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In Hawaiʻi, Native Hawaiian fashion model and designer Lei Mamo Sousa Howell (1929–2020) launched her Mamo label in 1974 with quilts and blankets, followed by fashionable dresses, and later aloha shirts. The label was licensed in 2010 to Pomare Ltd., the parent company of Hilo Hattie’s. Mamo designs characteristically feature large bold prints, some inspired by Hawaiian quilts. The designer’s signature is often incorporated within the fabric’s design.

Written by Tory Laitila