At an early age, Rumi spent hours pouring over her mother’s Bazaar magazines and recreating designs using makeshift patterns and an old Singer. Influenced deeply by her Japanese heritage, and a childhood immersed in the creative counter-culture of Northern California’s Bay Area in the 1970’s, Rumi’s design philosophy follows a tradition of handcrafting as opposed to high volume production. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Southern California, her technical skills developed through the rigors of her early years spent in the fast-paced garment industry of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Her move to Hawaii in the late 90’s has rendered a softness to her otherwise tailored designs, striking a balance between tradition and modernity, function and beauty. A true maker, Rumi cuts all of her own patterns and sews her first samples, ensuring the highest quality, finish and fit. As a company, Rumi Murakami is dedicated to ethical and sustainable production processes, employing highly-skilled local sewers and craftspeople. She currently lives and works on the beautiful island of O`ahu
