Tori Richard
Tori Richard is a Honolulu-based resort-wear company known for art-driven prints, aloha shirts, and polished tropical apparel.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Tori Richard is a privately owned American resort-wear company headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. Established in 1956 by Chicago apparel manufacturer Mort Feldman, the company began as a women's fashion label before developing into a broader lifestyle and resort-apparel business serving both women and men. Its name combines Tori, a nickname for Victoria, the daughter of early partner Janice Moody, with Richard, Feldman's eldest son's name. The company was founded with very limited resources by Feldman, Moody, and Mitsue Aka, Moody's pattern maker. Its earliest operations were based around Honolulu's waterfront, and the business later occupied several unconventional sites, including a Quonset hut and the former Primo Brewery. From its first collections, Tori Richard differentiated itself from conventional Hawaiian tourist clothing through streamlined silhouettes, vivid color, dramatic patterning, and imported European fabrics. During the 1960s and 1970s, its dresses, caftans, culottes, tunics, beachwear, lounge pieces, and other resort fashions appeared in major American department stores and national fashion magazines. The brand's identity is closely tied to original textile design. Mort Feldman's interest in Japanese antiques and screens influenced the East-West visual language that remains associated with Tori Richard. The Honolulu design team develops original prints from artistic, botanical, geographic, geometric, oceanic, and culturally inspired references. Japanese visual elements such as waves, cranes, fans, bamboo, chrysanthemums, brushwork, and other stylized forms have been recurring influences. Finished designs are named, copyrighted, and retained in the company's archive. The company has described an archive containing tens of thousands of designs and the creation of hundreds of new print concepts in a typical year, although the exact scale may vary over time. At the request of Hawaii retailer Liberty House, Tori Richard introduced men's shirts in 1969 using prints associated with its women's collections. Men's apparel grew steadily, and by the 1980s menswear had overtaken women's wear as the larger part of the business. A proprietary cotton lawn fabric introduced in the 1970s became an important material in the men's range. The company is now particularly associated with upscale aloha shirts, sport shirts, dresses, swimwear, separates, accessories, and other clothing for travel, leisure, and warm-weather living. Mort Feldman's son Josh Feldman joined the company in 1994 after studying art and political science. He took responsibility for print and product development, reintroduced engineered prints in 1995, and helped position Tori Richard as a specialized print house rather than simply an aloha-shirt maker. The women's line was relaunched in 2002, followed by the opening of the first Tori Richard retail store at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki in 2003. The company subsequently expanded its direct retail presence in Hawaii and maintained a wholesale network reaching customers across the United States and international markets. Tori Richard's product proposition combines distinctive surface design with construction details such as matched pockets and fronts, French seams, interlined collars, and mother-of-pearl buttons. Its fabrics have included silk, silk blends, Pima cotton, linen, rayon, viscose, Tencel, cotton jacquard, and the company's cotton lawn. The brand presents its clothing as refined resort wear for consumers interested in art, travel, and a casually upscale lifestyle, with collections introduced twice yearly through showrooms and retail channels. The company has also had a visible role in Hawaiian culture and popular media. Mort Feldman was involved in the 1966 effort to establish Aloha Friday, the custom that evolved into Hawaii's broader tradition of wearing aloha attire at the end of the workweek. Tori Richard garments have appeared in television and film, including The Descendants and both the original and later versions of Hawaii Five-0. In 2011, the company produced special aloha shirts for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings held in Honolulu and created a limited shirt for U.S. President Barack Obama and visiting leaders. Tori Richard remains a family-led, Hawaii-centered business. Its retail network has historically been concentrated in Hawaii, supplemented by e-commerce and wholesale distribution. The company has also invested in renewable energy: a photovoltaic installation at its Honolulu headquarters and warehouses was followed by an additional system on an adjacent property. The available reference material reports that these installations were intended to cover most or all of the company's electricity use and offset its carbon footprint. In November 2025, the company reportedly opened its first mainland store at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona.
History
Mort Feldman arrived in the Territory of Hawaii from Chicago in 1953, initially intending to retire. Three years later, he established Tori Richard with Janice Moody, a sportswear designer associated with Catalina, and Mitsue Aka, Moody's pattern maker. The enterprise began with one sewing machine and little capital. The founders operated from early Honolulu locations near the harbor, including Pier 7, before moving through other sites such as a Quonset hut and the former Primo Brewery. Tori Richard's initial business was women's fashion. Its early collections emphasized bright colors, uncomplicated shapes, and expressive prints, offering dresses, beachwear, lounge garments, caftans, culottes, and related resort pieces. The company used imported European fabrics and developed a look that was more fashion-oriented and graphic than the conventional tropical souvenir clothing then associated with Hawaii. Retail distribution expanded to prestigious mainland department stores, while the brand gained editorial and advertising exposure in magazines including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Town & Country, and Life. The cultural and commercial environment of post-statehood Hawaii helped the company grow. Jet travel expanded tourism, and resort dressing became increasingly relevant to American consumers. In 1966, Feldman and Hawaii fashion executive Howard Hope advocated for Aloha Friday, a practice that encouraged businesses to wear aloha attire on Fridays and later influenced workplace dress customs more broadly. In 1969, retailer Liberty House asked Tori Richard to create men's shirts using designs from the women's line. This request created the foundation for the men's business, which became increasingly important during the 1970s. The company introduced its proprietary cotton lawn fabric during the 1970s, and men's aloha shirts and resort apparel became central to the brand. Tori Richard also developed distinctive production and design techniques, including matching the pattern across shirt pockets and front seams so that the artwork would remain visually continuous. By the 1980s, menswear had surpassed womenswear in the company's product mix. Mort Feldman retired to New Zealand in 1983 and returned to the United States three years later. His son Josh Feldman joined the business in 1994 after studying art and political science. Josh initially managed print and product development. In 1995, he brought engineered prints back into the collections and intensified the company's effort to be recognized as a print-focused design house. Under his leadership, the business reportedly expanded substantially. The women's line was relaunched in 2002, and the first Tori Richard store opened at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki in 2003. The business continued to combine wholesale, direct retail, and international distribution. Its collections expanded beyond shirts to include dresses, swimwear, tops, skirts, trousers, beach cover-ups, handbags, accessories, and interior accents. The women's line developed day-to-evening resort clothing using printed and solid fabrics, while the men's line retained a focus on finely constructed aloha and sport shirts, including luxury silk and embroidered designs. A vintage-inspired 56 series added a more tapered silhouette and treated cotton intended to appeal to a younger customer. Tori Richard's print process became a central part of its operating identity. Designers gather visual references from art collections, studios, trade shows, shops, and private collections, then transform those references into original compositions. Designs may include geometric, botanical, ocean, map, animal, paisley, tapa-inspired, and abstract themes. Japanese-inspired waves, cranes, fans, bamboo, chrysanthemums, and brushwork remain recurring motifs. Depending on the textile and complexity, production can require numerous color screens, while engineered prints may be designed around a full fabric panel. The company has maintained links with entertainment and public events. Its shirts were used in The Descendants and Hawaii Five-0, including the original series associated with Jack Lord and the later series featuring Alex O'Loughlin and Daniel Dae Kim. Musicians including Sammy Hagar and Jimmy Buffett have also been associated with the brand's shirts. For the 2011 APEC meetings in Honolulu, Tori Richard produced apparel for staff and volunteers and made a special shirt for Obama and the participating leaders. Environmental investment became another part of the company's corporate story. In 2008, Tori Richard installed a reported 154-kilowatt photovoltaic system at its Honolulu headquarters and warehouses. A further 105-kilowatt installation was added in 2011 at an adjacent property. The company described the systems as covering nearly all or all of its electricity requirements and offsetting its carbon footprint. Tori Richard has remained locally owned and family led. Its retail base has been concentrated in Hawaii, with additional distribution through the company's website and a large wholesale account network. The reference material describes sales across all 50 U.S. states and multiple overseas territories and regions, with the U.S. mainland accounting for more than 80 percent of sales at the time described. In 2025, the company reportedly extended its physical retail footprint beyond Hawaii with a store at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona.
- 2025
First mainland store reported in Scottsdale
[1]The company reportedly opened its first mainland U.S. store at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona.
- 2012
Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers name the brand best in aloha shirts
[1]Readers voted Tori Richard as the newspaper's Best of the Best in the aloha-shirt category.
- 2011
Additional solar capacity and APEC apparel
[1]Tori Richard added a reported 105-kilowatt photovoltaic system and created apparel for the APEC meetings in Honolulu.
- 2008
First major photovoltaic installation
[1]The company installed a reported 154-kilowatt solar system at its Honolulu headquarters and warehouses.
- 2006
Fiftieth anniversary and resort retail award
[1]Tori Richard marked its fiftieth year and received Retail Merchants Hawaii's Resort Retailer of the Year award.
- 2003
First Tori Richard retail store opens
[1]The first branded store opened at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.
- 2002
Women's line relaunched
[1]The company returned to a more prominent women's resort-wear offering.
- 1995
Engineered prints are reintroduced
[1]Josh Feldman brought engineered prints back to the line and strengthened the company's print-house positioning.
- 1994
Josh Feldman joins the business
[1]Mort Feldman's son joined Tori Richard and assumed responsibility for print and product development.
- 1983
Mort Feldman retires to New Zealand
[1]The founder relocated to New Zealand, later returning to the United States in 1986.
Products and positioning
A Hawaii-rooted premium resort-wear brand combining original art-led prints, refined construction, and relaxed luxury for travel, leisure, and warm-weather lifestyles.
Men's resort wear · 1969
Aloha shirts
Tori Richard's best-known product category consists of upscale aloha shirts made in expressive original prints, embroidered designs, and refined fabrics. Construction details may include matched pockets and fronts, French seams, interlined collars, and mother-of-pearl buttons. The line ranges from everyday cotton and viscose styles to more luxurious silk and engineered-print pieces.
Men's apparel
Men's sport shirts
The men's collection extends beyond traditional Hawaiian shirts into sport and casual shirts designed for resort settings and warm climates. Fabrics have included cotton lawn, Pima cotton, linen blends, silk blends, viscose, and cotton jacquard. Prints range from tightly repeated motifs to large engineered compositions.
Women's apparel · 1956
Women's resort wear
The women's range includes dresses, tops, tunics, peplum tanks, skirts, shorts, capris, beach cover-ups, sarong-inspired pieces, and modernized caftans. It is designed to move between beach, daytime, dinner, and evening settings, using botanical, tapa-inspired, geometric, abstract, and other art-led prints.
Resort apparel
Swimwear and beachwear
Swimwear and beachwear reflect the brand's original resort orientation. The assortment has included swim pieces, cover-ups, sarong-style skirts, caftans, and lightweight layers intended to coordinate with the wider Tori Richard print collections.
Men's resort wear
56 series
The vintage-inspired 56 series uses its own themes, fabrications, and more tapered silhouettes. Treated cotton is used to create a washed, vintage effect intended to give the collection a more contemporary and youthful character while retaining the brand's print-led identity.
Accessories
Accessories and lifestyle goods
Beyond apparel, Tori Richard has offered handbags, fashion accessories, lifestyle accessories, and interior accents. These products extend the brand's resort aesthetic into travel, home, and complementary personal goods.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011APEC Honolulu apparel program
United States · Asia-Pacific
Tori Richard designed signature shirts for more than 2,000 APEC volunteers and staff in Honolulu. It also developed a special limited-run aloha shirt for Barack Obama and the 21 participating leaders, with custom labeling and hand-finishing in Hawaii.
Outcome. The program associated the brand with a major international diplomatic gathering and reinforced its Hawaii-based design and manufacturing identity.
- 2011The Descendants costume collaboration
United States · International
The company worked with costume designer Wendy Chuck to provide shirts worn by George Clooney in The Descendants, a film set largely in Hawaii.
Outcome. The appearance gave the brand prominent film visibility and connected its shirts with the contemporary Hawaiian setting of the movie.
Brand decisions
2025
Extend physical retail beyond HawaiiStrategyBackground
The company's store network had historically been concentrated in Hawaii.
Action taken
Tori Richard reportedly opened its first mainland store at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Aftermath
The move marked an expansion of the brand's company-operated retail footprint in the continental United States.
2011
Add solar capacityStrategyBackground
Following the initial photovoltaic project, the company continued its renewable-energy investment.
Action taken
It installed an additional reported 105-kilowatt photovoltaic system on an adjacent property.
Aftermath
The combined systems were described as effectively offsetting the company's carbon footprint.
2008
Invest in photovoltaic powerStrategyBackground
The company sought to reduce the environmental impact and operating energy requirements of its Honolulu facilities.
Action taken
Tori Richard installed a reported 154-kilowatt photovoltaic system at its headquarters and warehouses.
Aftermath
The company reported that the installation supplied most of the site's electricity needs.
Reported photovoltaic installation cost. $1.1 million (2008)
2003
Expand into branded retailStrategyBackground
The company had historically relied heavily on department-store and wholesale distribution.
Action taken
It opened its first branded store at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki and subsequently developed a network of Hawaii retail locations.
Aftermath
Direct retail became an important complement to wholesale and online distribution.
2002
Relaunch the women's lineStrategyBackground
Menswear had become the larger business, but the company's origins and design heritage were rooted in women's resort fashion.
Action taken
Tori Richard relaunched its women's collection with dresses, tops, skirts, beachwear, and other resort separates.
Aftermath
The brand returned to a balanced resort-wear proposition serving both women and men.
1995
Reposition the company as a print houseStrategyBackground
After joining the family business, Josh Feldman focused on print and product development.
Action taken
He reintroduced engineered prints and increased emphasis on original, proprietary textile design.
Aftermath
Print development became a defining part of the brand's differentiation and product process.
1969
Enter the men's shirt marketProduct launchBackground
Liberty House asked Tori Richard to adapt prints from its women's collections for men's shirts.
Action taken
The company launched men's shirts, establishing the product category that later became central to the business.
Aftermath
The men's segment grew significantly and eventually exceeded women's wear in the 1980s.
Recent events
- 2025
Tori Richard opens first mainland retail store in Scottsdale[1]
Other
The company reportedly opened its first store on the U.S. mainland at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona.
- 2011
Tori Richard creates apparel for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings[1]
Campaign · Other
The company designed shirts for more than 2,000 APEC volunteers and staff in Honolulu and produced a special limited shirt for Barack Obama and participating leaders.
- 2011
Tori Richard garments appear in The Descendants[1]
Other
Working with costume designer Wendy Chuck, the company supplied shirts worn by George Clooney's character in the film.
Sources1 sources
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