Princess Kaiulani Fashions Owners & Designers
How This Unique Brand is Passed to Next.
Original Founder & Designer: Joan
Joan Anderson started this Princess Kaiulani Fashions as local family owned business in 1959. Many of the family were involved in fashion industry, such as fashion models, Hawaiian shirts productions, shoes production, and dress making. Joan was very creative designer and many of her dresses were sold at the Liberty department store. Her dresses were not only Mu’umu’u but also trendy fashions. We still carry her beautiful original designs and still looks great design. We modify a little to fit modern time and we still have strong fan of her designs.
Second Generation Owner / Designer: Jill
Jill is one of the daughter of Joan and Jill helped Joan for awhile. Jill was a fashion model in New York and when she came back to Hawaii, she started to help her mother’s business. Jill started bridal line of Princess Kaiulani Fashions and expended Japanese market. She did several fashion shows in Japan, and the Big island. She was enthusiastic about learning Hawaiian historical clothing. She has a chance to get access to Bishop Museum’s archive monarchy dresses and gowns and studied in details for some years. As she did fashion shows, she thought it is important to show more Hawaiian history behind the designs so she re-created historic gowns such as a Queen Emma’s dress, a Princess Kaiulni’s dress, and many others and showed in her fashion shows to share this beautiful and unique Hawaiian fashion history. We still have those archive dresses but not available to see in public. (If you need to use those dresses, please contact us for conditions.)
Current Owner / Designer: Toko
Our current owner / designer is Toko Sugaya. She is from Japan and moved to Hawaii in 2013. Then, she started her own Hawaiian dress rental business in 2013. She met a previous owner of Princess Kaiualni Fashions, Jill Anderson, and worked together through her business. Toko fell in love with Princess Kaiulani Fashions’ elegant dresses and wanted to create Hawaiian version of Kimono Rental services, which many international visitors coming to Japan rent Kimono and enjoy cultural experiences with traditional clothing. She loved Hawaiian dresses, and muumuu and wanted to encourage more people to try authentic and traditional Hawaiian fashion.
After COVID hits her business, she took over Princess Kaiulani Fashions business and try to rebuild the brand and promote more Hawaiian traditions. She started Hawaiian fabric sales, small production support services and other services. Her goal is to make Hawaii more attractive places and become more sustainable in our own for production. Then, pass this beautiful culture to next generations.
Toko’s Summary
Worked as an architect for a while and switched to Fashion. She studies fashion in Australia and Tokyo. Her strength was designing and pattern making.
She literally started from nothing. She created one rental dress by herself to start Muumuu Rainbow. That business is still in Waikiki and now serving rental tuxedo and wedding dresses as well. (Lidia Hawaii Dress Rentals)
Other businesses & brands: Muumuu Rainbow (Hawaii and Japan), Lidia Hawaii Dress Rentals, Fabric Hawaii, Furoshiki Hawaii, Happy Haleiwa (Japanese rep)
Enthusiastic to working with non-profits and schools to encourage young people to expose to fashion. Regular donations to Hawaii Literacy, and other institutions. Current collaboration and donations were,
Provide free prom dresses for local high school girls’ prom fashion show. (Campbell Highschool)
Provide free men’s tuxedos for mother’s day event to Habilitat
Displaying Historic archive dresses free for Queen Emma’s Birthday event 2022.
KAPA magazine fashion show costume rental donations.
Free hand-made mask making kits distributions at Nijiya Market in 2019.
Other volunteer works
HABILITAT
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