Hawaii and Surf Style is a Perfect Match

A deeper look at the Curated Collection by Oliver & Banks Journal

Everyday Aloha! We recently joined forces with Oliver, our favorite Hawaiian boutique. Like Banks Journal, Oliver offers stylish classic coastal style. The curated collection brings you a combination of classic Hawaiian aloha vibes mixed with an edge of utilitarian fabrics and silhouettes. With Banks Journal’s Australian and Japanese coastal roots, along with its love for all things vintage, the pairing makes sense. The Curated Collection by Oliver & Banks Journal highlights some of the cultural elements of the Hawaiian islands. 

A great deal of thought goes into the Banks Journal designs. We’d like to share some of the behind-the-scenes inspiration for the collection: 

Surfing: Surfers and surf-style suffuse all of Banks Journal’s lines. Surfing has a long history in Hawaii. Mark Twain witnessed surfers when he made his way there on his travels. Of his experience, he wrote: “I tried surf-bathing once, subsequently, but made a failure of it. I got the board placed right, and at the right moment, too, but missed the connection myself.” The sport of surfing has transformed a lot since Mark Twain’s time, but Hawaii remains the birthplace of surf and surf culture.

Hawaiian Flora: The signature indigo print for the collection is festooned with tropical prints. A tropical paradise, Hawaii is full of beautiful flowers like hibiscus and plumeria. But, Hawaii has over 1,000 endemic flowering plant species found nowhere else, making up two-thirds of all native forest plants on these islands. 

Military Style: The collection draws inspiration from the colors and tailored lines of military uniforms. The Military is very pervasive in Hawaii. Military bases in Hawaii are a major economic force. Thousands of military professionals make their homes throughout the archipelago.

Rainbows: A hand painted stylized rainbow by Olivers owner, is one of the cheeriest elements of the collection. The rainbow is a unofficial symbol of the state of Hawaii. Rainbows can be seen on the license plate and on many signs throughout the islands. The University of Hawaii’s team mascot is a rainbow. The rainbow is very important to the people of Hawaii. It's often thought of as the smile of the sun and can be seen in nearly every part of the state.