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The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of vintage fashion.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international community of people with expertise in vintage fashion. VFG members enjoy a wealth of resources, avenues for promoting their shops and specialties, and camaraderie with others who share a common interest and passion.
Malia Hawaii, was founded in 1961 by Bill and Mary Foster (Malia is Mary in Hawaiian). Bill, a Hawaii native with 10+ years in textile design and sales at Wil-Lar Import Co., sought to expand into manufacturing, tasking Mary, a fashion enthusiast with a strong eye for prints, as head designer.
The Fosters acquired Peggy Wood of Honolulu, retaining parts of her line while expanding their offerings. Mary described their initial approach as “misses’ sizes with a junior look.” Malia launched with the Charleston dress, inspired by both Parisian runways and 1920s nostalgia. In 1963, they introduced Surfmate suits, among the first designs catering to female surfers.
In 1964, Malia expanded manufacturing to Hong Kong, introducing Tribute Silks. The tailoring skills available there led to Fast Break in 1967, cotton jackets in splashy prints, and Koke-wai raincoats. Fast Break was gradually replaced by Sandwich Isles, beginning in 1968, featuring tapa prints in cotton, and continuing until 1975-76 (Kenn Watson, personal communication, 2020, from interviews with Laurie Foster). The Hawaiian delegation to the 1968 Republican National Convention wore Sandwich Isles aloha coats. The Captain Cook line, using synthetics and batik-type prints, was added in 1971/72 (Kenn Watson, personal communication, 2020).
Malia’s womenswear thrived in the late 1960s and early 1970s, adapting Hawaiian prints to mainland trends. They joined the California Fashion Creators group in 1967 when CFC expanded their boundaries. Between 1966 and 1970, Malia added a Malia International branch, which handled importing and exporting. Malia International grew into an umbrella organization encompassing everything Malia, including Hawaiian Incentive Services (1969–1974) and MIL (Malia Identity Apparel), providing corporate uniforms. Other subsidiaries included Iam! (International Apparel Malia) and Malia Uniforms. Notably, Malia designed and produced flight attendant uniforms for Hawaiian Airlines in 1974, 1977, and 1979.
At its peak in the 1970s and ‘80s, Malia was Hawaii’s largest apparel manufacturer. By 1986, over half their garments were produced in Asia or Los Angeles, and they put their Honolulu plant up for sale. In 1989, Malia International discontinued traditional wear manufacturing, focusing on uniforms assembled but not made in Hawaii. Bill Sr. died in 1993, and Malia International filed Intent to Dissolve a year later.
Written by MagsRags Vintage, 2025
References
from an early 1960s blouse
from a late 1960s "aloha" coat
from a late 1960s sport coat
from a late 1960s to early 1970s sportcoat
from a 1970s men's sport coat
from a 1970s dress
from a 1970s jumpsuit
from a 1970s sundress
from a 1970s robe
from a late 1970s dress