Big Picture Entrepreneurs

Maui

AT FIRST GLANCE, the Maui Thing logo is just a tako, or octopus. But like the rest of the company’s designs, its logo is all about subtlety and a big-picture mindset. A pet project from graphic designers at Sae Design, Maui Thing is a lifestyle clothing line that showcases the “good” aspects of Maui – the healthy lifestyle, the care for the environment, the hospitality – and combines it with smart, hip design.

“Stuck on good” is the brand’s tagline and appears on its T-shirts, hats, skirts, baby apparel, stickers and water bottles. The inventive designs revolve around the themes of green, peace and recycling. For instance, a keiki line raises awareness on indigenous Hawaiian animals, with simply designed turtles and monk seals. A nene goose design has “500” printed over the animal, signifying the less than 500 geese left in the wild.

The thoughtfulness goes past the design. Maui Thing prints on shirts from American Apparel, the sweatshop-free clothing line manufactured in a downtown Los Angeles factory. Its Web site (www.mauithing.com) contains links and information on a number of eco-friendly topics, from recycling tips to places to buy local, organic produce.

Maui Thing has focused its attention on Web marketing, and the entire catalog can be found online. Shipping is free on Maui, with UPS shipping rates for the rest of Hawaii, the U.S. Mainland and internationally. T-shirts cost $18.

There’s a small showroom in Wailuku and Maui Thing promotes its community-minded product at trunk shows (boutique fashion shows), with a portion of the proceeds going to nonprofit organizations. Since August, Maui Thing has sold about 600 shirts. Saedene Ota, owner of Maui Thing and Sae Design, says they’ve had an interesting response to the products. Japanese travelers are buying in bunches for take-home omiyage, and locals are buying for their kids because of the positive message, as opposed to other brands’ flippant slogans.

As for the subtle message in the octopus: Picture the island of Maui, from 10,000 feet in the air.

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