . .  July started to feel like a “new year” of sorts for me. Like a normal calendar year, many things have ended while so much has changed and new opportunities rose. Lots of struggles that created opportunities for growth and learning occurred and through each situation, I chose to react differently. I’ve been able to let go of fears and worries a little quicker each time and the recovery has been a little less painful. So this event is a celebration, to let loose and give myself some grace and pat myself (and my team) on the back to say, “great job, amazing learning!” And the perfect time to connect with you at the start of this “new year” for the brand.  It’s also our 15th year in business and although we celebrate our “Alliversary” in September, we figured why not start the celebration a little earlier? The new collection that we’ll be launching is a design palette cleanser of sorts. A way to start fresh and set a new foundation for the rest of the year to come. I used to do a lot of events upstairs in the ballroom area of JCCH in my earlier years as a growing business. This organization, this space has laid some of the groundwork for my ability to grow this business into what it is today. I kept getting “chicken skin” as I walked through the museum - seeing exhibits and artifacts from my ancestors' past. Each step was a beautiful reminder of how far they’d come to create this opportunity for me.  I could even see the stories of my parents within the museum, similar artifacts in the museum that sprinkles my dad’s man cave - old refrigerators, irons, typewriters and sewing machines. Collectables that keep him tethered to where he came from, never to forget his own struggle/opportunities. If it weren’t for each of my ancestors struggles/opportunities, would I still be where I am today? Would I still have this gift of living my purpose through this brand? I don't think I would . . . so to every one of my family members that got through their struggles and created an opportunity, I say “DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU”. I couldn’t be here without you, and so through this event, I pay a homage to them, for carrying me on their shoulders and delivering me to this moment. This event is more than just a party, more than just a collection release. It’s a time to honor those who laid the path for me, my ancestors, my team and you. So thank you, for your continued support of me and this brand. I hope you can join in celebrating this moment with me.- AllisonClick here for event details and to RSVP.