On Studio Sides’ bestseller list is the North Shore silk shorties. PHOTO BY KIANA KANOA
Luxurious silk separates and upcycled closet staples in dreamy watercolor floral prints are the calling card of Studio Sides (studiosides.com), the natural dye clothing line spotted on cool Maui girls. The North Shore-raised designer and self-professed “flower child” Shelby Sides has been on a mission to breathe new life into preloved clothing after a regretful turmeric-meets-white-top cooking incident sent her researching natural dye techniques. Her line now also includes base pieces from women-owned businesses in the United States (with some self-designed pieces soon to come), all colored with flowers grown by local farmers, leftover bouquets and the marigolds and cosmos from her own dyer’s garden using a “bundle dye” technique that presses the botanicals directly into the fabric. The results are a painterly, Monet-esque mosaic of pastels. The natural landscape of Maui serves as a muse for Sides. “As my appreciation for Hawai‘i’s natural beauty has grown over the years, so has the inspiration that I draw from it,” she says. “I grew up with a small, tropical jungle as my backyard, and I have always loved the range of vibrant colors that you see contrasting the lush greenery.” In addition to custom commissions, the brand will also soon offer bedding and home decor, and a “keepsake service” for brides hoping to use the floral elements of their bouquets or arrangements to capture those special moments on fabric.