More Malia

A few weeks ago I promised a sequel to my post on Hawaiian resort label Malia.

Malia International was founded in the early 1960s by Bill and Mary Foster, a husband-and-wife team who met at Stanford University, then moved to Bill's native Hawaii. The company began in as a textile concern, but Bill soon suggested that Mary try her hand at designing garments. Their early forays into fashion design were somewhat rocky, but by 1970 the company was a leading resortwear manufacturer. They also kept the textile printing and distribution side going, as well as a uniform division that supplied hotels, restaurants and airlines. Later, the Fosters attempted to expand Malia International beyond the islands, and even opened a West Coast office.

The design process at Malia began with the development of fabrics. Take a look at any Malia piece, and you'll see how the garment was designed around both the print and the structure of the fabric.

As we speak, Malia season is in full swing on eBay !