Cool stuff: artistic endemism

Culture and conservation meet in aloha shirt prints designed in Hawaii by brands like Reyn Spooner. Current favorite plant-inspired prints (clockwise from green shirt): Forest Tapa, Lahaina Sailor (a nod to history, heritage, and modernism), Hapuʻu, Kula Forest, ʻUlu Kanu. If you want something truly made in Hawaii, the bags above fit the bill according to the Reyn Spooner website.

I have never seen so much nature-inspired fashion and body art in one place before than at the Hawaii Conservation Conference last week.

I have never seen so much Sig Zane and Kealopiko and Reyn Spooner in one place before, either.

I saw at least half a dozen on-point ʻōhiʻa-inspired prints on garments on the day of the ROD session, and even a sizeable ʻōhiʻa tattoo. I would not be surprised at all if that was not the only one in the Convention Center that day...

I also saw a lot of nature-inspired tattoos, which makes me think that for every topic covered in this conference, there is at least one piece of art out there either in someone's closet or epidermis related to it somehow. Conservationists are dedicated!

If you love bold, geometric patterns, Sig Zane must not be missed. Current favorites:

To take your love of Hawaiian coffee and agriculture to the next level, the Aʻeloa print.

If you love maps and want to avoid getting lost in Hilo, the Hilo One print, a personal all-time favorite.

If you need a handy conversation piece about current events, one of these just released ʻōhiʻa prints (or at least they look like ʻōhiʻa to me): for women, for men, for anyone.

Kealopiko stands out for their commitment to showcasing endemic flora and fauna of Hawaii, and for clearly stating production stays within the US. Prints on my (and everyone else's) wishlist: Leho, Hīnaʻi, Olonā.

One day I will work up the nerve to approach people about doing a People magazine style post on conference fashion, because there were several attendees with excellently thought out attire at HCC that elevated fashion from purely functional to finely curated narrative of self-expression. Until then, I leave you with this sneaky low-res composite image that is only the liko of a very large ʻōhiʻa tree (to sign off with a really bad metaphor).

Endemic art!

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I wonder what people are wearing to the CVPR2017 conference that was setting up as we were leaving? Here's the conversation I had with someone setting up the registration area:

Me: (Looking at the large banners and posters everywhere that read "CVPR".) What's this conference for?

Genius superwoman: (Kindly) CVPR.

Me: What's CVPR?

Genius superwoman: (Again, super kindly even though she looked a little overworked as I approached her) Computer Vision Pattern Recognition.

* Crickets *

* Three slow steps backwards (like this) * 


Soo... yeaahhh..... thaaat's happening right now........