Domo arigato gozaimasu

I love planning events and with our 15th anniversary coming up, the team and I began working on how to celebrate this year. If you’ve been to Manoa Marketplace and visited our Showroom recently, you definitely noticed all the construction going on around us. We thought it would be a great opportunity to plan an event outside of our Showroom so we could celebrate with all of you. We decided on hosting down the street from us at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. It’s a great space, a wonderful organization, and easy parking! As the planning progressed, serendipitous moments started appearing . . . 

July started to feel like a “new year” of sorts for me. Like a normal calendar year, many things have ended while so much has changed and new opportunities rose. Lots of struggles that created opportunities for growth and learning occurred and through each situation, I chose to react differently. I’ve been able to let go of fears and worries a little quicker each time and the recovery has been a little less painful. So this event is a celebration, to let loose and give myself some grace and pat myself (and my team) on the back to say, “great job, amazing learning!” And the perfect time to connect with you at the start of this “new year” for the brand. 

It’s also our 15th year in business and although we celebrate our “Alliversary” in September, we figured why not start the celebration a little earlier? The new collection that we’ll be launching is a design palette cleanser of sorts. A way to start fresh and set a new foundation for the rest of the year to come.

I used to do a lot of events upstairs in the ballroom area of JCCH in my earlier years as a growing business. This organization, this space has laid some of the groundwork for my ability to grow this business into what it is today. I kept getting “chicken skin” as I walked through the museum - seeing exhibits and artifacts from my ancestors' past. Each step was a beautiful reminder of how far they’d come to create this opportunity for me.  I could even see the stories of my parents within the museum, similar artifacts in the museum that sprinkles my dad’s man cave - old refrigerators, irons, typewriters and sewing machines. Collectables that keep him tethered to where he came from, never to forget his own struggle/opportunities.

If it weren’t for each of my ancestors struggles/opportunities, would I still be where I am today? Would I still have this gift of living my purpose through this brand? I don't think I would . . . so to every one of my family members that got through their struggles and created an opportunity, I say “DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU”. I couldn’t be here without you, and so through this event, I pay a homage to them, for carrying me on their shoulders and delivering me to this moment.

This event is more than just a party, more than just a collection release. It’s a time to honor those who laid the path for me, my ancestors, my team and you. So thank you, for your continued support of me and this brand. I hope you can join in celebrating this moment with me.

- Allison

Click here for event details and to RSVP.