LIHU‘E — Nov. 12 marked the opening of Lilly O’s, a women’s boutique, in Lihu‘e. Following a hectic six-week preparation period punctuated by the wedding of Milton Ozaki’s son, the boutique opened the doors to the public. The activity was
LIHU‘E — Nov. 12 marked the opening of Lilly O’s, a women’s boutique, in Lihu‘e.
Following a hectic six-week preparation period punctuated by the wedding of Milton Ozaki’s son, the boutique opened the doors to the public. The activity was bolstered by a live radio broadcast, game wheel prizes and other premiums that accompany grand openings.
“I always wanted a retail store in this location,” Ozaki said. “But I didn’t think I would be the one running it.”
Ozaki said the name “Lilly O’s” is the idea of his sister Joyce Tomonari, who was on hand to celebrate the opening along with another sister, Marian Conroy.
“In the old days, our parents did not have English names,” Ozaki said. “My mother’s name was Yukie Ueoka, but through the course of business, she developed a nickname, ‘Lilly.’ My dad was called ‘Robert,’ and he went on to legally adopt his name. My mother did not.”
As Robert’s clothier business flourished, Lilly never lost her name, customers knowing her by only that name.
After passing last year, Ozaki said he wanted to pay tribute and in her memory, Lilly O’s was born.
Modified to address the current trends in women’s fashion, Ozaki said Lilly O’s offers women’s casual, work and leisure fashion without the large number of same styles found in the bigger stores.
Additionally, there are accessories to go along with the fashions and for a jewelry upgrade, there is Robert’s Jewelry located across the aisle.
“This space became available and everything kind of fell into place,” Ozaki said. “The carpenters did a remarkable job of remodeling this from an office to a retail space and even with my son’s wedding in between all of this, we are now open.”
During the heyday of the sugar and pineapple plantations, Robert’s was the source of clothing needs — shoes, pants, shirts, jackets and more.
When a student “graduated” from eighth grade, there was the graduation watch, usually an Elgin, which also came from Robert’s, and on graduation from high school, there was the need for suitcases to head for college. Robert’s filled that bill as well.
That all changed with the arrival of the big discount and chain stores and at one point, Robert’s hung on to its legacy with the single store in Hanapepe, the other store in Lihu‘e being downsized to a specialized jewelry store.
With the opening of Lilly O’s, the legacy of the Ozaki store as a clothier is rekindled.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
