In addition to celebrating the businesses and individuals who make Hawaii’s fashion scene run, Hawaii Fashion Month was a catalyst for conversation, and just two months later, The Cut Collective was born, aiming to help aspiring designers make their ideas reality.

"I’ve always had issues with manufacturing. Whether it was dealing with China, L.A. or New York, I always ran into issues, especially since I was such a small company," said Allison Izu Song of Allison Izu Denim, and co-founder of The Cut Collective along with stylist Summer Shiigi of Summer Style, and Collins + 8th boutique owner Maida Montemayor. "Even when I finally brought my manufacturing here to Hawaii, I had problems. I didn’t meet minimum order requirements, no one wanted to sew denim or ‘difficult fabrics,’ and the pricing was ridiculous if they would. So, it’s always been a priority to push Hawaii apparel manufacturing forward and make it accessible for Hawaii designers.

"In working with both Summer and Maida, they asked me, ‘How do I manufacture here in Hawaii?’ which a lot of local designers have asked me about, so it dawned on us that we should start

something together to fill this need."

Nine months ago, Song and Shiigi were thinking much smaller. Shiigi had approached Song about the possibility of launching her own line, and the more they talked, they learned they both needed an office/workspace.

"It was just talk. I was still working a day job at a spa," Shiigi said. "I didn’t think of having a line as being a reality until I met Allison. She’s such a great mentor. She said, ‘You can do what you want to do, just go for it.’"

The next thing she knew, she was working on samples and is aiming to offer a complete spring collection, influenced by the 1970s and Studio 54, with a mixture of fashion and work pieces. "Everyone has to work, but I don’t think they have to sacrifice style to be appropriate," Shiigi said.

"I wanted to launch in fall, but for me, being someone so new to design, I have to curb my ideas and think what’s possible to achieve within a particular timeline. I think I overdesign and overimagine, but Allison said that’s great about being new. Instead of being jaded, you’re free to create."

Meanwhile, Montemayor, a retailer who had been working with Song, had design dreams of her own. A nurse by training, she was always interested in fashion, and when a temporary opportunity to work for Miami Fashion Week came up, she took it. "I was dressing models, setting up events, anything they needed."

She felt she had found her calling. The brief stint gave her access to designers and brands that she then brought to Hawaii for private shopping events with family and friends. Pretty soon, people were suggesting that she open a shop, and Collins + 8th opened its doors in late 2010.

Montemayor said running the shop has been invaluable in helping gauge what her clients want and what styles work for people, and she is using that experience to develop a luxury resort line.

"Sometimes I like a lot of prints, but not everyone likes print," she said. "In the beginning I tried to get designer things that I liked. I found that it might fit well on my body, but I’d try it on different people and find that it didn’t fit well on every other person."

Both Shiigi and Song said plans picked up speed once they started talking to Montemayor during Hawaii Fashion Month, when they began looking beyond their individual needs, toward the bigger picture.

"We started talking about the needs of the independent designer and how to improve Made in Hawaii as a brand. As a stylist, designer and retailer, we realized we could all help each other and help others reach their dreams, from startup to mass manufacturing to mass distribution," Montemayor said.

"Because all three of us had challenges trying to start our own lines, we wanted to research what we could do here to help, and instead of complaining about the situation, we wanted to be the solution."

Since all had problems with manufacturing, Montemayor said they talked to the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, and got assistance from Innovate Hawaii, a High Technology Development Corp. program that helps startups to medium-size Hawaii companies. Through the program, the group tapped the resources of the Manoa Innovation Center.

Sharing space with them are designer Rumi Murakami and Plan Z Hawaii, a marketing company aiming to help Hawaii brands enter the Japan market.

Since opening the doors to The Cut Collective a few weeks ago — which also features a showroom allowing people to browse and shop their individual lines — they’ve been inundated with questions and requests.

Though it will be tricky to manage the requirements of their own fledgling businesses with those of others, Montemayor said, "It just showed us that there’s such a great demand here."

In a few months, they aim to have a website to serve as an informational and shop site, and plan to launch an Indiegogo fundraising campaign.

"There is a lot of great artistic talent here and capable people," Montemayor said. "We just need help letting the world know."

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The Cut Collective is in the Manoa Innovation Center, 2800 Woodlawn Ave., Suite 192. Email hello@thecutcollectivehi.com.