Blogs by Allison

My father is an entrepreneur. He’s started more businesses than anyone I know. We had a travel agency, restaurant, bakery, construction company, shave ice shop, he sold insurance, encyclopedias and Amway, created sauces, did yard maintenance, was going to be a sales rep for a surf company, and wanted to solve the clean water crisis by taking waste water and making it potable by designing his own wastewater tank. He’s done all different types of things with his life. Although you could say I’m an entrepreneur because of him, I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned from him was the never ending belief that he could do something great. It wasn't in the words he said (we are a Japanese family who doesn't say those things LOL) it was more in his never ending tenacity to never give up. It’s what I’ve always focused on and what I try to emulate in my own life: never give up. There have been times of great abundance in my childhood and I know there have probably been more times of financial strains. But he never gave up (even when my mom went and got a “real job”) - he still allowed himself to dream his dream. Some may call him crazy, but he didn't allow other people’s opinions to deter him from his path. I think the sad part of this story is that my father never found his passion; he just knew he wanted to own a business.  Maybe that’s the evolution from generation to generation that had to happen. I was raised by a dreamer (with a creative realist as a mom) and out came a one-part dreamer, one-part creative and one-part realist. Through having both of them as parents I was able to find my passion - fashion design - and sprinkle in all of my wildest dreams and balance it with the realism from my mom.  Watching them live their dreams, fail, and get back up allowed me to carry the torch, but in my own different, unique way. They never forced their opinion on me, gave me any handouts, or told me to give up. They allowed me to make my own path and to own all of my own failures, so that I could own all of my successes.

Shopping can sometimes be overwhelming—so many choices with so little information. As a shorter woman, I often find it difficult to wade through what will work for my shorter frame as well as what’s appropriate for my lifestyle and age. 

I love celebrating milestones . . . for other people. I rarely take the time to give myself a pat on the back, much less a celebration of any kind. I blame my Sagittarius nature: farsighted, impulsive, impatient, and rebellious. I’m always focused on the next thing and rarely take a moment to be present. So, to ask me to celebrate a one-year anniversary of anything is strange. But it is valuable. The one-year anniversary of Manoa marks a big milestone for me. Taking the leap to leave Ala Moana Center, going off the beaten path of typical retail and venturing out into what felt like uncharted waters at the time. When I made the difficult decision to move back to Manoa, it felt more like moving backward than forward. But I knew what I felt inside, and I knew what my goal was: to build a company that could do more than retail. I wanted, and still want, this company to give me freedom (another Sagittarius trait). I want this company to support my life instead of my life supporting it. I realized the path I needed to take in order to achieve this freedom was to focus on growing the business online. I focused my efforts on advertising on Facebook and Instagram, revamping the website, and refreshing the brand's marketing strategy in order to reach a new customer while still keeping my current customers engaged. But what I didn't realize at the time was how big of an undertaking this was for myself and my team. When we first moved to Manoa, I had a team of 2 + myself. Most of my staff left after we closed Ala Moana, and so a lot of my big dreams were put on hold. We just needed to keep afloat and keep the business running—the design, development, sourcing, production, inventory, emails, marketing, website, and social media—not to mention keeping the showroom open and packing orders. But every month, there was a deep need to keep growing, so I would hire one person here and then another to grow this team into the current 8 + myself. All women, all focused on a specific part of the brand: marketing, Instagram, Tiktok, emails, the website, inventory, production, and development. The one-year anniversary of opening Manoa is about more than celebrating the Showroom; it's also about the team that I was able to grow alongside my dream. I am hopeful that this year has allowed us to create a solid foundation on which we can continue growing ourselves, as well as the business. This celebration is not only about me and this brand; it's also about this team that shows up for me every day. Allowing them the opportunity to grow themselves, follow their own dreams, and create meaningful connections with you, our customers, and friends. This is what we celebrate this month as we cross this milestone of one year. There will be many more shifts and changes, and I understand now that this is what growth always looks like for me: uncharted waters, rough seas, and wild winds ahead. Luckily, as a Sagittarius, that is exactly what excites me; this is my element of adventure that I step into with optimism and reckless abandon. - Allison

When I first started this business, I approached it solely from the perspective of a fashion designer. I went to fashion school to learn how to make clothing that I felt was missing from the marketplace. Fast forward to today, and I feel like I’ve experienced a crash course in running a business. The easy part is designing the clothing; the challenging part is not only keeping the business afloat but growing it as well. The basic premise—and perfect scenario—of running a clothing business is to design a collection, manufacture it, launch it, and have people buy it. Then, if you want to grow your revenue, you grow your production, right? Not exactly. As I look back at this past year, I knew that when we moved into a Showroom setting, my main focus would be e-commerce. This was because one of the most important things I learned through the pandemic was to have different channels supporting your business in order to grow.To support this growth, I would need to increase production, but that would mean a higher investment for hard goods like fabric and the cost of cut and sew (a.k.a. manufacturing). It was easy to grow at the beginning of the year, with profits from Black Friday and the holiday season. This revenue allowed me to increase my purchases, add new styles and fabrics, and essentially grow the business. It was slow, gradual growth, but it was still growth. However, in fashion, we create four seasonal collections a year, so I quickly realized that I would need another influx of funds in the middle of the year to sustain this growth. That’s where our Mid-Year Sale comes in. We created the Mid-Year Sale not only because it’s an opportunity for us to increase our production but also because it’s a great chance for more customers to shop our clothing at a lower price. Throughout the years of running this business, I’ve slowly improved the quality of goods by forging relationships with new vendors. We’ve recently been able to source higher-quality fabrics, like our Rayon Jersey, Cotton Modal, Soft Ponte, and Double Knit fabrics. But as the CEO, I want to keep my retail prices within a reasonable price range. However, this has proven to be difficult at times. Fabric prices and the cost to manufacture have been increasing on average 5%–10% every year since 2019, but as a brand, we have tried to limit an increase in our markup. I believe that the clothing we create makes women feel great about themselves. I also believe that everyone deserves to feel this good in their body, and I want to offer it to as many people as possible. I walk a fine line between profitability and accessibility, but I believe it will all balance out in the end. With that being said, we knew we could make our brand more accessible through our Mid-Year Sale. Allowing more women to purchase higher-quality goods at a lower price is a goal of ours with this sale. It’s a win-win for both the customer and brand; it helps our company move inventory that’s sitting in our stockroom into an investment in our future. An investment towards growing our production, growing our revenue, and hopefully growing our reach, with the ultimate goal of better serving you, our amazing customers! My bigger goal for this brand is to expand into other cities and states and offer our elevated basics and "confidence-building clothing" to more women throughout the USA. I want to take this time to thank you for being on this journey with me, for your continued support, and for your belief in me and my crazy dream. You are the foundation that allows me to dream big and reach for the stars. Thank you so very much, and I hope you are able to add something new to your closet during our sale!- Allison

I’ve never thought too much about being of Japanese descent. Growing up in Hawaii, it was common to be one in a sea of many Asians; it gave me comfort, and I often took it for granted. As I traveled more in my adult life and went to school in NYC, I noticed that being of Asian descent was viewed differently. In New York, I was Asian, but I was also American. It was hard for me to find a "friend group"; I don't speak Japanese, so I couldn't hang with the "Japanese group", and while I made friends with the "Korean group", I was mostly seen as American. I wasn’t accepted as an Asian, and I didn’t totally feel like an American either. I would walk down the street, and men would yell Chinese slurs at me, people would assume that I didn't speak English, etc. etc. I didn't feel unsafe, but maybe I was just naive? As a 20-something Hawaii girl in New York City, I chose to see the similarities of those around me instead of what made us different. Being Japanese was never the part of me I focused on or wanted to highlight. Not because I was ashamed, but because there were so many other things about me that made me unique; maybe those were the parts I wanted others to see in me. As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, it gives me great pause to put my heritage and where I was born and raised at the forefront of who I am and my business. I intuitively chose to use my first name and my given Japanese middle name, IZU, as my brand name. The name was given to me by my maternal grandfather. He was an artist and a graphic designer by trade. When there were no computers or illustration software, everything, including typefaces, was done by hand. I remember that he could replicate any brand logo easily. I was always impressed and in awe at what he was able to do with his hands and how he honed his craft to be his life’s work. He gave me the name Izu because he said the Izu peninsula in Japan was similar in beauty to Hawaii. A simple reason for a not-so-simple name. Before he passed, he knew that I named my brand "Allison Izu." He would sometimes sketch clothing for me—simple Japanese kanji or drawings, or shirts with cranes and pine on them. Maybe he was foreshadowing my future, because if you search for the meaning of "Izu", one definition is ‘garment: Something to wear.' It makes this part of me and my heritage so unique and special, like a full-circle moment that started before I was born. Perhaps when I was younger, my Japanese heritage was not the thing I focused on, and maybe it's not what I focus on now either. But it is the part of me that keeps me tied to my ancestors, my lineage, and it gives me great pride to carry this name as well as the culture within it. Even if I am not always seen as Japanese or American, I like that I can be a mix of both and make it my own. - Allison

I’d normally start this blog off with something like - ‘being a mother is one of the hardest jobs, etc etc.’ But as I’m getting older (and hopefully wiser), I’m realizing that this doesn’t have to be a truth I live by. If I keep saying that ‘being a mother is a hard job’ - then guess what? It’ll keep being a ‘hard job’ even when it doesn’t have to be.  One of the lessons I try to instill in my kids is that we create our own reality. We tell ourselves throughout the day what’s fun, tough, or boring, and what we “like and don’t like.” But where do we pick up these preferences from? Ourself. So I challenge my kids to see  situations in a different way. Instead of saying ‘I hate doing homework’, I ask them to shift their mindset to ‘homework is tough, but I can see how it’s helping me to understand this concept.’  The advice that I give to my kids is the advice that I’m giving myself. How can I shift my mind to see the things ‘I don’t like’ as positive, or at the very least helpful? In the same way I can help my kids see homework as helpful, can I shift my perception to see bills as helpful? To see financial struggles as helpful? To see any challenges as helpful?  YES, YES, YES!  This blog was going to be about how much I love being a mom, and how it's the greatest challenge and reward in my life. All of this is still true. But what I’ve also realized is that when I chose to be a mom, I didn't realize how much it would support me in improving my own life and shaping my own outlook on the world. That all the philosophies and lessons I would want to impart on my kids, would also shift my own beliefs.  The old school concept of “do as I say, not as I do” isn't something that works for me. Kids are like observant sponges that see and hear everything we do. So I ask myself to show up exactly as I would want my kids to show up in any situation - to ‘do as I do.’ So today (and everyday) I’m choosing to show up positive, grateful, and authentic. To know who I am and what I want. To not waiver in my understanding of what is true. To keep my eye on the greater good, even when the small choices I make seem selfish or unkind to others. And to stand firm in my belief that the world (as well as myself) is kind, beautiful, and full of good. As a mom, this is how I choose to show up, so that my kids can start to choose for themselves how they will show up everyday . . . - Allison

I always find it fascinating when things align. It tends to happen when I surrender and loosen my grip on the “reins of life” and ease up on the gas pedal.I was born into a family of warriors. We make sh*+ happen. We push and pull until we get the outcome we want. That way of being has worked for me all my life.... until this point in my life. Now in my mid-40’s, I'm searching for something else. I want to live more in flow with life, to surrender a bit more, and to witness what the Universe has in store for me. It's funny how the Universe shows up for you when you really want something...It all started in August of last year, when we received a random message from a women’s organization in Orange County, California. They asked if we would be interested in participating in an upcoming fashion show in March 2023. Normally I'd let the fearful questions begin to rise - what would the cost be to ship everything to California? How many people from my team will I need to take? And the doubt spiral would get bigger - what if no one likes my designs? What if nothing sells? How will we pay for all the costs? My brain would start screaming FEAR, FEAR, FEAR.And from that spiral, the answer would usually be no. But something different happened inside of me this time. I allowed myself to push past the fear and the doubt to take a leap towards surrender.I was already planning to visit LA in October for my usual fabric sourcing trip. So why not plan a quick meeting with this organization just to see what would happen. Well to make a long story short, I met these amazing women and I couldn't say no! It was like the Universe gave me every reason to say YES, so that’s what I did!There's something exciting about surrendering to new things, choosing a different path, and getting yourself out of the old negative patterns and into a fresh flow of ease. It was liberating for me. I perceived the alignment of these events to be a reminder to surrender a little more. It may sound easy to surrender, but sometimes it can be the hardest thing and has been a challenge in my life.It's hard because once I chose to surrender, it was like more doubt and more fear filled my mind. Just because I made the choice to surrender the fearful thoughts didn't just disappear. I realized it takes work and practice, every time I have a choice to make, every time a doubtful thought pops into my mind. We have the power to make this choice. We have an opportunity everyday to change our mindset, to choose a different path, to stretch beyond our limitations, and be courageous.That's been my current focus and every moment going forward.  To be courageous and to live with this new mindset of surrender . . .- Allison

In this new phase of my life, I realized that culturally I was taught to step out of the spotlight. To be humble and to not brag or boast about life wins or accomplishments. I understand the reasoning and value behind "being humble" by my culture's standards - but I think it caused a mental block in myself to not celebrate milestones. So this "Alliversary" (aka the brand's anniversary) is more than the fun stuff like releasing a new collection and partying with you. It's an opportunity to teach ourselves how to give credit to how far we've have come and how much we've evolved. When I think of the beginning steps of this brand, I have so much gratitude for that innocent, brave 20-something year old girl who decided to write a business plan, get a loan and start a business. She was the one who took the biggest step of all - admitting to herself that this was what she wanted to do. Then I flash forward a few years later, when it got really tough for a naive 30 year old. When mistake after mistake kept happening and it seemed like the Universe was throwing curve balls at her everyday. I have so much appreciation that she didn't give up. Through all the tears, debt and failure - she kept going . . . she persevered.  Then the turning point in my early/mid 30's happened and I felt like I had a good handle on my business and life. I got into Nordstrom, I started my family, and this is where Year 1 starts. And here we are 14 years later... My 40's is where I found my footing, where I started to trust my intuition, and where I started to step into the light a bit more.  This is where the true, authentic nature of the Allison Izu brand began.  It was in my 40's that I was inspired to create "Live Your Letter" and #IZUBodyTypes. It's where this clothing brand found its deeper purpose and mission.  And as we move into our 14th Alliversary, I'm embarking on the second half of my 40's. I feel like my brand and my life are at a turning point. . . It's like a FULL MOON moment for me, an opportunity to 'harvest the opportunities and intentions of the previous moon cycles.'  I realized these cycles that keep showing up in my life are similar to the moon and it's phases. Waning and waxing, just like the moon, no phase is more important than the other, each phase is needed and necessary. But this year, this Alliversary, this "moon phase" of my life is a little more special to me. It's the phase where I've finally given myself permission to take up space, to stand in my light fully, and to live authentic to my purpose and truth. And with this FULL MOON moment, it's also a NEW MOON moment. Where I can start fresh and begin again. In this new phase, I was able to solidify a foundation for my brand and built 4 pillars - EMPOWERMENT, CONNECTION, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, and VIBRANCY. These 4 pillars represent our intention as a brand and my intention as a human. We're striving to live these pillars each and everyday. To infuse them into everything we do. And once I got clear on what they mean to the business and myself, I've been living them and can start to feel the shifts happening.  Recently, there have been moments and interactions in my day-to-day life where I'm reminded by you, our friends, supporters and customers of our 4 pillars - because you're living them too. When you come in and try a new style or a new color. When you meet a new friend in the Showroom and start up a conversation because you come out of the dressing room loving what each other is wearing. Or when you share your vulnerable stories with me about the scary things you're facing in your life. These moments are when I have the deepest of gratitudes for what I get to do everyday. I'm literally getting chicken skin and tearing up as I write this - because you have been the inspiration and example of how to live these 4 pillars.  You've shown me how to live brave, how to step into the light and how to be our most vulnerable authentic selves. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to learn by your example. You have given this brand purpose. You have given my team and myself purpose. Thank you for joining us on this next moon phase of our lives, and this brand's journey . . .  with love + light, Allison  PS: We'll be celebrating our 14th Alliversary all week long so stay tuned! And hopefully I get to see you in The Showroom this Saturday, 9/17. 

There are days when I realize that there is more to my job and my purpose than just making clothing. It's those days when a customer comes into the store and talks about how this blog, my words, helped them to try something new or see themselves in a new, positive light.  That's when I feel a deep sense of gratefulness for the opportunity to connect with you through this brand, the clothing, and through being a flawed and imperfect human being. This is a way to CONNECTION - one of the pillars of my brand. It's finding the touch points between you, to the team, and myself through the clothing or messages we share with each other. I struggle through life sometimes, it's not all style videos and designing new clothes. And as I age, I feel like the struggle is more painful sometimes. But I realized that it's because I'm making it a struggle. I was texting a dear friend the other day and she was talking about how she isn’t confident about her body. All I could think was how BEAUTIFUL she is. And I said to her, “I wish you could see what I see” - I wish you could see your pure beauty and how you light up a room. I wish you could see how your skin glows or how the way you hold yourself inspires confidence in me. And while I realize it's nice to receive compliments and kind words from others - the real work is all about saying it to yourself. And so I asked myself, can you say those kind words to yourself, Al? Can you look in the mirror and say these compliments to yourself and receive them wholeheartedly? Hmmm . . . now that's a hard one. But I did it - and it was some deep Mirror Work for sure (PS: "Mirror Work" is from a really good book from Louise Hay). I also realized that this is where our connection comes from - her willingness to share her honest feelings with me, her willingness to show a flawed and insecure side of her usual confident self - that was brave! And this conversation, sharing with each other, made us CONNECT on a deeper level. Because her struggles, are my struggles. Her inability to see herself as a phenomenal beautiful human, is also my struggle and perhaps your struggle as well. And it's through these moments of sharing and vulnerability that we can all find healing and CONNECTION. Why do we spend so much of our lives chasing some cure for aging? Trying to find a pill to melt the fat away, or some machine to take the wrinkles off of our face? I'm a victim myself . . . I see myself in my style videos or photos and say (not so nice) things about me. Chasing a 20 year old youth in my 40’s is fruitless, because even if I find some temporary fix, I’m going to need that fix for the rest of my life. Because when I’m 60, I’ll be longing for this 45 year old self. So the question is, can I be happy in the present moment? Can I accept this 45 year old “softer and saggier” body, with this 45 year old face that has sun damage, laugh lines and thinning hair? The answer is not a definite YES, but I'm willing to try to work to love myself in the present moment. Because wouldn't that be a great way to live life? With a deep love and respect for my unadulterated self. . .