Fashion: `Ukulele clothing strikes a chord

At the beginning of this decade the founders of `Ukulele Clothing Company walked the slopes of Maui's Haleakala Crater, dreaming up a name. They wanted a Hawaiian word recognized around the globe, a melodious name that is fun to say and brings up the expectation of good times. They chose the Hawaiian instrument `Ukulele to capture the joy of their endeavor, and sitting on the high and dormant volcano, an incredible place to view the brilliant night skies, they decided to include the moon and a star in their logo.

The first little shop emerged on King Kamehameha Day of 1990 at the end of the street in the old plantation town of Paia on the north shore of Maui. All 220 square feet were filled with hundreds of aloha shirts, shorts and tee shirts, all original designs of the two ambitious artist-designer-entrepreneurs, Lisa Starr and John Aubuchon. "Island wear for men with style" became the slogan. Visitors and residents alike somehow found their way to this distinctly island-flavor shop. A following developed with fans from near and far.

One day Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on the cover of TV Guide wearing an `Ukulele shirt. Another day George Harrison meandered in and selected some island-style clothing for himself. And then there was humor - the investor and his accountant from Beverly Hills who walked out wearing matching short-and-shirt outfits. However, when the late Colin Cameron, one of Maui's most revered individuals, became a `Ukulele fan, the `Ukulele gang was convinced it had a good thing going. They expanded into a larger store in Paia, with much more room for their new line of merchandises that made `Ukulele Clothing a real boutique for style conscious men, furnishing nearly everything a guy could need for Maui's lifestyle: shirts, shorts, jeans, chinos, tees, trunks, underwear, sweats and sweaters, belts jackets, wallets and watches.

Last year, Ka`ahumanu Center, Maui's big mall, completed a multi-million dollar expansion for international retailers such as Gap, Disney and Penneys. When invited by the management to consider a location at Ka`ahumanu, `Ukulele made its position very clear that they didn't do malls. `Ukulele was strictly a small-town, easy-going sort of company. As the mall took shape, `Ukulele was offered a six-sided space and that sparked the creativity of the `Ukulele gang. Adjacent to a six-plex theatre n the center court at the head of the escalator, `Ukulele 2 opened in time for Christmas 1994, carrying its Hawaiian-theme clothing to the world of the mall. This November, `Ukulele is opening in Lahaina on Waihie Lane, 30 paces off Front Street, across from Lahaina Yacht Club. The Paia Store has been retired and the two new stores have taken shape with a distinctly local atmosphere, featuring island trees, koa and coconut wood fixtures and a staff that is so friendly and helpful that shopping at `Ukulele passes the Hawaiian hospitality test with honors.

The `Ukulele gang is busily developing more contemporary alternatives to aloha wear. There is the Hula Girl tee shirt, a Hawaiian tapa shirt print and long-sleeved paniolo (cowboy) palaka (plaid) shirt, and `Ukulele island wear for women. Up and coming is `Ukulele keiki wear for children. The theme remains Hawaiian and `Ukulele aims at pleasing people who love the Islands and enjoy a colorful, casual lifestyle.