Kuuipo was a label owned by Wah Cho Lock who also owned their parent company Hale Hawaii which he started in 1948. A newspaper article once quoted Wah Cho talking about Hawaiian print shirts. "Pineapples, leis, hibiscus, surf boards, anything that is typical of Hawaii appeals to the visitor. And the gayer the colors the better." His prints were unique and he worked closely with talented local and mainland textile designer's to create exceptional designs.
After a tour of the island, he would bring visiting artists to his home, where they would all sit around the lanai, under their mango tree. His wife and her girlfriends would play ukulele and sing Hawaiian songs. They would eat fresh mangoes, papaya, pineapples and lychee as they immersed themselves in the backyard culture that truly influenced the island spirit. He enabled and encouraged artists to develop prints that were special and purposeful that reflected the essence of our Islands.
Kuu-ipo is the Hawaiian word for sweetheart.
