If I were keeping tabs on the most stylish, best-dressed men in Hawaii, Richie Miao would make the list, so it was exciting when he launched his clothing line, Lovelessizm, last year. Created in his own image, the collection played on his favorite themes: avant-garde edginess, deconstruction, unisex draping and ease, punk and DIY details.

Trouble is, how many Hawaii men are ready for in-your-face fashion?

Right.

Although Miao found a niche in menswear boutiques in Taiwan, Malaysia and Hong Kong, here at home, "Men would come and look, and say, ‘It’s so different,’ but for many it was too aggressive," he said. "A lot of performers (including violinist Jason Yang, L.A. rapper Bobblehead and Eric West of NBC’s ‘30 Rock’) wear my clothes. It looks good onstage, but on the street it can be overwhelming."

Instead of his intended local market, Lovelessizm found the love among fashionable women hungry for styles they weren’t seeing on mainstream retail racks.

Lesson learned.

Miao hasn’t given up on local men yet, but he’s readjusted his thinking to make clothes "a little more approachable." He’s also teamed up with Kara Matsunaga to open I AM., their first retail store. (It’s an anagram for Miao, with the period subbing for the "o.") They’ve also taken care to address their female clientele by adding jewelry, including sexy leather and chain pieces by Bliss Lau, handbags and other accessories while offering more of the same hard-and-soft, constructed-and-deconstructed, mix-and-match pieces that play well with any classic wardrobe. Black, white and gray form the street-tinged color palette.

Matsunaga and Miao also developed a secondary line, Lava Roses, in the spirit of Lovelessizm but at a more affordable price point of $30 to $68.

The new store, in the Blackwell building at 1221 Kapiolani Blvd., was designed by Unleash Studio’s Melissa Rivera with industrial details such as ladders that form the framework for racks and double as shelving, plus nautical ropes and boat-bumper seating to reflect I AM.’s island origin.

It’s been an amazing journey for Miao, who just five years ago was known outside his intimate circle only as a hairstylist. Since then he’s made his mark as a jewelry designer, teaming with his brother Howard to open a Waikiki boutique featuring their Maxi line of Hawaiian Gothic silver, gold and enamel jewelry. He surprised everyone again when he turned his attention to clothing.

"I had a hard time finding stylish clothing for myself. That’s why I decided to do my own line. I didn’t plan anything. It just kind of happened because fashion is part of my lifestyle," he said.

The same restless energy that fuels his many interests carries into clothing. "I’m always looking for something different. Sometimes I try to wear something ‘normal,’ but it’s just too plain," Miao said. "I’m not trying to get attention. I just have to be comfortable with what I wear. In fact, my clients get more attention wearing my clothes than me. They always tell me that when they’re out wearing my clothes, people ask where they got it."

LOVELESSIZM WAS created for versatility, inspiring wearers to use their imagination in styling and layering pieces. It’s a concept carried forward at I AM., where creativity is encouraged and pieces can be dressed down or up "to be a little more crazy" if an event calls for drama.

One of the easiest ways to dress up the simplest tank top or T-shirt is with a scarf, and I AM. carries an abundance of examples in light cottons with Hawaii’s temperatures in mind. "It’s one of the greatest accessories," Miao said, because of its ability to pull any look together.

A scarf also offers a bit of novelty to the denim-tee-tank top uniform in a place where there is no big seasonal swing to trigger a hot-cold wardrobe change.

Also in the pipeline is a more sporty line. "People want casual, comfy clothes, and comfort comes first for me," Matsunaga said, "but I also like subtle details that are not over the top. It’s all about finding a balance."

Matsunaga, who is from Kauai, said, "The more you venture out into the world, the more you realize how plain the world is and how much fun it is to get dressed, other than in jeans and a T-shirt. Just studying the details, you learn more and more and gain an appreciation for design. A lot of people just go with a look without looking at construction, all the hidden details that go into a well-made piece of clothing."

Miao’s ambition is to open more I AM. stores in Asia, which may be even sooner than he envisions, given his entrepreneurial wanderlust.

Surveying the finished store and restlessly looking for something to do, Miao said, "Now that the clothes are in, we’re like, what’s next?"

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I AM. is at 1221 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 111, open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Call 593-2767.