Californian Brings Premium Fashions to Hawaii
Contemporary streetwear will head to the land of Aloha shirts when Los Angeles–based showroom owner Jason Bates produces the Coconuts & Bananas trade show for premium denim and streetwear.
More than 30 vendors and 80-plus retailers will visit the Nov. 17–18 show at the W Hotel in Honolulu, according to Bates, owner of the Derelicte showroom in downtown Los Angeles’ Cooper Design Space. Coconuts & Bananas debuted in April 2005 with 15 vendors and 35 retailers.
Bates said he financed this year’s show with more than $25,000 of his own funds, which will pay for a range of things including show space at the hotel as well as shipping racks to Hawaii, where, according to the producer, they’re hard to come by. “It is primarily for the Hawaiian market,” Bates said. “Gucci and Prada have flagship stores in Honolulu; obviously someone is buying fashion over there.”
But will Hawaiians buy premium denim and the boutique styles? Bates is hedging his bets by appealing to an international audience.
He’s invited buyers from Japan, Australia and Guam to Coconuts & Bananas. He believes they will welcome the chance to preview late Spring and Summer 2006 American premium fashions at a location that’s not as time consuming and may be less expensive to reach as the mainland United States.
Up-and-coming labels such as Tank Farm, based in Cypress, Calif.; Meltin’ Pot, based in Italy; Triple 5 Soul, of New York; and Derelicte clients such as Howe and Original Penguin are among show vendors.
Meltin’ Pot Vice President Vince Gonzales said the Hawaiian show would fit well with his label’s American expansion plans. “There are some good stores in Hawaii,” Gonzales said, “and the company’s focus is to build the brand west, and that’s as far west as you can get.” For more inforamtion on Coconuts & Bananas, call Bates at (213) 627-2087. —Andrew Asch
