Allison Izu-Song on Calmness, Confidence and Her New Crop Tops

Photo courtesy of Allison-Izu Song

Our ears perked up when we heard Allison Izu-Song was making a collection of crop tops for adults. Showing off just a sliver of skin, ‘cause, hey, our six-pack days are long gone, the tops encourage mature women (like us) to embrace the 2022 trend—and their amazing bodies.

Her philosophy has been to love yourself, love your body and love what you wear.

That ideology’s never gone out of style; it’s stuck with her for over two decades and has guided her to successfully create silhouettes that fit and flatter every body type. “I was given a flawed body so that I could be a great designer,” she says, laughing.

Eclipse sets in Le Feline, $139, Navy, $108, Devon, $108, Evergreen, $108. Photo courtesy of Allison Izu-Song

With new homes in Mānoa, for her business and family, she thanks the universe, her customers, team, loved ones and herself for this new challenging, yet charmed, chapter. “Mānoa just called to me,” she says. “When I walked away from the Ala Moana store, I visited a lot of new options, but as I was walking around Mānoa Shopping Center with my son, the energy felt good. It calmed me. I try to listen to what I feel nowadays, not what my brain or logic says. This valley accepted me, and that’s the inspiration that led to the design and aesthetic of the new shop. I want people to feel welcomed and comfortable when they walk in.”

With life and business experiences guiding her, she reintroduces her philosophy with renewed devotion and practices. She explains: “It’s scary sometimes to face new times, but I created four pillars for my brand: acceptance, empowerment, vibrancy and connection. I want my customers to accept their current life state, feel empowered with the body they have, vibrate with joy when they find a piece they love, and be able to connect with me and my team.”

Being a mom, the same ideas are weaved into her parenting style: “I want my children to exude confidence and love who they are, body and soul.”

Izu-Song and her son, Owen, delivering flooring to the Manoa space. Photo courtesy of Allison Izu-Song.

One thing her kids and husband believe is that their matriarch will always succeed. The whole family got down and dirty to bring her dream space to life. Long days of breaking down walls, deep cleaning, painting, decorating—it was a one-for-all, all-for-fun affair. “It took six months, but I wanted to create the best feng shui energy,” she says. The “flow of the space, along with the warm color schemes and placement of dressing rooms—I wanted it to be tucked away so women didn’t feel intimidated to try pieces on—was mindfully thought out.”

That said, it’s apparent that everything Izu-Song creates manifests from a higher purpose, even her collection of Eclipse crop tops. She notes it’s a longer, boxier shape that women can feel confident and comfortable in, “not so hazukashi,”  or shy and embarrassed, to wear. “It pairs perfectly with a lot of our high-waisted bottoms, and I also created a camisole to go under the top for those who want to ease into the trend.” Or, in our case, for those who are still battling the carbs-and-chocolate-are-our-friends bulge.

Allison Izu, Mānoa Shopping Center, 2752 Woodlawn Drive, (808) 349 – 1013, allisonizu.com, @allisonizu