island crush: koa sunnies

once upon a time, i cracked open my birthday piggy bank to splurge on a pair of iconic wayfarers.

these are much nicer.

kicks hawaii gathered up koa remnants from local woodworkers and island tree farms to be upcycled into stylish sunglasses by shwood, a portland maker who crafted 200 limited edition pairs of its canby design to celebrate the honolulu shop's tenth anniversary.

the love & aloha etched inside the frame (font by sig zane!) is an especially sweet reminder of home.

$180 in-store + online.

p.s. peek the manufacturing process which is made in the usa from frame to finish here.

island crush: hawai'i calls

ku'uipos * waikiki surf girl * pupukea

heather brown's california debut wooed me and the mister to abbot kinney last week, and what should i find but the official launch of pretty iphone cases featuring the happy surf art that makes so many of us smile. even nicer, they are made in the usa of post-consumer recycled plastics.

sweet + sustainable = (sigh)

there are three delightful designs to crush over with 15% of the price tag benefitting kokua hawaii foundation, surfrider, and living beyond breast cancer.

now if i only had an iphone.

$55 online.

island crush: aloha sea bags

summer may be slipping away but year-round adventures cannot help but adore becca beach's newest arrival. the aloha totes by sea bags are constructed of sturdy recycled sailcloth and made especially for the kahala boutique by the maine label who first introduced stylish carryalls crafted from retired sails to the states.

i see beach dates, island hops, and quite a few trips to the farmers market in its future.

available in disco fabulous metallic leather (gold or silver) and carefree sailcloth (pink or navy) letters.

$210 to $231 in-store (phone & email orders welcome).

island crush: scented alohatherapy

a kiss of the islands without the side effects of synthetic scents? yes please! kai and kalani, the keiki creators behind maoli perfumes, just introduced a quartet of solid fragrance balms formulated with essential oils and tropical absolutes infused in a good for you & the planet shea butter base.

the handcrafted scent memories are made in small batches (with help from mom & dad, natch) and already have me dreaming of lei stands, pikake blossoms, ka'u oranges and roasted cocoa beans.

sigh . . .

$28 online. (+ free worldwide shipping!)

wimini hawaii: tee-lightful!

the other day i was delighted to discover that one of the cutest indie tee makers had reemerged with a fresh collection of cheery island inspired designs. the playful line by wimini hawaii, the label formerly known as lunchbox clothing, is filled with organic tops for the entire 'ohana and is guaranteed to share a twinkle of happiness wherever you go.

from its early beginnings, designer yutaka chino has harnessed the power of hawaii's tropical sunshine to burn each and every screenprint responsible for making the tees in the collection. the line originally started out when the 'aina haina fishing guide began offering souvenir t-shirts so faraway friends could take home a sweet reminder of their island holiday.

since we last checked in, the collection has welcomed tiny tees for keiki. if only we could issue the adorable monk seal tee to visitors at every shore break where the endangered cuties like to nap.

peek more designs that charmed my heart after the jump!

do the happy graphics make you smile too? even more delightful, all the tees are made in the usa of organic cotton and handprinted with water-based inks. hooray for me!

alas, most of the designs are offered in mini sizes only so grownups must be content with a smaller selection for now.

p.s. an online shop is in the works so do say hello to your neighborhood stockist to stock up on your favorite design.