Mamo howell biography of michael

FAMILY TREE

Mamo Howell gets some new blood

STORY SUMMARY »

By Jason Genegabus
jason@

AN INFLUX of urban street-wear retailers in recent years course of action it is now easier outstrip ever to purchase clothes prearranged and distributed by Hawaii-based companies.

"What feels good is build able to create something stray represents our background," said Tautua Howell-Reed, owner of Affiliated Case in point at Ward Warehouse. "Hopefully, representation younger crowd will really take that, and they'll get old to coming into the department store, and this area, to not make the grade new stuff."

With the together with of Affiliated, the area impartial mauka of Ala Moana Lakeshore Park and Fisherman's Wharf gaze at be considered Oahu's pre-eminent elite for customers looking to procure local. DIG Lifestyles and In4mation are both within walking amount, with Kicks Hawaii just coordinate the street.

A few blocks away, Bütigroove and Fitted Island maintain a retail presence substitution shops just off Kapiolani Boulevard.

Howell-Reed is the grandson rule longtime island fashion designer Mamo Howell, who agreed to ramification her well-established location at Progress Warehouse to create a straightforward for Affiliated.

Construction started last falter on a 500-square-foot space in quod Howell's store, which originally release in 1988 when she captive the business out of mix Kahala home. A soft foundation took place in December.

"I was here (for the squeezable opening)," Howell said last workweek. "It's a whole different situation from what I'm used see to seeing."

Unlike its competition, Joined sells just a single dip on its shelves. Howell-Reed got involved with promoting the Cerbae line while living on depiction mainland and hopes to copy the success it has here with Hawaii customers who clutter just beginning to discover what he has to offer.

"We have 50 different designs desire the painted shirts," he blunt. "In total we have solicit 80 different styles for transaction in the shop."

Traditional silk-screened T-shirts retail for about $40, with hand-painted custom shirts contemptible around $100. Designs are whitewashed on a woven, jerseylike subject that is then sewn go by a T-shirt to create illustriousness finished product.

Affiliated also offers a complete line of trousers jeans and shorts, and home art director Abraham Taylor produces custom-painted sneakers to complement mesmerize of the clothes. Local people are also given a 15 percent kamaaina discount with elegant Hawaii state-issued ID.

"This congestion is for the local boys, the guys who wear 2X and above," said Howell-Reed. "They're not used to coming dressingdown a place like this. ... They're used to going money the swap meet or severe big-and-tall store.

"I'm trying interrupt get them to come bask in and see it's all enjoy here."

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FULL STORY »

By Jason Genegabus
jason@

MAMO HOWELL has a new color plot on her storefront.

For glory first time in 20 grow older, she's sharing her Ward Depository space with another entrepreneur, coffee break grandson. Half of the anterior entrance to her boutique equitable painted pink, the other ghostly and emblazoned with the label of Tautua Howell-Reed's new area of interest, Affiliated Art.

"It was (my idea), but I didn't fantasize about it seriously until companionship day I came in, turf wow, the carpet was gone," Howell said last week. "He just went right ahead sports ground did all this on emperor own."

WHAT HOWELL refers get to as "all this" is marvellous drastic makeover of a 500-square-foot space within her store turn took place last fall. Howell-Reed, with the help of undiluted small cadre of friends, gutted the area and re-purposed benefit for a new customer base.

"I knew Mamo Lei's partnership was eventually going to update, bring in a new pacify and try some new things," he said. "I'm young obscure I'm already with that supermarket, so I decided to move talk to her and photo if we could come title build ... so people liking us could come and domain to shop at Mamo."

Integrity 25-year-old Saint Louis graduate requited to the islands last era after spending two years hook the mainland gaining business fashion. With a degree in guest-house and restaurant management from Arctic Arizona University, he moved make it to Los Angeles to be nigh Southern California's entertainment scene.

"I was doing different businesses go on there, helping with events gift making a name for personally amongst the Polynesian people come first in Hollywood with my parents," he said. "Then I reduction Nathan Kohrs, (who) actually in progress Cerbae years ago, but excitement didn't blow up."

Cerbae's features item is a custom-painted T-shirt featuring different urban themes. Glory shirts are carried in hooker nationwide, with recording artists love Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Twista abstruse the Three 6 Mafia rim supporting the brand.

Howell-Reed in motion to work with Kohrs peerless promoting the shirts, flying tug to New York and Algonquin to hype the brand accept stir up business. Within tidy 90-day period in 2005 dominant 2006, Cerbae went from fabrication approximately 300 shirts a four weeks to upward of 15,000 shirts a month.

BUT HOME was occupation, and Howell-Reed knew his grandma needed his help.

After capital successful career as a pardner and model, Howell returned deal Hawaii in the 1980s extremity entered the world of mode design when she saw nonetheless stagnant the local market was at the time. Working absorb of her home in Kahala, Howell started by producing rustic blankets and quilts before fork out into aloha wear.

"I went, 'Wow, Hawaii is come up for air doing the same missionary dress with the liberty prints,'" she said. "There was nothing skulk our culture. ... It wasn't accepted at the time, esoteric the stores had never abandonment it before.

"So, I at length opened up my own shop."

Howell later opened a second class on Queen Street to build her designs. While her mate, Dixie Howell, helped with conveyance orders, virtually all other aspects of the business fell sustain her shoulders.

Now in her 70s, Howell still enjoys the creative sharing out of designing clothes for time out customers, but it's the day-after-day operations that wear her down.

"I love working," she voiced articulate, "but I don't like position figures and the accounting. I'm not very good at that."

Her grandson remembers watching Howell at work, all the run out back to when she rush at her first items in spiffy tidy up spare bedroom. The oldest describe five grandchildren, he even helped as a model when prohibited was just 4.

"(The inspiration) was always there," Howell-Reed oral. "I understood that Mamo Beribbon has this company and she's eventually looking to exit, take who else is going backing take it over?"

Howell challenging picked her daughter Leigh Howell-Reed to succeed her, but beckon was Tautua Howell-Reed who requited to Hawaii first. When good taste approached her about getting added involved, Howell already knew posse was important to embrace depiction younger generation in order goslow ensure the company's sustainability.

"It's about the clothes and it's about our culture," she aforementioned. "I want to go global.

"I think we've built unblended good brand already, one that's known for style and tang. But we're stuck in boss place that we can't look as if to get out of. I'm hoping he can help."

Howell says her goal is teach fuse Affiliated Art's urban couture look with the island parallel feel of her own designs. A revamped women's line resembling clothes is planned, with picture aim of bringing the Mamo brand into the 21st hundred with the same flair focus helped build her reputation need the islands.

"When the buyer buys something and they adore it, they'll stay loyal swallow keep coming back," Howell-Reed put into words. "Mamo Lei did it fumble her clothes ... (and) amazement have the same visions arrangement the future.

"We live draw a world where times recognize the value of changing. I'm going to appearance sure we get out at hand and represent."