Source of Creativity- What's original?

Have you ever thought that every book ever written after the dictionary is just a remix? Every scientific theory is just a version of the big bang? Every garment is based on the last? And how in the world are you supposed to find good music, food, art, or heaven forbid a bikini that no one else has? Is there any thing we can say is totally original these days? _________________________________________________________________

 Being a new employee, I am able to see the manufacturing process from an outside perspective, and couldn't be more impressed with the Kaikini team. With the summer rush coming in, and the bikini bods heating up, production records are soaring! The beautifully decorated headquarters offer a positive environment for the creation of award winning suits from the ashes of organization, expertise, design, laughter, honesty, and everything in-between. The only direction is up for Kaikini's and we are progressing every day! But as we all know too well, growing also entails stepping out of your comfort zone and by doing this we are talking on a few extra projects we are excited about!

I love this company because we communicate. Nothing is swept under the rug and topics and ideas are always being discussed.

 A popular subject that seems to be in the hot seat is the source of originality, main focus on bikinis. We recently discovered some bizarre knockoffs of our suits on EBAY, copywriting of model's pictures, and replicas of ours and other suits in popular magazines and media.

And so we discussed: Being an apparel manufacturer and to work in an industry where copying is the rule, NOT the exception is a hard and humbling concept to grasp. Especially when the swimsuit industry is booming and everywhere you turn a new bikini manufacturer pops up usually with styles looking very similar to the last 10 you've already tried on.

 We took the high road and asked ourselves; do you think the swimsuit industry actually thrives because designers borrow and steal from other designers? Can you actually replicate something so much that it re-invents itself as something new?

 Then we took the low road and asked ourselves, is it legal for them to copy designs like this? Should we be watermarking every image? Should we get a lawyer? As you can see, it was easy for us to get upset when a swimsuit that looks remarkably similar to that of which just took months for us to design shows up in a popular underwear catalog.

 But the facts are in the fashion industry- there is very little intellectual property protection. Anyone can copy an image, but to create utilitarian 3 dimensional object to wear and sell is TOTALLY legal.

We also considered our customers: Do more options make it easier or harder to choose a bikini? What criteria is considered when purchasing? Fit? Material? Price?

We then questioned KaiKini's trademark styles that we considered original. What about the day-one scrunch butt bottoms that have been perfected? Or the traditional bikini top that ties around the back of your neck (which gets caught in your hair and strains your neck) that we modified so the straps crisscross in some creative way for more support and comfort?

Sigh. Unfortunately these designs can all be replicated.

So how can we distinguish ourselves? What makes us different from all the other bikini companies out there? Ding! Our tireless efforts to give you the best swimsuit to fit your lifestyle. The consistency and perfectionism applied to every suit that is made. The dedication and persistence to treat every customer with repect, and to make our products affordable. The production management, the designer's ideas, the quality control- all these things are original to us.

I know KaiKini will always continue to transform the things that CAN be copied, by combining the elements we are inspired by; our customers, surroundings (Kauai), adventure, and YES- other bikinis. For all of those who know how hard it is to pick a bikini, we hope we meet your expectations in inspiration and originality.

 So... we welcome all bikini manufacturers, all budding designers, and all dreamers who are willing to create. If your creative impulse is feeling unoriginal don't get discouraged- use it as inspiration! Don't let images from others filter into your work.
Instead perfect your product by putting together what you have in the present moment and be your OWN creative genius! Focus on being innovative, understanding, hardworking, and YOU!- that can never be replicated!

 Hand-made with originality and Aloha, -Kaikini HQ :)

 Mahalo- Kona-Kai Wilson

Customer Service... from the other end of the line

Every day millions of consumers shop online and wait patiently (or not) for a shiny new treasure to arrive at their mailbox. The wait is painful – but surprisingly addictive! I have to think it stems back to the excitement of getting mail as a kid. It still makes me giddy!

But sometimes... and I know we’ve all been there… something goes wrong. Mr. Postman gets lost, or confused – the size is wrong – they shipped the wrong item – or worse I see the package arrived 1 day after I left on the vacation I’d been planning for 6 months. WHY?! (Yes, this happened to me, and the wound is still fresh!) So, I proceed to find out how to contact customer service and spend the next hour composing a “somebody done somebody wrong song” - and - if they catch me on the wrong day, I just might jump down the throat of the first person who tries to help me.

And sometimes, that’s the only way to get things done, right?

WRONG.

In this day of everything-I-want-is-online-and-I-want-it-right-NOW we've skipped over the person to person interaction and rarely see a face or smile to go with the purchases we make. Worse yet, somewhere along the way we forgot to be nice – on both ends. There are places I frequent that maybe aren't my favorite or I 'll even pay more for something just because the person on the other side of the counter is SO wonderful I can’t help but want to support them! Finding good customer service these days is like a Diamond in the Rough. (Like my Disney reference girls?) Likewise, the internet has made it easy for us to be abrupt, demanding and downright rude because we know we’ll never meet the person on the other end of that email or phone call.

But you know who is on the other end of that email or phone call?

Me. 

I’m not pointing any fingers – I’m as guilty as the next person – but being the face of customer service for KaiKini has opened my eyes in a major way. Gone are the days where I immediately assume the person on the other end of that line doesn’t care about my problem. We DO care! You’re the reason we get to make bikinis on a gorgeous little island in the middle of the Pacific. But sincerely, please be understanding as much as possible and believe we are doing our very best to make you feel the ALOHA.

I’m not saying it’s all bad!

I have to give a major shout out to our amazing customers, because for the most part, you are sweet, understanding and gracious. You have no idea how much it means when I get to post a good review about our Kinis or get a ‘Thank you for the amazing customer service.’

So, THANK YOU. You rock my world!

We lost our spark...

Call it luck. Call it fate. Call it the spirit of Kauai…whatever it was that brought us together sure had things right. I hope you’re lucky enough to work with people that inspire you, make you laugh and keep you motivated. We call ourselves the “KaiKini Wahines”. Maybe it isn't the best work practice to be such good friends with your employees, but I don’t care. It works for me. It works for us. These girls are like family to me.

The KaiKini Wahines: Andrea, Marina, Taryn, Kristen & Kim

There is a sense of trust between us that is the underlying basis for our success. We have weekly meetings so we can brainstorm and keep each other in check. Communication is key. Last year though, it got tough. Some pretty significant things happened. I was pregnant, had a baby, we moved from the studio behind my house to a huge warehouse in downtown Kapaa and immediately had a grand opening party and runway show. The girls took on a lot. I wasn't able to give the business my full attention and the girls picked up the slack. This was never discussed, they just made it happen. (A million “thank you’s” will never be enough to express the gratitude I feel towards these girls.) So by the end of the year, we were exhausted, a little burnt out and a lot needed to be said. We all worked really hard to get where we needed to be, but somewhere in the mix we lost that spark we had. The fun, the laughter, the bonding - it hadn't been happening. So after the new year we sat down, talked it out, cried it out, let everything that we had been holding back go. We learned that the head down, clench your fists and work through it method is not the way for us. 

It’s amazing what a good cry fest will do for a bunch of girls! Kristen and Marina are back to singing songs from their favorite Disney movies, Kim chimes in about her latest look on Covet, and I even caught a smile on Andrea’s face when she was counting inventory (her least favorite task). As for me, I’m happy that things are back to normal, but actually no, they’re not normal, they’re better than normal. We figured it out. We found the perfect balance of work and fun. Things get accomplished faster and with less mistakes; the anticipation for our crazy summer season is building and we are ready. Together we can do this. Together we create the magic that is KaiKini.

XOXO,

Taryn Mari'

How does a gangster from Detroit end up as a seamstress?

Meet the KaiKini Wahines! Today we're giving thanks for our resident comedian and girl of many talents, Kristen. This little blonde bundle of joy hails from the 'burbs of Detroit and she brings a taste of the city to this quiet little island lifestyle. We love her to pieces! You're going to love her special talents - read on below!

Name: Kristen Oakes

KaiKini Position: Production Manager & Seamstress AKA The Closet Gangster

What’s Your Sign: Aquarius (Feb 2)

Hometown: Sterling Heights, MI

Favorite Color: Pink

Favorite KaiKini at the moment: Magenta Sport Top & Aloha Kahua Bottoms

Favorite thing about working at KaiKini: That we are such a close family here and I get to come in and work with my friends!

If you could marry a cartoon character, who would it be?
Aladdin - Middle Eastern & Tan :)

Who's your favorite Disney Princess?
Ariel - The Little Mermaid

Secret talent:
Bursting into random song & dance


Words to live by:
Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Pray for tomorrow.

The perfect day is...
My birthday of course! And I'd have to say April 25th. Because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket. (Props if you can name this movie reference)!


Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Halloween all the way!

Vodka, Rum, Whiskey or Tequila?
Whiskey girl!

Theme Song at the moment:
Beer in Mexico - Kenny Chesney (Somebody's leaving for Cancun in 24 hours!)

What inspires you?
Money inspires me to be rich...

If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Travel the world in a private jet (after accomplishing world peace, of course!)

Name 5 things you can't live without:
Wifi, My Laptop, Sunshine, Love & my Family (Does that make me sound like a better person? hehe)

What are you giving thanks for?
Living in Hawaii and my parents – without them I don’t think I ever would have moved to Kauai to start a life!

A KaiKini Confession

Guest blogger Marina here, Quality Control Manager and seamstress for those KaiKinis you love so much. The most wonderful Andrea asked me to step in for this post and talk about my first experience with a KaiKini. Little did she know that…

I have a confession to make. 

My first time owning and wearing a bikini wasn't until after I started working at KaiKini (gasp!). As in, my first KaiKini was my first bikini! Up until that point, I’d never bought a bikini before. Like, NEVER EVER.  Why, you ask? Truth be told, I’m pretty self-conscious. Similar to many other girls out there, I easily find fault with what I see in the mirror, especially when it comes to my bikini body.  I pretty much never felt 'bikini ready.'  I was never comfortable enough to show that much skin so I stuck with unflattering, ill-fitting one pieces and tankinis. It took a move to Hawaii and a job at KaiKini to open my eyes to the possibility of wearing something other than the potato sacks I was used to.

There is something really awesome about Kauai. Actually, there are a TON of awesome things about Kauai, but there is one thing in particular: girls here, of all shapes and sizes, ROCK their bikinis. From high coverage to barely there Brazilians, women here strut their stuff and are proud of it. Never before have I seen as much self-confidence as I've seen walking the beaches of this beautiful island. And you know what? Self-confidence is contagious. If all of these women could kill it in a bikini, why couldn't I??

And this is where KaiKini comes in. When I first started working with Taryn and the girls, I had this mental block about our Kinis. NO WAY would I EVER wear something so cheeky and revealing!

A little known fact about KaiKini (Shhhh! Don’t let Taryn know I told you!):

As quality control manager, I make sure that every single piece produced in our small studio is up to our high standards.  If there is ever a flaw in one of our suits that cannot be fixed, like a hole in the fabric or broken elastic, it will sometimes end up in one of the KaiKini girls’ Kini collections. (Side Note: The downside to being such an awesome team of seamstresses is that flaws like this RARELY happen but when they do, the first thing everyone asks is, “What size is it?!”). We all have a few castaway, un-sellable bikinis in our possession and it was a suit like this that had the honor of becoming my-first-bikini-oh-my-god!

I remember it like it was yesterday… it was a black Okole with a hole. Now, the awesome thing about our Okole bottom is that not only does it offer more coverage than a Kai, but for girls out there who may not be as well-endowed in the booty department (like yours truly) it has this awesome ability to give what you've got some extra oomph! Thanks in large part to the scrunch in the back, the Okole silhouettes your bum and gives it a nice heart shape, magically making it look, well, better.  When I first tried it on, while still self-conscious and not ready to wear it in public, I did have to admit that my tukas looked the best it ever has in a swimsuit.  No saggy fabric or ‘diaper butt’ here!

So that was my first experience with a KaiKini. I have to say, it’s taken me a long time to get to the point of wearing a bikini in public. I’m still self-conscious and am not yet able to strut my stuff and rock it, but I’m getting there. I’m a bit biased because I actually make the bikinis I wear, but I truly have to say that if not for KaiKini, I might still be wearing my ugly tankinis and lamenting my awful tan lines. Not only am I proud to say that my stomach now gets to see the light of day, but my KaiKinis still remain the only bikinis I own. 

I guess the moral of my story and the message I’d like to share is this:

For those of you dreaming about one day wearing a bikini: you’ll get there. Take baby steps. Ease into it. Find the cut and fit that makes you feel the best. Go to an isolated place and wear your Kini without fear.  Work your way to the point of being happy in your own skin and of what you've got. Oh, and if your first suit happens to be a KaiKini, awesome!! Wear it knowing that we were thinking about YOU when we made it and that we see you as beautiful no matter what. But even if a KaiKini isn't the first suit you've ever owned, or even if you don’t own a KaiKini, wear whatever helps you feel like the goddess you are. 

Now go out there and strut your stuff, Kini lovers!

XOXO

Marina

P.S. What’s YOUR first bikini story? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section!