hello honi honi!

while watching the oprah show finale yesterday, i had an a-ha moment about today's post during lady o's message of finding your calling. readers who have been following the wings hawaii story know how the line started in the mid-aughties with just a handful of screenprinted goods sold at first friday and the occasional craft fair. handmade jewelry soon followed and, after a move from honolulu to maui, their flagship boutique eventually relocated from its upcountry outpost to the buzzy boho charm of paia town.

the stars always have a way of aligning if you are lucky enough to discover and step down the path meant just for you, and it certainly seems like the universe is smiling upon becky, melody and sam with every little expansion of their indie empire. with the ocean only a few blocks from their shop, a swimwear collection seemed to be patiently waiting for a silhouette to be refined and given the wings stamp of approval. lo and behold, sam found a way to combine the effortless prettiness the label is known for while allowing ladies to hit the waves without hesitation.

while the first glimpses of honi honi arrived last year, the mix and match lineup recently welcomed new styles to celebrate its online debut this spring. handmade for mermaids who appreciate playful patterns and the versatility of reversability, racerback and criss cross tops joined the original bandeau offering which coordinate with bottoms cut to flatter yet leave just enough to the imagination . . . happy news if super flirty brazilian styles make you blush.

join me in the cabana for a peek, won't you?

polka dots * houndstooth

riviera * scales

it is so delightful to see three friends start with a small idea, embrace all the possibilities, and find success and lots of goodness along the way!

while you can expect patterns to change with the seasons, honi honi's bikinis and maillots are designed to fit lovelies of many sizes including curvier physiques. (sam noted that a large will fit up to a size 13 or a small d cup.)

meet your favorite swim look in the online shop or say hello to the wings 'ohana at their indie storefront:

• where: 71 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat/sun, 9a to 1p

are you inspired to listen to those little whispers and say hello to a new adventure?

p.s. in addition to their design and shop duties, the wings 'ohana also publish inspire, a new-ish quarterly read covering local loveliness. find a copy at the shop or click over to facebook to peek pages from the latest issue.

letarte 2011 collection

bermuda sands

as my facebook and twitter friends know, hautelook is in the midst of a letarte flash sale which served up a welcome reminder that a peek at the maui label's 2011 collection was long overdue. with the official lookbook by my side, the task of narrowing down my favorite offerings proved to be a challenge, but a hint of paia town was found in unexpected tropical camoflage, bohemian beadwork, and a blush of rainbow tiers echoing the colors that dance across the hawaiian sky.

aztec paisley

hawaiiana

hawaii five-o

hawaiiana rainbow

bermuda sands tunic

maui lovelies know the way to letarte's flagship boutique, but mainlanders who summer back east will be delighted that the nantucket pop-up just reopened its doors and is filled with island style from hawaii's shores.

• where: 24 baldwin avenue, paia
• shop hours: mon to sat, 9a to 6p & sun, 10a to 6p

p.s. you still have a few hours to hele over to hautelook and save 60% off last season's looks (including the aloha guitar print and feathers pattern featured last year) before the sale ends tomorrow morning.

morning crush: ombre!

the dip dyed batik of tamara catz's new ombre dresses have become two of my favorite reminders of the color palette shift for our space which i am hoping to make by summer's end.

love love love the pale hazy hues and gorgeous depths of sky to ocean blue.

$156 to $165. online + in-store.

introducing agua de flora

while scouting for effortlessly romantic valentine bouquets the other day, a click led me to agua de flora, a botanical perfumerie tucked away in a charming yellow cottage on maui. it turns out my stroll through paia town during our maui getaway last spring happened on the boutique's opening day, but, unlucky me crossed hana highway a few blocks too soon to say hello to the lovely ladies at wings hawaii before closing time.

although a visit to agua de flora will have to wait until maui beckons again, the shop already woos with descriptions of its artisanal handcrafted fragrance notes which can be worn alone or layered to create a signature scent. the petite roll-ons are au natural with each bottle filled with blends of hydro-distilled petals, plants and resins. the concentrated elixirs require a little alchemy but the old world process retains the healing properties of each plant to enhance the wearer's well being.

additional fragrance poems tempt from the garland collection's in-house line of perfumes . . . especially ocean flowers and its intoxicating mix of mimosa, neroli and tahitian lime. even more intriguing is the possibility to book a private consulation with ashana, the shop's proprietor and scent goddess, to create a custom scent portrait just for you. quite a besotting gift for your dear valentine or maui-bound sweetheart. 

let's have a peek at the exquisitely packaged offerings, shall we?

kama'aina suffering from vog wafting over from kilauea will want to explore the vog away collection which is formulated to ease symptoms and aid breathing.

while the online shop is nicely stocked with many fragrant possibilities from the boutique, not all offerings find their way online so do inquire if you are searching for an elusive scent.

the valentine's salon on friday evening will be a lovely introduction for maui friends with the launch of agua de flora's newest elixirs including a chocolate rose scented delight.

the price tag for smaller potions starts at $23 with custom perfumes topping out at $200.

• where: 161b hana hwy, paia
• shop hours: tue to sat, 11:30a to 7p

p.s. the romantic storefront is also home to the loveliest potted flowers.

tamara catz 2010 sample sale

with sequins shimmying off the disco floor and onto fall 2010's must have style list, maui designer tamara catz is providing a few variations to woo closets hoping to acquire a hint of shimmer this season. new sequined arrivals include something for one and all from jaunty nautical stripes, minimalist racerbacks, and flirty minis.

although it's unlikely the new looks will pop up in this weekend's sample sale, pieces from the always lovely bridal collection will be in the mix. only in-stock merchandise is up for grabs so hele over early for first dibs!

10% of proceeds will be donated to the hawaii chapter of the susan g. komen foundation.

• when: fri, oct 29th - 9a to 7:30p | sat, oct 30th - 10a to 7:30p | sun, oct 31st - 10a to 6p
• where: 83 hana hwy, paia