Kaypee Soh grew up in Malaysia, immersed in Buddhist culture and the notion of living for the present.
"I believe in being in the moment. I don’t see stuff in the future because one second later the future is here," said the Hawaii-based designer.
That is why, although his desire to create fashion arose more than a decade ago, he never pushed it to the forefront of his labors. Instead, his collection grew organically out of his other enterprises, gracefully flowing from one phase to the next, from graphic design to corporate branding, to home arts and into a present in which both he and his clientele are ready for the next evolution of his business.
"My customers started asking me, ‘When are you going to do clothing?’" he said.
In response, the designer last year created a few pieces, which have grown into a full collection for Spring 2016.
Soh was working for a branding company in New York, dealing with diverse clientele including fashion, cosmetics and financial companies. One of his biggest clients was Philip Morris before he made a fateful trip to Hawaii in 2004.
"I came here for vacation, but I fell in love with the place because it reminded me of my childhood. I called my office and quit."
Being in the moment, he didn’t give a thought as to whether the kind of work he wanted was available here. "I’d been working for so many years, as a creative person, I needed to change," he said.
It didn’t take long for him to set up his own small branding company with partner Edward Macey. At the same time he had been creating artwork to dress his one-bedroom condo in Waikiki, and an interior designer just happened to spot it in a frame shop, got hold of his contact information and asked if he could create more.
Pretty soon he had a design gallery called so’mace, and his work was in residences and hotels. He now has an interior design boutique, Kaypee Soh, at Ward Village Shops.
His new work allowed him to start creating his own textiles, which have a distinctive, colorful Modernist Pacific vibe.
"I started doing textiles in school, so I already had that experience. But when you’re a full-time employee, you don’t have the time to try something new."
A notebook he carries at all times is filled with inspiration and ideas from sights that spark his interest, and he has been making fashion notes ever since he got off the plane from New York and thought Hawaii clothing could use a makeover.
"I thought the design could be more modern, with details that give the aloha shirt or muumuu a twist. There were men downtown who were dressing very old but they were young, in their 20s and 30s, and I thought, ‘They can do better than that.’"
His love of color is evident in his current clothing collection, bearing stripes that are his take on palaka prints, or floral and lilikoi prints with more of an Asian than Hawaii vibe, although Hawaii has inspired him in a way that didn’t happen in New York or London, where he went to school for the arts.
"At Ala Moana Beach Park, I saw rainbows every day, bright colors, lots of nature. My textiles are a way of bringing nature into the home."
And fans of his work continue to push him forward. Now that he’s beginning to realize his fashion dreams, he said they’re asking, "When are you going to do bedding?"
Audiences at this weekend’s Honolulu Fashion Week events at the Hawai’i Convention Center will get a preview of Soh’s Spring 2016 collection during the "Live Aloha" fashion show taking place at 6 p.m. Friday. Soh also will be among the international designers featured during the Hawaiian Airlines Runway to Runway showcase taking place 8 p.m. Saturday.
FASHION WEEK CALENDAR
TODAY
"Harajuku: Tokyo Street Fashion": Exhibition of Harajuku’s alternative modes of dress, lifestyles and its global impact on view at Honolulu Museum of Art, 900 S. Beretania St., through April 3. Admission: $10 general, free for ages 17 and younger.
Honolulu’s Best Stylist Challenge: Presented by the Collections of Waikiki at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, 2259 Kalakaua Ave. The competition from 12:30 to 2 p.m. will feature swimwear, casualwear and evening resortwear from the Collections of Waikiki retailers, as styled by Nova Rizzo, Tara Michie and Meleana Estes.
FRIDAY
The following events take place at the Hawai’i Convention Center, 1801 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu Fashion Week Marketplace: Shop the collections of more than 50 local designers, beauty bars and sponsor booths. Designers and brands include Allison Izu, Andy South, Blue Bird Jewelry Hawaii, CHAI Studio, Ecolicious, Kahulale’a, Kealopiko, KI*ELE, Kini Zamora, Matt Bruening/Salt Liko, Misha Hawaii, Noa Noa, Olena Kai Swimwear, Reyn Spooner, Samudra, Seafoam Green, Sig Zane, Ten Tomorrow, Vanessa Pack and YIREH. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Repeats Saturday and Sunday. Free admission.
"Live Aloha" runway show: A lineup of more than 25 local designers will showcase a range of daywear, swimwear and eveningwear at 6 p.m. Among designers featured are Ari South, Bliss Lau, Florencia Arias, Language of the Birds, Malia Jones, Matt Bruening, Roberta Oaks, Reyn Spooner and Sig Zane. Free admission, with reserved seating available for $35.
Kini Zamora runway show: The "Project Runway" designer will show pieces from his Spring/Summer 2016 collection at 8 p.m. The show will benefit Reach the Runway, a program that creates mentorship opportunities for Oahu middle school students interested in pursuing a career in fashion. Tickets: $35.
SATURDAY
Manuheali’i runway show: Designer Danene Lunn will show her stylish ready-to-wear collection inspired by the aloha lifestyle at 1 p.m.
"Get Out!" runway show: Youthful energy abounds in this playful show of surf- and streetwear, with looks from more than 20 Hawaii designers, including Cameron Hawaii, In4mation, Moon Collective, Quality Peoples, Salvage Public, Tiare and Vanessa Paresa, at 6 p.m.
Hawaiian Airlines presents "Runway to Runway" fashion show: Capsule collections by international celebrity designers will be presented in this 8 p.m. show inspired by fashionable destinations. The designers are Todd Snyder from New York, Ellery from Sydney, Lie Sangbong from Seoul, AULA from Tokyo and Hawaii’s Kaypee Soh.
SUNDAY
Model search: Wilhelmina International’s Roman Young and Wilhelmina Models, NYC’s Bobby Gutierrez, both originally from Hawaii, will host an islandwide model search for their New York offices from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fashion show director Lynne Hanzawa O’Neill will provide feedback and offer a runway walk workshop.
Hawai’i Pacific Health Beautiful Survivors runway show: Cancer survivors will step onto the runway for this 2 p.m. fashion show featuring work by Hawaii-based designers. Reserve tickets at www.honolulumagazine.eventbrite.com. The schedule is subject to change. Visit www.honolulufashionweek.com for updates.
