How Fashion Is Helping Maui

In recent news, the island of Maui has been in a devastating state of displacement as different communities and towns deal with the aftermath of wildfires that have destroyed so many homes. The local community has been taking care of one another including the creative studio bi called passionfruit who has been rallying each other to serve the people of Maui through a fundraiser. Their fundraising initiative centers around a T-shirt design titled “Maui on my mind.” 

Founders Ben Perreira and Taylor Okata have gotten other brands to participate in the initiative such as Adish, Barragan, Braindead, Cactus Plant Flea Market, Luar, and Waialae Sportswear. This initiative is notably providing immediate relief to the evolving needs of the community in Maui. These brands and companies are a reflection of passionfruit as they each share the values and compassion that embody the spirit of “aloha.”

Perreira and Okata are kama’aina, translating to “child of the land” in Hawaiian, making this initiative hit very close to them. In a statement, the founders said, “It’s in our nature to come together, to take action, it’s just how we’re raised. This fundraiser is just the start – the healing will be long, but the only way forward is together.” 

All profits from the “Maui on my mind” T-shirt sales, designed by Native Hawaiian Kapono Chung of Combo, will be donated to the Kākoʻo Maui Fund by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement to help aid communities in Maui impacted by the recent wildfires. Moon Collective is hosting the sale of these T-shirts through their platform and fulfillment center while Mauna Loa generously covered part of the production costs. The color pink was chosen by Chung as it is the official color of the island of Maui.

The T-shirts is currently available at hipassionfruit.com and retails for $65.