FISHLOAVES
A BOUTIQUE WITH CHARACTER

Fishloaves is a quaint clothing boutique created from the ground up by Farida Ong. The store is less then three months old, but the idea of owning a clothing store and running her own business has been a long time coming for Ms. Ong. She moved to New York in her early 20’s, and pursued her passion for fashion. She drew inspiration from everything around her - buildings, music and people. Despite the current economic times, Ms. Ong decided to move back to Hawaii and pursue her dream even further.

Farida Ong, Owner of Fishloaves

The name Fishloaves came to Ms. Ong during a Sunday church service. Her pastor was telling her the story of how two fish and five loaves of bread fed 5,000 hungry people. That was just the type of motivation and reinforcement she needed to embark on such a lofty goal.

The store itself features clothing from a variety of places. She features both local and West Coast designers. Ms. Ong makes sure that her prices are kept reasonably low so that they are affordable for everyone. She tries to keep the store’s atmosphere as comfortable as possible by playing music from her ipod, letting customers chat about their personal problems, and even offering an authentic chalkboard behind the register that kids can draw on while their parents shop.

For vintage lovers, Fishloaves has a collection of jewelry and trinkets for sale as well as unique decor items that give the store added personality.

Ms. Ong makes a point that “Clothes make you feel good,” and she aims to please.

Story by Tyson Joines
Photos by Kai Omo

Fishloaves is located at at 661 Ke’eaumoku Street - inside Sam Sung Plaza.

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