Beams Plus,Japanese clothing store-Pataloha dress

NAUMD North American Association of Uniform Manufactuers & Distributors 2010 Awards

 Apparel Solutions LLC, won the 2010 award in transportation category for their uniform that included my aloha shirt print:

March 7. 2010
"TRANSPORTATION - Apparel Solutions for Hawaiian Airlines
Apparel Solutions uniformed 1800 Flight Attendants and Customer Service Reps for a new 80th
Anniversary uniform for Hawaiian Airlines. We provided a sophisticated island look utilizing Asian and
Hawaiian Culture inspired design. We provided clean silhouttes for above the waist garments no
buttons (except dyed to match buttons on the Aloha shirt...so they blend in) and no pockets. The
fabric for the bottomwear and blazer is a tropical weight 50% Austrailian Wool and 50% Micropoly in
Medium Grey. We paired that with an Azul print which is rich in the icons and heritage of Hawaiian
and Polynesia."

MidWeek article Hawaiian Airlines uniform print designed by Emma Howard

 November 11, 2009

"Hawaiian Airlines Unveils New Uniforms by Yu Shing Ting

Starting this month, customers of Hawaiian Airlines will notice an entirely new look in its terminals and onboard its flights with flight attendants and customer service employees sporting new uniforms.

The new uniforms to be worn by 1,800 employees systemwide are the product of a yearlong collaborative effort among line employees and managers of the company aimed at having them ready in time for Hawaiian’s 80th anniversary Nov. 11.

Hawaii designer Emma Howard incorporated the input from employees in creating the new uniform’s print design, drawing inspiration from the Hawaiian word makahiki, which resulted from combining the words for “flight” and “movement.”

Transportation Industry Custom Uniforms Print Designer

Corporate uniforms for the Transportation Industry is a recurring theme appearing in  my work as a freelance textile/surface designer.


AMPCO parking systems for ABM Industries Incorporated
http://www.abm.com/Services/parking/Pages/Parking-Management.aspx
manufactured by Island Traditions of Hawaii

TheBus and Handivan for  The City and County of Honolulu
http://www.thebus.org/
manufactured by Island Traditions of Hawaii

Hawaiian Airlines
 http://www.hawaiianair.com/
manufactured by Apparel Solutions LLC

Oahu TheBus & Handivan drivers wear Aloha Shirts designed in my studio

I rode my bike across town today to meet with a client for a new project. On my way to the meeting I stopped by the sewing factory that the majority of shirts are sewn in; these rolls of fabric in several colorways were in line to be unrolled ,cut and made into more uniforms for the City and County's  drivers.

The  Master/original art was hand painted in a khaki green as shown here.

Island Traditions manufactured this shirt.

Surfers,rock climbers,fishermen PATALOHA for Patagonia

Dale Hope commissioned my studio to create a print for Patagonia's Pataloha line using rock climbers, fishermen in outrigger canoes and surfers. The mountains are in the middle of the ocean surrounded by high surf.

Pepi Wines, a part of Kendall Jackson Wine Estates,Ltd

 Robert Pepi bought property south of the town of Oakville in 1966. He  retired in 1994 ,selling  the estate to Jess Jackson and his family.

Laura Lee and Mia Morelli of Pepi Wine commissioned my studio to create a wine and surf print for their new silk shirts. Hand drawn in pencil, then hand painted using gouache on paper. The entire process was completed via emailed images between Sonoma County, California and the Hawaiian Islands.

This silk shirt , manufactured by Island Traditions, is engineered with design matching from pocket ,all the way across the front.

George Clooney wears this aloha shirt --store front of Kahala Sportswsear

Pleiades Star Constellation,Makali'i, on Big Island of Hawaii

While facing the Pleiades Star Constellation,Makali'i, rising above the horizon one evening 100s of years ago, an artist etched the image of the Pleiades into this lava rock on the Big Island in Puna.This was part of a spiritual ceremony with a Hawaiian Kahuna present for Makahiki that was also happening around the world.

During my Big Island stay last year,after photographing this image, I had a dream that I was flying across the field of petroglyphs.

Wikipedia:
"The nine brightest stars of the Pleiades are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology: Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno, and Alcyone, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione. As daughters of Atlas, the Hyades were sisters of the Pleiades. The English name of the cluster itself is of Greek origin, though of uncertain etymology. Suggested derivations include: from πλεîν plein, to sail, making the Pleiades the "sailing ones"; from pleos, full or m; or from peleiades, flock of doves."

Initially I found this image in a book,comparing it to photographs of the actual stars while researching a project for a client's aloha shirt uniform.I was contacted by telephone, to enter a competition of a few designers to come up with a new design for Hawaiian Airlines for their new uniform that would be unveiled during their anniversary in November/December 2009.

It took 8 months to research,design and hand paint the print under the direction of a very large committee of Hawaiian Airlines employees.

Surfrider t-shirt handpainted original art,Kahala

Inspired by an old aloha shirt, this surfer was hand painted several years ago for a silk aloha shirt and now brought back on a t-shirt by Kahala Sportswear for their Summer 2010 line.

San Francisco Chronicle SF Gate, Hawaii Insider,Emma Howard Textile Designer

Jeanne Cooper's column, Hawaii Insider, San Francisco Chronicle's SF Gate mentioned my work because I was one of the lucky winners in her contest on Hawaii locations.

"... Rapa Nui moai, which include two nearly 20 feet tall (one deliberately unfinished) reclining on the ground.... and textile designer Emma Howard of Kailua, who cited Peter Buck's "Vikings of the Pacific" in her answer to explain how it got its English name: "The island was first sighted by the Dutch navigator, Roggeveen, on Easter Sunday, 1722." .

..."The creator of images seen on many aloha shirt uniforms in Hawai'i, including The Bus on O'ahu, Howard added, "The Polynesian Triangle, of which Easter Island is in the eastern corner, is the main source of motifs for my textile designs." (Check out her blog to see some of her recent work.)"

Old Surf board found on beach,used for carving block

I found this really short, old board lying in the sand for 2 days on Kailua Beach being held together with duct tape over cracked resin. After carrying back to my studio, I carved the board for a new Aloha Shirt print design commissioned by Dale Hope, art director of Kahala Sportswear.

After the project was completed, I gave Dale the board where it's now on display in their retail store at Ala Moana Shopping Center to illustrate to their customers that their aloha shirts are designed by hand. I've heard that men bought the shirt after seeing the board and hearing that the artist found the board on the beach.

Dale Hope owned Kahala Sportswear at one time and then stayed on as art director for years. He is author of The Aloha Shirt: spirit of the islands and known as the aloha shirt guru all over the world.

Stop in some time to check out this board when you're at Ala Moana Shopping Center .It will be like you and I are greeting each other sort of in person.