What do you do when your ideas don’t match the world around you and the people closest to you can’t see what you’re building yet? In this Manaʻo Bomb, Keola Rapozo’s story from Okana Road kid to co-founder of FITTED Hawai‘i reminds us that originality isn’t about being different for the sake of it, it’s about refusing to shrink your vision just because others don’t understand it yet. A story for anyone holding onto a dream that feels ahead of its time.

When her mom told her to study radiology, it sounded like a smart plan. Good pay, job security, a stable future. But for Alexis Akiona, stability never sparked joy. She traded X-rays for Aloha shirts, turned risk into runway, and built one of Hawaiʻi’s most recognizable local fashion brands: Lex Breezy Hawaiʻi.

No handouts. No blueprint. Just movement.

That’s how Keola Rapozo built one of the most iconic clothing brands in Hawaiʻi—from a kid hustling in Kahalu’u to co-founding FITTED, a streetwear staple woven into the identity of the islands.

Kūhaʻo Zane, the lead graphic designer at Sig Zane Designs from Keaukaha, Hawai’i, didn’t just follow in his family’s footsteps, he forged his own path. But to do that, he had to leave home first.

Keola Rapozo, a Castle High School graduate from Kahalu‘u and co-founder of the popular brand and clothing line, FITTED, demonstrates how thinking outside the box and embracing different approaches can lead to extraordinary success.