I was thinking the other day about how this little match made in heaven came about and it took me back to somewhere in 2012. I was designing for a brand called TCSS and was based out of a wonderful beach side suburb called Bondi in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. We were trying to build up our US business so I pretended to be a sales rep, packed my bags full of samples and flew to the lovely place I now call home... Los Angeles.
The idea was to show up at this quaint little trade show inside one of the hangers at the Santa Monica airport. I forget the name, but I do remember realizing I’m not made for sales. To be honest the whole thing was pretty forgettable besides one showing I had towards the end of the first day. I had heard of a uniquely contemporary boutique in San Diego’s North Park called Aloha Sunday. I hadn't seen it my self but most emerging brands like TCSS were trying their best to be a staple on their racks.
Somewhere towards the middle of the first afternoon a few people were talking about the owner of Aloha Sunday walking the show. As soon as I saw Kahana it was pretty obvious that this was the guy people were chatting about. If my memory serves me correctly he had heard about the brand and was pretty interested in carrying it. He may have a slightly different view so I may need to run this past him first. Let's stick to that for now.
After chatting for a while and looking through the line I was really impressed by his take on fashion, where retail was at the time and the surf industry as a whole. Kahana doesn't look at things from the same angle as most or any for that matter. He looks at the creative world with self confidence and a humility that is rare to find in someone so widely talented. From gliding down the line of any type of wave, designing, DJ’ing or being a father Kahana is truly a savant.
You’re probably reading and wondering what this has to do with JuneShine. Fast forward a few years, after Kahana had finished with his Aloha Sunday space he ended up at joining the lovely family over at JuneShine as their Creative Director. I must admit they’re damn lucky to have him.
Kahana and JuneShine coming together was also a lucky moment for Banks Journal. He had vision of the two brands coming together and putting out a collection of soft-goods from a unique point of view. Kahana and our designer came together and created something that isn't just merch but well considered and thoughtful garments that are loved by all. I feel like what we have created with this line is an accurate representation of the two brands aesthetics.
Something else that has been really special about working with the JuneShine family is meeting one of their Co-Founders, Forrest. He is such a true leader but also so relatable and humble with his approach to his business and life. I feel really fortunate to call him a friend and to have been given an opportunity to work on this project with him and his incredible team.
This project has been in the works for almost a year now and I can't believe we are only a few days away from releasing it. We are all really proud of this collection and can't wait to hear what you all think about this little line we have put together.
Come have a look for yourself at one of our stores or Online. We are going to be pushing it live at 9am on Thursday the 16th of June.
- Words & Images by Rama McCabe.
