Vintage Point

Based in Waimea, Dale and Ollie Hope take one-of-a-kind vintage aloha shirt fabrics and incorporate them into cotton T-shirts (photos by Ricky Thomas, courtesy Sea Vintage).

For most, if not all, of Ollie Hope’s life, she’s been surrounded by aloha — though in her case, aloha also came in the form of shirts, dresses and a bevy of brightly hued and boldly printed textiles. It’s what happens when your dad is Dale Hope, a man who is equal parts aloha shirt connoisseur and textile historian, not to mention the authority on the iconic Hawaiian garment. And now that she’s older, the 17-year-old has also come to appreciate aloha shirts, the fabrics that make them so special, and as of late, what else can be done with the vast collection her dad had amassed over the past several decades. Enter Sea Vintage, a line of soft cotton T-shirts hand- stitched with pockets made with upcycled aloha shirt fabric.

Launched last summer, the idea came about when Ollie and Dale were sifting through all the bins stored at their home on O‘ahu. “There were so many bins,” Ollie says. “These shirts are so beautiful and deserve to be shown and be worn.” As for the T-shirt concept, Ollie shares it was a smart way to sport the vintage fabrics.

“I’m a teenage girl, and I’m not necessarily going to wear an aloha shirt every day. But we can make it where I could wear it.” And so, it began. If all goes well, Sea Vintage may comprise much more than not-so- plain white tees this summer.

“I’ve definitely fallen in love with the whole process [of creating a product]. Right now, I’m working on a new collection — different colored tees, different pockets. I also want to do a denim collection — aloha pockets on jeans and jackets,” Ollie reveals. Other possible Sea Vintage goods could also include tote bags and hats.

Dale’s take on this new adventure? He couldn’t be happier: “It’s fun for me that Ollie’s embracing kind of what I’ve done for a lifetime and what I grew up with, with my dad working in his factory and putting rolls of fabric down, taking it to his cutting room on Makaloa Street off Keeaumoku and pretty much spending my summers there working ... It’s great Ollie is in this realm of designing and creating; selling what people might like to wear. Trying to understand the mindset of people. Figuring out how do we make it different? How do we make it special?” Paternal pride shines through, and rightly so.

seavintagehawaii.com