Blue Ginger is a very popular brand of tropical-style resort clothing, created in Hawai‘i and inspired by traditional batik methods. Blue Ginger is also the name of nine charming retail outlets that sell this brand across the Hawaiian Islands. Both the clothing line and the shops are the creations of sisters Jill Mackie and Becky Erickson, who own and run the stores. The sisters opened their first store on Front Street in Lahaina in 1983. Blue Ginger launched with a simple objective of creating comfortable, affordable, quality clothing that would last for generations and make people happy.

"I think we’ve done that," says Jill. "We have had customers come into the stores wearing a dress that they bought 15 years ago, and teenagers who remember wearing Blue Ginger dresses when they were little girls."

Now, 22 years later, there are thousands of people who wear Blue Ginger. The brand has become synonymous with the Golden days of Hawai‘i that evoke nostalgia and a reminiscence of gracious Aloha.

Both Jill and Becky find endless inspiration for their designs in the exotic flowers of Hawai‘i, its rainforests and sea creatures, and the everyday wonders of the Hawaiian tropics. The colors they use are usually soft pastels but the bold royal blue of the ginger found in nature has become a signature hue. The designs are distinctive, ranging from loose flowing dresses to comfortable, stylish Aloha shirts and an infinite line of Aloha wear for every member of the family.

"The creative design work at Blue Ginger is a collaborative effort," says Becky. "Jill acts as art director, selecting prints and colors for each collection. Input from the sales staff, including customer requests and feedback is always considered. A concept or style may be incredibly beautiful, but if it’s not practical samples are pulled from the line. It is

always a challenge to provide something for everyone. If it’s blue, however, it’s usually a winner."

The first Blue Ginger store opened with help from the women’s grandmother, Enola Hayden, who moved from Massachusetts. "Our grandmother was such an asset to the growth of the business," says Becky. "Her natural people skills, outgoing personality and zeal for life, was like a magnet for drawing people to our store. She was the one who really helped us establish a strong customer base."

The Blue Ginger batik process starts with stamps approximately 8 inches square made of welded copper, with a handle on the back of the stamp. The size and shape varies depending on the repeat of the design. The virgin material (white, if the print is to be white) is draped over a gel tabletop that is filled with cool water. The copper stamp is then dipped in a pan of hot wax and stamped onto the material by hand. The cool gel surface underneath causes the wax to harden on the material.

"When the pattern is stamped on the material," Jill points out, "it’s important to carefully line up the next wax impression with the previous stamps so there is no definition between them. Often flowers and vines intersect and it takes a talented, experienced batik artist to keep a pattern lined up perfectly. The imperfections and interruptions in the wax variation add to the unique beauty of each piece."

After a 10 meter piece of material is stamped with wax, it then goes into a dye bath. The dye resists the wax, soaking into the background. What is under the wax will remain white, or the color of the original material. This process can be repeated many times to overlap designs and colors. The material is boiled in yet another bath to remove residual dye and wax. Some of the colors used in dying the cloth are reactive to light and heat. Depending upon the nature of the dye the designs are hung out to dry in either the hot sun or under the night stars.

"There are many trade secrets each batik artist develops to create intricate color and design effects," says Jill. "No two pieces of material are ever exactly the same and it requires many years of experience to produce consistent, quality material acceptable for garment production."

The sisters might have been professional athletes rather than designers. Their great-grandparents were Swedish immigrants who moved to Aspen from Sweden around 1896 during the mining boom. The family talent for outdoor sports spans four generations. Both Becky and Jill ski-raced as children and competed in amateur and pro windsurfing events on O‘ahu and Maui.

"Our love of windsurfing, which was just becoming popular in the early ‘80s, was a big part of moving to Hawai‘i," says Jill. "Our first trip to Maui was aboard a 30-foot sailboat, arriving in Lahaina on Thanksgiving Day. We were drawn to the resort atmosphere of Lahaina and thought it would be a great location for a boutique selling the colorful cotton batiks we had seen in Singapore."

The Erickson sisters were originally inspired to design their own clothing line in 1982 when they discovered a line of batik designs during a Singapore vacation. Although it was just a casual pleasure trip, the discovery sparked their creative and entrepreneurial interests. By the time they returned home to Aspen, they had already formulated a plan for designing their own line. Jill’s bachelor of fine arts degree and studies in advertising design, coupled with Becky’s major in international marketing, both from the University of Colorado, made the perfect combination for a startup business.

"We knew the designs we were cultivating would be marketable in the island climate of Hawai‘i," says Becky. "I don’t think we could have imagined then, the kind of international appeal we’ve created. As long as we keep making people smile when they spot a Blue Ginger, we’ll continue to be successful."