It looked like the late 1960s and early ’70s all over again, with models dressed in groovy retro-print garments, except — look again — for the 21st-century fit, styling and tattoos.
Huh?
The fashion show Thursday at the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club in Waikiki was all about the limited-edition Psychedelic Swell collection, a collaboration between local designer Roberta Oaks and Bradley Rhea, owner of downtown Honolulu boutique Barrio Vintage.
“Someone coming across these garments 20 years from now won’t know what to make of it,” said Rhea, who contributed vintage fabrics to the partnership.
The entire 26-piece collection of men’s and women’s wear will go on sale online at 10 a.m. Friday at robertaoaks.com and www.barriovintage.com. Prices for the one-of-a-kind pieces will range from about $120 to $150.
For both Oaks and Rhea, the collection was a creative exercise that stretched them beyond their day-to-day routine.
“It was something we’d talked about for some time,” said Oaks, who said she shares Barrio Vintage’s retro, fun aesthetic and came up with the designs. “I was inspired by the batch of fabric Bradley had been collecting. It’s so difficult to amass vintage fabric in good length and in good condition.”
Many of the textiles were manufactured in Honolulu in the 1960s and ’70s and feature the psychedelic and bold color combinations of the era.
“To see them survive the test of time and find a new life has been both inspiring and exciting,” Rhea said. “For me it was interesting to see this pile of fabric transformed.”
At his 1161 Nuuanu Ave. shop, which sells vintage apparel, he has never had to design or manufacture garments. “I was amazed by what’s involved in creating a collection, and what it’s done is made me even more appreciative of people who do this for a living,” he said.
For the Psychedelic Swell collection, there was often only enough fabric of a single print to make one garment. In some cases, Oaks could get both a men’s look and a woman’s garment out of one piece of fabric. Eventually she was able to create four matching sets.
Accustomed to the flow of her own business and deadlines for spring and fall collections, Oaks, who launched her eponymous brand in 2004, said, “I haven’t worked on a project like this since my art school days. There were so many elements involved, and even though I had help sewing, I was down on the floor hand-cutting fabric again.”
She’s most excited about having created her first jumpsuit. “Working on this collection has inspired what’s coming up next for my line, and I’ll be moving forward working on a jumpsuit,” said Oaks, whose own shop at 19 N. Pauahi St. is a quick walk from Barrio Vintage.
As decades pass, the fabric in Barrio Vintage’s archives will only continue to become more scarce, and the boutique already serves as a textile library for visiting designers — including one from lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret — who stop by for vintage Hawaii inspiration.
For Rhea it’s exciting to project into the future and imagine a Psychedelic Swell garment as a prized collectible.
“From time to time I come across these small labels that few people know about, and 60 years from now a person might come across Psychedelic Swell and think, ‘What is this?’”
It might become an odd little mystery as to who dared to combine 1960s fabric with 2016 cuts, styles and sizing.
At work on the project for two months, Rhea said the work involved cured him of any desire to create a Barrio Vintage collection, although he remains open to further collaborations.
And Oaks said she’s eager to get back to her own line. In designer time, she said, “it’s almost Christmas.”
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The Barrio Vintage Collection will be available online only beginning 10 a.m. Friday at robertaoaks.com and www.barriovintage.com. Find Roberta Oaks’ boutique at 19 N. Pauahi St.; Barrio Vintage is at 1161 Nuuanu Ave.