ISLAND STYLE
Polyascko twins create a look for suave urbanites

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Fashion Writer

Jerry and John Polyascko model their new line of "urban gentlemen's wear." It's not your boring Bishop Street button-down. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Polyascko2 Fashion Show and Trunk Show 2 p.m. Saturday Neiman Marcus, Men's Sportswear, Level 3

What their Radford classmates — and even their family — didn't know is that after their workouts John and Jerry rushed home and made fashion sketches. As teens, they even secretly read Women's Wear Daily.

Their dad, John Polyascko Sr., a retired Marine, said "I had no idea at all that they would go into fashion, and I was shocked when they said they wanted to be fashion designers."

Polyascko Sr. simply encouraged them to go to college, allowing them to choose where they went and what they studied. "They found out what they wanted to do in school. It was by accident they discovered fashion design."

The twins have the enthusiastic backing of their entire family. "We all started throwing money at them, believing in them," said their proud father.

Their friend and classmate Rachelle Sullivan, 24, of Waipi'o, has since age 9 been aware of the Polyascko twins' love of fashion: "They were always into fashion and always different with their individual styles," she said. Sullivan, an assistant manager at MAC Pearlridge, often shops with them: "They help to style me and keep my look up-to-date."

Now the fashion-forward twins are poised to introduce a line they call "Polyascko2: Urban Gentlemen's Wear." And the launch is taking place at elegant Neiman Marcus Ala Moana. In a leap of faith and with fingers crossed for the meteoric rise of these local designers, Neiman Marcus is helping to launch Polyascko2 in a show Saturday (see box for details).

Polyascko2 is not your ho-hum Bishop Street button-down. It's a hip, edgy collection that looks like a cross between Sean Connery's style and that of Sean John, the funky but luxurious clothes designed for P. Diddy.

"We want it to be a segue from student to professional man. It's not the T-shirt of your college days. It's not the suit an attorney would wear to court. It's about a classy island lifestyle," said Jerry.

Although they are identical twins, John and Jerry are hardly recognizable as such. Each has a distinct personal style — and that's the way it's always been.

John describes Jerry's style as "conservative and classic," while Jerry says of John: "He's eclectic, edgy and sophisticated."

Their talents and work habits are also different, yet complimentary. Jerry enjoys sketching and selecting fabrics, while John's preference is for silhouette and construction.

"My weakness is his strength, and vice versa. He designs one way and I design another way and we meet in the middle," John explained.

The Polyascko twins hand-dyed their signature print on red velveteen microfiber pants. The dyeing takes place on wood planks in their garage. Polyascko2

JonJon gets a little breathless when talking about Polyascko2: "I believe in their clothing. It opens people's eyes and they get so hyped up about it. It's something different and makes you stand out." An added benefit, he enthused: "For me, it's a chick magnet."

Sullivan describes the Polyascko customer as "A sophisticated urban guy that likes to go out and is really into fashion — a Diesel/Armani type of guy — very classy and modern."

At first glance, the designs may not look too radical. Upon closer inspection, however, interesting — and often flattering — details are revealed: a dart on a sleeve or a series of darts from a side seam; leather patches on denim pants; unexpected juxtapositions of fabrics and textures, and specialty buttons.

They like to show a shiny cotton chintz shirt over matte, textured earth-tone jeans. Or a waffle-weave hoodie paired with cotton flat-front pants. The Polyascko2 signature print, a sort of safari animal meets the mean streets, is done in two colors achieved by dyeing yards of fabric in their garage on wood planks.

The twins did not come to fashion easily. Every step has been a struggle. They worked several tourism jobs to save money to study fashion design at Academy of Arts College in San Francisco. Still strapped for cash and living in a tiny studio apartment in an expensive city, they both worked in a health club and, even then, "Sometimes we had to cut meals. But it was a reality check. This is the real world," Jerry said.

During an internship with a Bay Area company called Fire & Theft Industries that created a line of funky deconstructed wear, the twins said they learned a lot about what not to do. Among the lessons:

• Don't overdo the details. People can't relate to something too far off what they're used to.
• Don't oversell customers and expect them to absorb your vision.
• Watch out for impractical construction.
• Don't overprice — figure what it takes to make each garment, adjust variants for affordability.

Sizing is important to these toned and buffed guys. Polyascko2 has an athletic, muscular model, Mark Cane. "Our line is cut for American men," John explained.

The line was first introduced in 2001 at a show called "Counter Couture, the Bay Area's Best Designers." It consisted of 15 garments that were not yet in production. People were scrambling to buy the clothes off the models' backs. "Our first 15 ideas sold, and we had an arsenal of about 60 garments so we went, 'Whoa, what about the rest?' But money's always a factor. We couldn't produce an extensive line because of lack of funding. We had to condense the collection so we could manufacture it," John said.

Polyascko2 consists of about 60 styles, which the designers say requiire easy care. The range is remarkable: hipster jeans, one-button sport coats, Kona cotton pants, long-sleeved knits, trench coats, summer vests, tank tops, chintz water resistant bucket hats, sweat suits, hoodies, hand-dyed velveteen pants and mandarin collar coats made of polished cotton, to name a few.

Their first marketing efforts have been to place their clothing on celebrities such as actor Lawrenz Tate, former UH athlete and Denver Broncos player Ashley Lelie and the local R&B group, Chant.

At the moment, sizes for Polyascko2 range from S to XL. Eventually, they plan to expand to size XXL. Prices of the garments, which are sold by the piece, range from $30 (a sporty hat) to $1,200 (a custom-made suit).

Reach Paula Rath at 595-4904.

Neosoul Nite

In an effort to capture and communicate "the feeling you get when you wear our clothes," Polyascko2 is presenting a "Lifestyle Launch" at Rumours nightclub in the Ala Moana Hotel, 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesdays.

The music and ambiance, set by Polyascko2 and deejayed by Mr. Good Vybe, is what John calls neosoul. "It's a little lounge, a little hip-hop, a little R&B. It's all positive music — the kind of music people play in their cars but never hear in the clubs."

Throughout the evenings, slides of Polyascko2 clothing will be flashed overhead. There is a $7 cover charge after 10 p.m. Information: 955-4811.