Page 8 - MidWeek East - June 7, 2023

8 JUNE 7, 2023
Still The Fabric Of The Community For Nearly A Century
BY ALLYSON PANG
him to her store around 30 years ago when he was an independent fabric rep- resentative. About a year before World War II, the Takeyas retired and turned the store over to their children. Their daughter Edith became chairman of the board with her daugh- ter Dee Dee Miyashiro as president.
dustry for as long as I have,FR I’ve seen a shift,” Miller says. “It used to be that people sewed to save mon- ey bluntly. And now, they sew as a form of hobby and
Featuring vibrant spe- cialty fabrics from Asia and France, quilting as- sortments, fine dress goods and even sewing machines, Kaimukī Dry Goods has been the supplier for many East Oʻahu sewing enthusi- asts since it opened in 1926. On June 10, the family-run store will be celebrating its 97th anniversary.
a form of creative fulfil- ment. And the industry is a lot more fun.”
In a two-week promotion beginning June 11, the shop will have special sales on all items. These sales will utilize the number 97. For example, one could buy a yard of fabric for 97 cents.
When Miyashiro retired, Miller became the presi- dent last March.
“Our customers are full of creativity and full of ideas. They might need some assistance along the way, but they come with a vision,” he says.
“For any business to still be around 97 years after it started is really hard...and any business that survived
that long has gone through transitions,” says president Bill Miller.
Miller says he couldn’t accept the idea that the community would lose an integral fabric store.
Colorful swathes of fabric line the racks on the Kaimukī Dry Goods showroom floor. ANTHONY CONSILLIO PHOTO
With about 40 years of experience in the sewing industry, Miller stepped in to keep Kaimukī Dry Goods open when he heard about the possibility of it closing.
His goal is to get the shop to its 100th anniver- sary, which is not too far away. In order to do that, he states the importance of being responsive to change while still maintaining the standards they’ ve always had.
While some local busi- nesses faced a customer shortage during the pan- demic, Miller says the store struggled with the opposite. Despite the re-
The Hawaiʻi Island res- ident also runs Discount Fabric Warehouses on the neighboring islands.
Miller describes how the original owner Takao Oza- wa Takeya, had welcomed
“Having been in the in-
SEE PAGE 9
Miller says the store’s customers are what make it a fun environment to be in.
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