PACE x FDM x HTDC ELIVE: Always A.line and Aloha Cut & Cloth

From Design to Production: The Fashion Process

Explore the journey from design to production with insights from industry experts Lynn Sakutori and Camille Heung. Discover how local manufacturing supports Hawai‘i’s economy and brings creative visions to life.

Meet Lynn Sakutori:

Lynn Sakutori is a fashion designer, female entrepreneur, and proud University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate with decades of experience in the fast-paced fashion industry.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Lynn discovered her passion for fashion at fourteen when her parents bought her a sewing machine. Growing up on Maui, she worked at local fabric stores, taught summer sewing classes, and even made prom dresses for friends. After earning a degree in fashion design, she moved to New York City, where she worked with top clothing brands before returning to Hawai‘i to launch her own company, Sakutori Designs, LLC, in 2007.

In 2013, she established always a.line, a clothing brand that prints one-of-a-kind artwork on custom-knitted jersey fabric. Working directly with knitting mills and printers in the USA, she ensures that every design is thoughtfully crafted before being cut and sewn in her Kaka‘ako studio. Lynn’s commitment to quality and community is at the heart of her business, supporting locally made products and sustainable fashion practices.

Meet Camille Heung:

Camille Heung has over 20 years of experience in the retail industry in Hawai‘i. After managing luxury retail businesses, she left in 2016 to open her own boutique, Valia Honolulu. While designing her own clothing line, she recognized a gap in the local market for small-scale manufacturing—leading her to launch Aloha Cut + Cloth.

Aloha Cut + Cloth specializes in producing small-batch, cut-and-sewn soft goods for micro and small businesses. Recognizing the challenges of finding local manufacturers with reasonable production minimums, Camille and her team created a company dedicated to supporting emerging designers in Hawai‘i. Their focus on ethical and sustainable production makes the manufacturing process more accessible while minimizing waste.

Beyond manufacturing, Aloha Cut + Cloth operates a non-profit foundation that partners with community organizations to create job opportunities and vocational training programs. By reinvigorating Hawai‘i’s sewing industry, Camille aims to strengthen local production and provide new pathways for designers and makers across the islands.

Entrepreneurship Live is Sponsored by Tony Bernheim in honor of Saul Reinfeld, Catherine Lynham, and Alan Wong

Host or Publisher Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE)