Our New Tahitian Pareo - Maeva Pareu

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

It's been 2 years since we introduced our last custom fabric design - Tehani, to the world. We would have loved to keep going with that classic but due to some problems with the manufacturer, we were no longer able to have it produced. It was difficult to give it up, but as with just about everything in the modern era, we have to move on.

Our new Tahitian pareo print - Maeva, is just what we wanted. The Maeva print is available in five beautiful colors. Each color name was inspired by an element of Tahitian life. Arii Red is named for the arii (or nobility) of old, Mango Orange is named for one of our favorite fruits so endeared in Tahiti, Green Tiare is named for Tahiti's iconic flower and leaves, Poehere Blue is named in honor of last years Miss Tahiti and one of our featured models, and lastly, Brown Tapa is named for the original "pareu" of Tahiti and pays homage to the 'ahu of old.

The Maeva custom fabric design is reminiscent of our Tehani design. We have the same kind of feel and look but we added in more traditional Tattoos. The variation of the otipi or plate/bowl design was added into the leaves and we added more tiare flowers. The Hawaiian lauae leaves were removed and outline marks were also removed. The all-over print is now brighter and distinctly Tahitian/Marquesan in look and feel.

We love our new Maeva design and look forward to making more options available in the future.

Maeva - Our new pareu design

Let's take a look at what we are getting ready to release. It's taken awhile (almost 6 months!!!). It wasn't exactly what we planned on doing. Actually we wanted to continue with our Tehani design but we had some supply problems. Last year, when we had planned on making a reorder of fabric, our manufacturer rep. here in Hawaii told us that they wouldn't be able to print our fabric any more. To say the least, this put a crimp on our plans. What were we going to do?

We have been printing our fabric in Japan because we preferred the quality, feel and the reputation. China was out of the question. We never considered it. Indonesia and Malaysia were suggested but we just didn't feel it was right. Where to print? My first choice was the US. But did you know that there just doesn't seem to be any large scale fabric manufacturers left in the country. It's very sad if you think about it.

So after being very disappointed by my finding, I remember being contacted several years ago by an Indian company, that's the country of India. I tried to contact them and lo and behold they were still there. It's a good sign as they are still in business after all these years. India, for those of you who don't know, is a leader in the textile industry. Their fabrics are known for their softness and exotic prints.


Well to make things simple, we've been progressing through the design and manufacturing process. We've got the design finalized and received strike offs. The first set of strike offs weren't exactly what we wanted so we sent for a second. We will be receiving those shortly. Typically, it is not uncommon to get 2 or 3 sets of strike offs to make sure the design and print is as it is supposed to be printed.

We're on the home stretch and we expect to receive the fabric within the next couple of months. Next steps are for receiving and passing through customs (hopefully without a hitch). We'll keep you posted.
The new fabric design is being printed on 100% cotton. Just like our other design - Tehani. We'll explain about the design on our next blog entry.

Coconut Island Shoulder Bag

This is one of the bags we've been waiting for. All the girls who've been to our place have all asked about getting one. Sorry it's taken so long. It's simple and fun... and one more thing - affordable. Fit your cell phone, ipod and whatever essential makeup needed. Inside side pocket divides bag into 2 areas. A great find for the islander in you.

For good measure, we'll throw in a Tehani girl sticker.

How to tie a pareo - Tehani

Our model Kamalei, is wearing a Mahana Pareo demonstrating one of our most requested pareo tying style - Tehani.

One of our more ambitious pareo tying styles, the Tehani is our nod to the popular and visually distinct bias cut. It's a wrap that can be adjusted to show a little or a lot. Start by wrapping the pareo vertically around your body. Hold the top two ends and tie above shoulder. Now comes the twist. Start pulling gently around your body from the hip. Adjust for coverage and tie at hip. Note, this will not be at a corner of the pareo, rather an approximation of where it fits best to your body.

If you have a longer pareo than the usual 72", this might work well to give you a longer dressier look. Using a gauzy or rayon pareo will probably work best on this style but as always, these pareo tying styles are creative creations and will fit differently on every body type.

Black Pearl Designs logo shop is now open

What is that you say? Black Pearl Designs new look is in the works. Along with a redesign, we are going to be adding in more products, more how-to-tie instructions and a couple surprises on the way. We are almost 5 years old and all throughout our anniversary we'll be introducing new products, news and of course, designs.

One of the additions is the new Black Pearl Designs logo shop. This is where you'll be able to find our designs. You can pick up a shirt or bag of our Black Pearl Girl - Tehani. She's great! Sassy, intriguing, enchanting and a little sultry. Look closer and you'll notice that she is wearing our signature Tehani pareo.

In the future you'll be able to see additional designs showing off some of the creative designs of our artists and crafters.

Sneak Peek at our new look

Since our beginning we have been looking for an iconic image. Well, at Black Pearl Designs, we think we have found it... or rather her. Meet Tehani.

We'll be introducing her throughout the summer and celebrating the new addition to our ohana. She's great! Sassy, intriguing, enchanting and a little sultry. Our tiare bearing vahine is sure to attract attention. Take a closer look and you'll notice she is wearing our signature Tehani pareo.

With her introduction, we'll be adding in some great new products, handicrafts, hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind Polynesian artisan works. Check back often as we grow.