‘Lot of joy’: Soft opening for local fashion brand Always A.line’s new location
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A local wahine-owned fashion brand now has a brand new location for shoppers to visit!
On the morning of Feb. 5, Always A.line celebrated the soft opening of their store in Ala Moana Center. Windows were spotless, clothing was carefully arranged around the space, and visible from the window — a fresh bouquet gifted by the mall, welcoming the store and its customers.
Always A.line is known for custom-knit fabrics, hand-sewn designs and contemporary prints.
“Everything is sewn here in Hawaii,” said Lynn Sakutori, founder and designer of Always A.line. “I have a studio in Kakaako. Everything is designed and produced there.”
For more than a decade, the brand, which started selling through Macy’s Hawaii and long since expanded into its own, has grown to become a local favorite.
Inside Always A.line’s Ala Moana Center store on Feb. 5, 2026.
“My inspiration is definitely being here, living here in the islands,” Sakutori said. “My customers are very unique in the way that we have warm weather all year long.”
The warmer weather is an element Sakutori must carefully consider during her design process.
The question for her is “how to incorporate a jersey-print, my jersey knit-prints, into everyone’s lifestyle: from office wear to weekend wear, to family gatherings.”
“I’ve always enjoyed fashion. I enjoyed the process of creating something, using my hands to put together a garment,” Sakutori said. “Seeing it on someone, having someone else wear it, that brings me a lot of joy, and that has given me a lot of drive to continue doing this business.”
Sakutori and her team of 13 work hard to create and sew a collection, which encompasses hundreds of garments, with a new print every month.
“We’re always busy moving on to the next collection we want to feature for our customers,” she said.
One big change is the brand’s evolution to include men’s and family wear, alongside women’s wear.
“So anyone can find anything,” Sakutori added.
Always A.line was previously located in South Shore Market at Ward Village. The new store moved into the Ewa Wing of Ala Moana Center, on the third floor, across from North Face.
Always A.line soft opening of Ala Moana Center location on Feb. 5, 2026.
During the soft opening, a traditional Hawaiian blessing was conducted before the doors opened for friends and family to browse the racks.
“It’s so exciting to be able to share this space with everyone and to be able to have a space that’s triple the size of our former space!” Sakutori said.
The newest collection, “For Always,” will debut at the store’s grand opening on Feb. 7 and 8.
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