Fighting Eel

Written by Tami Mnoian on Wednesday, 26 August 2009 16:16

Made in Paradise is the tag line for Fighting Eel, a simple and sexy clothing line based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. With its clean lines and cozy fabrics, Fighting Eel isn’t just made there, it embodies paradise.
Sporting any of the line’s dresses or tunics is like wearing a little bit of Hawaii itself.
Designers Rona Bennett and Lan Chung first met in elementary school. Years later, they were both students at the University of Hawaii and working for French retailer Agnes b. “Then our store closed,” Bennett says. “We always talked about starting our own line, so when the store closed we took it as a sign.”

In 2003, they began Fighting Eel. Bennett explains that their design inspirations are “us! We make what we like. We put a lot of attention into making everything wearable. Our customers want the same thing. You can make a million fancy dresses, but there is always that go-to dress, that comfy dress you know you look great in. That is the dress we try to design.”

Bennett and Chung cite fashion and vacation as integral to Fighting Eel’s ethic. Bennett explains, “Visiting new places is always very inspiring for us when designing. We try to go on one trip a year. This year was Australia. We just went to see the Great Barrier Reef. That was pretty awesome! And we got to hug koalas!”

She also notes that, “everything we make is simple, easy to wear and pack. But we try to add at least one detail that makes it special,” whether it’s a rope belt, stripes, ruching, or their signature jumpers.

“The Fighting Eel poster girl looks hot, but doesn't spend all day obsessing about it,” Bennett continues. “She has a life to live! We make the clothes so that she can go live it to the fullest (and look good).”

Currently, the face of Fighting Eel is Calli Wagner. “Our newest model,” Bennett says. “She is a surfer girl from the North Shore. Super cute!”

And last but not least, wondering where the name Fighting Eel is from? Bennett is tight-lipped on this question. “It is a secret! We'll tell you when we make 30 million dollars.”

by Tami Mnoian

Tags: