How HIHO Grew to become an Iconic Caribbean Style Model
You see it everywhere in the Caribbean: it’s one of the vital recognizable shirts within the Caribbean: the HIHO shirt. In 4 many years, Tortola-based HIHO has advanced into arguably essentially the most iconic vogue model within the Caribbean, from its signature UPF shirts to its hats and shirts and extra, a lot of which help prime occasions and festivals within the area — led by the ultra-popular Painkiller Cup.
To study extra about how the corporate has advanced from its begin in 1986, Caribbean Journal caught up with Andy Morrell, HIHO’s founder, concerning the model’s beginnings, its latest deigns and the way HIHO has gone world.
How did the HIHO model get its begin?
It began with a T-shirt…. I used to be a really eager windsurfer racer and competed in and positioned 1st within the 1986 Johnnie Walker Hook-In-Maintain-On race. The occasion folded after that and I joined the windsurfing World Cup. Then I purchased there HIHO identify and re-sartred the occasion. We designed a cool T-shirt with a solar brand and bought the shirts in a pair shops in Tortola, plus we’ve got them out to all of the racers. It mushroomed from there with Neil Pryde, one of many early supporters of our new model of the HIHO occasion, encouraging us to construct a model. We began making rash guards, seashore luggage, and so forth. It type of grew from there and by the point we put the HIHO race to mattress in 2012 (we ran it for 20-years) the model had sufficient momentum to get loads of our consideration.
Why is the BVI and the Caribbean necessary to the HIHO model?
It’s the place we’re from. We grew up within the BVI. As youngsters we spent numerous time crusing, on the seashore and in mango timber. And we nonetheless reside right here. We raised our household in Tortola and run HIHO from right here. We’re influenced by our pristine island atmosphere, the colours of the Caribbean and the straightforward going life-style.
HIHO fashions appear to have gotten extra subtle over the previous 5 years. Is that true?
Our model has advanced quite a bit. Our designs haven’t turn into extra subtle however we’ve discovered how one can higher make, market and ship an awesome product. And our collections have grown broader. We now ship 5 x collections annually.
You might have a retailer in Tortola? Are there different HIHO shops?
Now we have a retailer in Tortola at The Moorings marina, and a bigger retailer at Rosewood Little Dix Resort on Virgin Gorda. Aside from that we’re on-line at www.go-hiho.com
I see HIHO in loads of locations. What number of retailers do you’re employed with?
HIHO will be present in over 200 shops from Alabama to Maine, plus within the Caribbean. And we’re slowly shifting to the West Coast!
You might have had loads of success with UV blocking objects. Are you able to inform us about these merchandise?
A few of our most profitable merchandise are our UPF50 shirts. We developed a light-weight pique knit materials that block the suns dangerous rays but is light-weight and really comfy. It’s been a really profitable product for us. We make all kinds of mens and girls’s types. One factor we’re in a position to do with this product is customise it for purchasers. We make shirts for yachts, resorts and resorts like Necker Island, Seaside, Ritz Carlton resorts and Rosewood Little Dix Resort.
Would you say HIHO represents a sort of clothes or explicit fashion of vogue? What’s the future for that fashion?
HIHO is all about easy-to-wear and cozy clothes. We cautious select the most effective supplies like pima cotton, gentle linen and cozy rayon. Plenty of our designs are basic and “timeless”, however actually we simply make garments that you just wish to put on in case you are residing casually.
You might have at all times run an occasion yearly. Why is that necessary and what are you doing this yr?
Operating occasions is in our DNA. Our first enterprise was a giant windsurfing occasion known as Hook-In-Maintain-On or HIHO. We stopped working the large HIHO windsurfing journey 12 years in the past however we nonetheless placed on the 1-day Painkiller Cup each January. Operating occasions is enjoyable. It’s nice to see folks having time on the seashore or on the water.
Man Britton is the managing editor of Caribbean Journal.
