merrie monarch market

if you plan to explore hilo town while attending merrie monarch festivities this week, be sure to find your way to the kuikawa boutique which will be stocking a handpicked selection of goods from local designers.

kudos to akemi from paradisus who coordinated this wonderful pop-up shop! in addition to paradisus (including kumu hula sonny ching's collection), you will be able to stock up on h|h favorites like indigenous soap, kealopiko (who will also be in-store), meleana, saffron james, sleep under stars (discovered on h|h!) & kuleana.

even better, a portion of sales will be donated to the nawahi hawaiian immersion program.

• shop hours: wed, apr 7th to sun, apr 11th - 9a to 5p
• where: 160 kamehameha avenue, hilo

p.s. click over to kfve which will be live streaming all the hula performances during merrie monarch week!

new peeks: kealopiko

ahole banded tank

it's been far too long since the lovely designs of kealopiko made an appearance, and a quick click revealed a number of new looks plus the welcome addition of organic styles to the mix. kealopiko continues to educate wearers via hand screened tees which always offer up a lesson into hawaii's past and present by honoring all of its many inhabitants.

no matter how long you have called the islands home, there is always something new to learn and i love reading the descriptions of how each kealopiko design came to be. now wisdom once passed down from generation to generation can be found thoughtfully splashed across a simple t-shirt be it a closer examination of the history of a popular surf break to a quick study in island botany.

more peeks below . . .

moon phase dress * lanikuuwaa * ke'elikolani

manu o ku * kalehuawehe * moi

find all the featured styles over in the online shop (be sure to take a peek at the sale section for discontinued designs) or support your neighborhood stockist which now includes whole foods in kahala mall, na mea hawaii / native books at ward warehouse, and the imiloa astronomy center on the big island.

weekly sales sheet

head up to uh manoa on saturday for a kealopiko liquidation sale. not only will you score up to 40% off designs from previous collections but you will be among the first to scoop up pieces from the summer 2008 ku line.

• when: sat, jun 14th - 10a to 3p
• where: room 207, kamakakuokalani bldg, uh
• fyi: street parking available on dole street (garage parking $3)

click over to hawaiian body products' online shop and save 10% off the pampering bath & body treats from their ola hawaii line.

• secret code: summer08
• expires: sun, aug 31st

kealopiko spring 2008

pua aloalo + wiliwili

the kealopiko 'ohana recently stocked their latest releases in the online shop. i always love reading the descriptions behind kealopiko's designs which are little lessons in botany and hawaiian history . . . artful shorthand for sharing knowledge of the islands' original inhabitants (peeps, plants & animals) one tee at a time.

parents take note: kealopiko's keiki collection has finally arrived and is filled with sweet dresses, playtime tees and adorable onesies rocking many of the same hawaiiana designs that grownup fans have come to love.

opihi dress + pinau tee

moi + hihimanu onesies

in addition to the online shop, you can scoop up kealopiko goods at the bishop museum gift shop and soleil. they will also be at the merrie monarch festival this weekend (details to come) and will be setting up shop in the eco village during next month's kokua festival.

click rewind to learn more.

kealopiko - take two

hanai

since kealopiko was featured this past spring, their fan base has grown beyond the craft fair circuit to become favorites of up and coming island musicians like the girlas and paula fuga. and so, i am happy to report that kealopiko's long awaited online shop has finally opened its doors!

the new shop is stocked with tees emblazoned with kealopiko designs celebrating the many aspects of hawaiian culture from the natural world to reclaiming island history. no worries if, like me, you are not completely up to snuff with the meaning behind the message since each design is accompanied by a description to educate the wearer who can then share it with the rest of the world.

my fella will certainly be down with the message of the big five tee:

"This design challenges us to re-think who The Big Five really are: the first Hawaiian monarchs, not five business entities who managed to gain near total economic control of the islands in the early 1900's. It also reminds us of the phenomenal accomplishments of our kupuna and the legacy they have left for us to malama (care for)."

the big five

koae

readers of the male persuasion will be happy to know that all designs are stocked in both m's and w's sizes in a range of colors and textile choices. kealopiko is also committed to giving back to the community and donates a percentage of sales to island organizations like the kokua hawaii foundation and the paepae o he'eia fishpond.