Island Inspired

From extreme goth to extreme preppie, Deena Tearney navigated the minefield of every teenage fashion phase while growing up in San Antonio before arriving at her current classic, feminine professional style.

So by the time she traveled to Hawaii as an adult, she knew better than to fall prey to the allure of going tropical.

Although she appreciated the look and ease of island wear, she had learned to heed that tiny voice in the back of her mind that warned her of the distinct possibility of looking foolish once she returned home to her business consulting job.

"I’d think, ‘If only I could bring back something made in Hawaii and wear it at home without being too inappropriate for work or over the top,’" she said.

Those concerns flew out the window in 1999 when she moved to Hawaii where she found a full-time job in information technology for Hawaiian Airlines, but she never forgot her shopping experiences as a visitor.

Deena Tearney

Obsessed with the idea of creating island-inspired apparel that would work for women anywhere, she started her own clothing label, Umee Honolulu, in 2006, named after her grandmother. And while it’s been slow going while juggling her full-time job, she recently launched her shopping website, www.umee-brand.com; her garments have made it onto the floor of Island Edge at Ala Moana Center and the Kahala Hotel logo shop; and her bridal collection is being offered at the Bridal Boutique at 614 Cooke St.

Tearney’s dual career is a major influence on the clothes she designs, with the aim of creating the "perfect go-to items."

"It’s for women who work and do a bunch of things and who need their clothes to work just as hard.

"I love clothes, I love to shop, but because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to roam the mall like I used to. I’m drawn to basics, simple things that you can accessorize up or down, that give you a lot of options. It doesn’t take a lot to look good."

One of the mainstays of her collection are three styles of shirtdresses inspired by the aloha shirt. The fitted, feminine dresses would look appropriate in any city while putting its wearer a happy, relaxed frame of mind.

To create a well-rounded collection suiting every aspect of a woman’s life, she also offers shorts, camisole tops to be worn casually or under jackets and a sarong pencil skirt, many in luxurious, natural fabrics imported from Italy.

ALTHOUGH the leap from information technology to fashion might seem unusual, design came first for Tearney, who grew up drawing and painting, entering many a student contest. She also learned to sew from her Japanese-born mother, who designed and sewed clothes for the family. One of her next projects will be to reproduce one of her mother’s designs.

"She didn’t take it further, but now I feel like things have come full circle, where I now have this opportunity," Tearney said. "It’s fun to see something you envisioned come to life.

"I try to take it day by day and work on things when I can, driving things as fast as I can without adding too much stress."

Tearney said she doesn’t know whether she would have pursued fashion if she were still in Texas, imagining that if she did, the line would be very different, and marketing might be more difficult.

"I think the words ‘made in Hawaii’ has an appeal that other states don’t have."