Ralph Malani
>> Age: 45
>> Residence: Kaneohe; Palm Springs, Calif.
>> Occupation: Wardrobe and hairstylist; event producer
Ralph Malani has been a stylist for 25 years and he has the stories to prove it. While sipping iced green tea at Morning Brew in Kailua recently, he talked about some of his most memorable clients — Rihanna and Dwayne Johnson to name two — and his favorite moments styling Amy Hanaiali‘i, Raiatea Helm, Anuhea and other Hawaii music stars.
Malani moved to the mainland after high school to attend the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. He said he planned to become a buyer or designer but shifted gears after seeing how much fun his roommate was having at the Vidal Sassoon academy for hairstylists. After completing his Sassoon training in 1992, Malani was hired by celebrity hairstylist Jose Eber, which opened doors to L.A.’s entertainment and fashion scene.
Malani’s blend of skills — fashion, hair and makeup — allowed him to expand into styling editorial fashion shoots. Moving back to Hawaii in 1997, he began styling Hawaii-based artists for photo shoots and events, as well as working on movie, television and commercial sets. He still works a couple days a month at Salon 808 and travels to California monthly for wardrobe and hair assignments in L.A. and Palm Springs, Calif., where he has a studio.
His commitment to the local fashion scene goes well beyond what pays the bills. Malani has been at the forefront of promoting Hawaii designers and Polynesian-inspired style for years, launching events to spotlight longtime friend Kini Zamora and other designers early in their careers. He also started a modeling agency specializing in Polynesian models and founded the Mr. and Miss Polynesia Pacific Pageant with his husband, Cliff Malani.
To this day, he still keeps a box of locally designed fashions in his car. “I love to promote local, and you never know when a piece will be perfect for a shoot!,” she said via email.
Malani can be contacted at ralphmalani@gmail.com.
>> Personal style: “I mix everything in with a little bit of island. Today I’m wearing Gucci shoes with a (Polynesian-detailed) shirt I had made in Tahiti, with black island pearls. My husband and I go to Tahiti about four times a year.”
>> By design: “At the Na Hokus this year I wore a shirt that I had made in Tahiti. Great seamstresses over there. I give them my vision and I have them sew the pieces for me. I’ll have people here like Kini (Zamora) make things too. My biggest fear is to go to an event and have seven people in the same outfit, so custom pieces work well.”
>> On-set: “I live in jeans and a white or black V-neck. I love shoes, so I try to have really good shoes. I think I have 180 pairs of shoes. I love Banana Republic tees and tanks. They are made well.”
>> Aloha wear: “I don’t buy traditional aloha shirts because they are bulky and hot. Some of the traditional aloha lines are not using comfortable fabrics. I think it’s a shame that we are not doing Aloha Friday any more in Hawaii. When I was a kid, every Friday everyone in all of the shops would be wearing aloha print and lei. So many things that made us special have disappeared. And I think these new designers bringing back Polynesian prints in new and innovative ways will help to bring that back.”
>> Style pointer: “Clothes have to fit you. Sometimes you see someone and the outfit is gorgeous, but not on them. A lady came up to me at the Hokus and said, ‘You wear this shirt so well.’ It was the best compliment.”
By Erin Smith, special to the Star-Advertiser. Island Lookbook is a weekly feature thatspotlights local trendsetters. Contact features@staradvertiser.com.
