Hawaii designer Amos Kotomori will launch a new collection of men’s shirts, Bodhi by Kotomori, inspired by his part-time Bali residence, Villa Bodhi, which he built from the ground up.

The line of eight indigo-dyed linen shirts is the casual counterpart to his original Kotomori line of giclee-print, silk-cotton shirts. The indigo shirts are made from a unique four-step process that starts with total immersion in the dye, then stripping color away and printing over the mottled fabric to create the look of batik, an Indonesian art form.

The shirts are printed with a color-permanent solution so the fabric will fade like denim with wear, without bleeding in the wash.

"I believe that there is an energy, spirit that goes into everything we touch, do and say," Kotomori said.

"Growing up, my mom often hand-printed my shirts, embroidered and appliqued them to make them unique. I remembered how special it felt. I try to put this into my shirts.

"There are the extra details: the French seams so there’s no roughness from serging, mother-of-pearl buttons and specially woven fabric that all feel good on the skin."

Men responded to his initial collections.

"I cannot tell you how many men have come up to me and said that their shirt is a lucky shirt and only worn on special occasions."

Although the shirts were made for every occasion, including daily wear, the Bodhi line was created to address his clients’ desire for a shirt they could consider casual.

The occasion marks Kotomori’s third anniversary as a cancer survivor, a long process he endured while trying to complete his villa.

"I was faced with a decision to finish Villa Bodhi or drop it when I was going through treatments," he said. "Cancer is a wake-up call. It’s about learning how to live. It gave me more than I could have imagined: something to wake up to, a purpose, to leave a legacy.

The Bodhi by Kotomori shirts will sell for $145 (short sleeve) and $168 (long sleeve) at Neiman Marcus.