Fonda’s Daughter
About FONDA’s DAUGHTER
VINTAGE, HAWAIIANA and MODERN DAY MERCH
My dad has always had a way of making magic out of the mundane—of making me feel as though there was adventure around every corner, should I choose to embark on it.
As young kids, he would take my two sisters and I on weekend hikes. Along the way we’d find pieces of jewelry and shiny trinkets in our path. Sharing our sense of excitement and surprise, he’d tell us that a band of pirates must’ve taken the same route and lost part of their treasure along the way. It was only as a young adult I found out he had been strategically dropping things for us to find for all those years.
Most of my childhood memories are similar—not of Saturday morning cartoons or trips to the park around the corner. They’re filled with bedtime tales of Huckleberry Finn and the Pirates of the Caribbean—of radio flyer wagon rides around the Sunday swap meet at Aloha stadium, watching dad on his quest for stories from another time.
Over the years, it became more and more deeply etched into my mind through trips to thrift stores, garage sales and swap meets that my dad, Fulvio Fonda, wasn’t just looking for the aesthetically pleasing. He was on his own treasure hunt—seeking out pieces that made him feel something. A coat that made you feel like you were part of a secret society, a painting that shot you back 6 decades and made you feel the joy of a simpler time, a piece of jewelry that you could imagine someone receiving as a gift 3 generations prior.
This life long quest led him to open two antique shops in San Francisco—his first, Fonda’s Gallery, in 1973 and years later, his second, Uptown Antiques, on Filmore Street.
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To this day, my dad and I still spend every Sunday together at the swap meet followed by breakfast. It is my favorite ritual and one I can’t imagine life without. Since I was a little girl, everyone at the swap meet has referred to me as “Fonda’s Daughter”. (“Fulvio” is a bit of a mouth full.) It is a title I couldn’t be prouder of, and one that felt exactly right for a store filled with treasures I’ve found with my dad.
Fonda’s Daughter is a place to honor his legacy. Every piece in this place holds a memory of another moment I was able to share with him—another piece of our story being woven together, making me the person I’ve become. They are all things we felt were true “treasures” and we can’t wait to share them with you.
Fonda circa 1967 in front of Fonda’s Gallery in San Francisco
LOCATION: 3805A Hanapepe Rd, Hanapepe, HI 96716