Kealopiko

In March of this year, I found myself sitting on top Mokapu Islet on the North Shore of Molokai waiting for a helicopter to come pick me up, yes- this is my ‘real’ job- the one where I work to save Hawaii’s rarest plants from extinction for the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP). Anyway, it was overcast and the wind was light and the Koae were everywhere. All 3 species of Koae were playing just off the islet, Koae, Phaethon aethereus (no long tail), Koae ula, Phaethon rubricauda (long red tail) and Koae kea, Phaethon lepturus (long white tail). The 2 species with long tails have great difficulty walking and landing on the sea cliff nests. The one in the video circled many times before landing. Watching these graceful birds, warmed my heart to think of gracing their beautiful image on our upcoming Kealopiko products. In these special places where cell phones don’t have reception, its comforting to sit and listen and acknowledge our kupuna.

View more of the Koae designs we did for this Ku Season Collection online! ALOHA

The Aweoweo Project: Getting to know the Artist Marissa Meyer

We recently put together a short Q&A for the artist to highlight the process behind The Aweoweo Project. Get to know the Artist, Marissa Meyer. ALOHA

Q: What was your reaction when approached with this project?  How did you feel?
A: When the idea was pitched to me,  I was rendered speechless. I must have looked like a bit of an idiot, but I suppose that wasn’t too out of line considering how incredible this makana was and is. To be involved in a project like this, even if it weren’t set up to fund my education, is an extraordinary honor and privilege. Even now I have a hard time trying to translate my emotions into words. I’m just really amazed at and thankful for the opportunity.

Q: What was the process of research and design for you?
A: Creating and researching this design was fun, but definitely a challenge because I had to change the way I usually make art. Usually, when I’m creating a piece, i just go for it and the meaning  follows. For this project, I had to start of with the research and create an image around that. It was difficult at times, but the ladies of Kealopiko were really great at coaching me through it.

Q: What did your learn while doing this?
A: One of the major things that i learned was how to diversify my art in ways that help me to reach my goals, and how to let go of my stubbornness whenever I had to give up a few designs to start anew. The Aweoweo Project broke me into the world of being an artist as compared to just being someone who creates art, and reinforced my love for mea Hawaii.

Q: How do you feel about your design, research and work?
A: I’m happy with the way it turned out, especially considering the challenges that it presented. I didn’t realize how much went into creating a single design. “there’s always room for improvement,” as the cliche goes, but i’m still pretty stoked about how this turned out and opportunity i was given.

Q: What are your plans post graduation. areas of interest for study.
A: I’m flying up to Washington for my studies, mid-summer. Pre-recs first, of course, but I’m planning on double-majoring in fine arts and creative writing.

Q: What does art mean to you?
A: To me, art is waking up in the middle of the night with crazy ideas and needing to and being able to give them tangible form. Even if it’s only the artist who understands the meaning behind it, that’s enough. It’s the beauty of the human mind being brought into the world.

Q: So do you see yourself pursuing art and design in your future? How, if so?
A: Art will always be in my life, and I’ll definitely be pursuing it in the future in one way or another. If i go through a period where art as a career isn’t feasible, you can bet that my free time will be spent drawing or painting at home.  Art, in almost all of its forms, is my passion and desire in life and i’m prepared to work as hard i need to to see that desire fulfilled.

To view Marissa’s products & to support The Aweoweo Project please click here and visit items listed under Kane | Wahine | Keiki & Accessories

MAHALO

A few months ago I was asked to document a class called, Kuula, from the University of Hawaii at Hilo during their trip to Papahanaumokuakea//Kuaihelani//Pihemanu//Midway Atoll.  Of course I was quick to jump on board. For me it was an opportunity of a lifetime. My first gig out of college was to log endless hours of film from Papahanaumokuakea for a project called, The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Education Modules with Naalehu Anthony and Moe Aku Productions. I loved every second of that job, and ever since, I’ve been jonesing for the chance to visit and physically connect with our kupuna islands.

From my visit, I really have no words that can describe in detail my experience.  At the very least, it was amazing. The place, the people, the class – amazing -overwhelmingly special.  In all of my holoholo adventures from my past and all the ones that are to come in my future, nothing can top going to Papahanaumokuakea, nothing-not even close!! 

Documenting Kuula, I was able witness and capture place, but also the effects this place was having on these individuals.  Daily, behind the lens I could see their connection and experiences carving a path for them as future stewards of Hawaii. I think that many who return from a visit to this place come back touched with more of a consciousness of kuleana to our aina, to our kupuna, and to our future.

Connecting with this place and the things that dwell there was definitely inspirational. Kealopiko has been inspired numerous times by Papahanaumokuakea with past designs like the Loulu, Koae Ula, Nohu, the Laysan Duck, Kaupu and Manu o Ku.  Having been there now, those connections are even stronger.  Recent designs that were inspired by this trip  include Keaumiki, Noio & Pololia.   I think I’ll be forever inspired by this place and this experience, and I am forever grateful.  Mahalo nui Kuula and Papahanaumokuakea.  Mahalo to the stewards of this place and all the work that you do.

ALOHA

noio

kuula 2012

noio

keaumiki

moli

nohu

The Aweoweo Project

At the end of last summer we proposed a project to our intern, Marissa Meyer. She was 16, about to enter her senior year at Kamehameha Schools and had been apart of the Kealopiko Ohana for over 2-years as our very first intern.  Growing up in the Kealopiko Sweatshop she got to witness first hand the creative process of us crazy wahine, and we thought it was time to see if we wore off on her at all.

Marissa has this fascinating swag about her. Humble, hardworking, quiet & then BOOM! Out of no where, in full stealth mode,  she drops the bomb of talent on you. We’ve witnessed it on the water, musically & artistically. Because of her character and where she is heading as a young adult, we created, The Aweoweo Project.

The Aweoweo Project was a task Kealopiko setup for Marissa in hopes that it would create opportunity for her to express herself as a featured researcher, artist and clothing designer for Kealopiko’s 2013 Ku Season Collection. We proposed it to her, and let her know that a portion of profit sales for each product sold would go towards an eduction fund for her. Our initial thoughts of this project was that she’d design a special edition style item to the Ku Season Collection, but like mentioned before, in full stealth mode, last minute, she presented beautiful artwork and concepts that we could not deny being apart of the entire collection.  Her Aweoweo design is featured in this season’s collection for Kane | Wahine | Keiki & Accessories.

The Aweoweo Project exemplifies what Kealopiko is about on so many levels. It weaves together all the components of our company’s mission which are culture, education, and honoring the place we come from and our kupuna.  We are so proud of Marissa and cannot wait to see what the future holds for this young-talented Hawaiian.

Follow us via Facebook | Instagram | Twitter for more updates on the The Aweoweo Project | @kealopiko | #kealopiko | #aweoweoproject

Scroll down to see more images from The Aweoweo Project.

The Process:

Mens Aweoweo Vneck

Mens Aweoweo Tank

Womens Aweoweo Scoop & Baggie Tee

Check out the Keiki Aweoweo & Aweoweo Hats too!

Auhea oukou e na hoa e pulama ana i ka olelo makuahine! Ina kakou, e noii nowelo i kona nani!

A few days ago, while working at my “day job” (processing Hawaiian language oral histories), one of the “informants” (a.k.a. kupuna or interviewees) mentioned the oleander flower, in Hawaiian of course. It sounded as if there was an okina, but I wasn’t positive, so, as per the usual, I turned to my hoa hana helu ekahi, the online Hawaiian dictionary (wehewehe.org). I was quite excited by what I saw, not because there is an okina, as I had suspected, but because of what my eyes met with under number 3:

ʻoli.ana
1. n. A common ornamental shrub (Nerium oleander and var. indicum), native from south Europe to Japan. Its flowers may be single or double, white, pink, or red. (Neal 695.) Eng. Also ʻoliwa.
2. n. A variety of sugar cane, like lahaina in type of growth and color, but the pith dark-brown and the leaf sheath covered with red-brown hairs. (Eng., Oriental.) Also ʻoleana.
3. interj. Let me see! Show me! Also aliana, inane, ʻoia ana.

So I looked up: ʻoia ana! - interj. Let me see! Show me! I dare you (sarcastically)! (Usually shortened to ʻoiana or ʻoliana.)

Ok, now I feel like I have heard this word before, so maybe I just wasn’t paying attention, or maybe it is new to me. Either way, WOW! Basically another way to say “Bring it on!” and/or “Let’s go!” How cool is that?! I looked again at the entry and saw that it had the abbreviation “interj.” (interjection) before the meaning and let’s just say it was an “Aha!” moment (ha ha, so punny dat one).

SO, what the heck is an interjection? It is something very cool. One of the better descriptions I found on a writing website was this:

An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey emotion. It is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence. You usually follow an interjection with an exclamation mark. Interjections are uncommon in formal academic prose, except in direct quotations.

The highlighted words in the following sentences are interjections:

Ouch, that hurt!
Oh no, I forgot that the exam was today.
Hey! Put that down!
I heard one guy say to another guy, “He has a new car, eh?”
I don’t know about you but, good lord, I think taxes are too high!
Written by Heather MacFadyen

So, this is one of those beautiful features of spoken language that adds flavor and helps people express themselves. It is something that native speakers do naturally, but second language speakers, like myself, have to learn and integrate into our consciousness as we bumble along. The words “aue” and “ea” (with okina and kahako over the a) fall into this category and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one guilty of overuse because they are some of the only interjections I know. I thought to myself, “How many more of these little gems are there?” Well, I knew that the online dictionary could also provide an answer to that question in a quick and convenient way: a search of the full-text version (you gotta love that they made this a feature!). Just take a guess at how many interjections it found…116!

Oh the joys of discovery. Am I the only nerd that gets really excited about this kind of thing? I sure hope not. Below are a few of the Hawaiian interjections I found most fascinating (some edited down for brevity). Ea, e nana oukou i ka maikai!

ā.hē - vi., interj. To exclaim, to oh and ah; yes, so that’s it, so, oh. Āhē, pēlā kou manaʻo, ʻeā? So that’s your opinion, is it [in indignation]? ʻOia ka malama a ka poʻe mahi ʻai e āhē ai i ka ulu maikaʻi a nā mea kanu (Kep. 91), this is the month the farmers exclaim about the fine growth of the crops.

ʻai.kola - nvs. Interj. of scorn or derision, especially rejoicing over others’ misfortunes, with meaning “serves you right” or “I told you so”…

haʻi.kū.uma.uma - n. interj. A call to lift a canoe or to rally together in any work.

hā.nau 2. interj. Happy birthday (used in toasts).

he aha sana.nā - interj. of scorn. What does it amount to? It’s of no value. (Perhaps nanā is from he ʻahi kananā, a phrase describing a fierce fighter; cf. nanā.)

ʻī - 4. Interj. of scorn, used idiomatically. No hea ke aʻo ʻana i ka hula? I ka ʻī! Where learn the hula? Much [she] knows about it! Stuff and nonsense!

inā - 1. interj. Let’s go! Inā kākou, e hana kākou i nā pōhaku ʻula (Kin. 11.3), let’s get going and make bricks.

kaī, kaīī - Interj. of displeasure, vexation, annoyance, prolonged to indicate greater force. Kaīīī! Chā! ʻInoʻino

kī.au.au - 2. Interj. encouraging workers, as in drawing an unfinished canoe hull from the forest to the shed at the seashore where it was to be completed…Kīauau, kīauau, kīauau! holo auau, holo auau, holo auau! (canoe-hauling chant), fast, fast, fast! run quick, run quick, run quick!

kio – 4. interj. Word used in reply to a question one does not care to answer, somewhat like rude English “What’s it to you?” E hele ana ʻolua i hea? Kio. Where are you two going? Kio.

lolo – 8. interj. Serves you right! I told you so!

niu kū.lolo - interj. Stop talking! See niu 1. Lit., coconut-pudding.

ʻū - 1. vi. interj. To grunt, groan, moan, sigh, hum, coo, mourn, grieve, complain; grief, sorrow; an exclamation of delight or assent; to exclaim thus; to grunt ‘yes, yes (saying that you are listening)!’ Noho ʻū, grief; grief-stricken. Pā i ka ʻū lā (Kep. 71), touched by grief. Pōmaikaʻi ka poʻe e ʻū ana (Mat. 5.4), blessed are the people that mourn. ʻŪ ke kai o ʻEwa i ke ʻala o ka maile, the lowlands of ʻEwa exclaim over the perfume of the maile vine. E ʻū hele ana (Hal. 38.6), to go mourning. hoʻo.ʻū, hō.ʻū To grunt and strain, as with physical exertion (Kep. 159); to mourn. (PCP kuu.)

Wow. Our kupuna had a lot of ways to put emotion into expression, show what they were feeling in their naau (one of the things I find most difficult as a second language learner), and urge others to action. It is hard for me to not put more examples in this post because each one is so interesting and unique. The question is, how do we best move forward with this information? On one hand, it is hard to know if we will be using some of these “right” if we don’t first hear them out of the mouth of a native speaker. On the other hand, a lot of them may have fallen out of use, even for today’s native speakers. And how many native speakers do most of us get to interact with on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis that we might actually get to hear some of these? Many may just fade into the pages of the dictionary and the passing of time unless we breathe life into them again, but how do we best do that? Some of the examples given by Pukui are clearer than others, making it easy to see where they might fit into our everyday lives. Others may never fit because the activities they are associated with no longer exist (see kapuo as an example). Searching in the online newspapers or just keeping an eye out when we read moolelo is another way to find more contexts for use. There is so much to consider when it comes to taking something off a page and putting it into our waha. Yet, the need to really articulate one’s thoughts and feelings is real – no matter what language you are speaking. Isn’t it neat to think that we have all kinds of options rooted in the way our kupuna saw the world (excepting, of course, the English transliterations, although what they chose to take from English is also fascinating, but a whole different topic)? Pehea ko oukou manao? Should we be putting more of these cool words to use, and if so, how?

E hoike mai i ka hua i ka umauma!

Kohu – Not just a limu!

E na hoa olelo, e kala mai for the March madness hiatus. My excuse is that for most of the month I was travelling with my 18 month old daughter (all you mamas know what that means). But things are back in order now and my umauma has a hua to share. So, sorry for the lapse and please stay tuned for more!

In my musings about language (which are pretty constant, seeing as I am a university second language learner trying to speak nothing but olelo Hawaii to my baby girl), I sometimes think there are certain words (and their related concepts) that we are really missing the boat on. Every once in a while I will stumble across something that makes me dig into one of these words and the result (or at least it seems) is that a little puka in my worldview understanding is filled in.

I think kohu is one of these words. Just look at all the action contained in the first of the three definitions:

kohu 1. nvs. Resemblance, appearance, likeness, match; suitable, agreeable, appropriate, matching, in good taste, attractive, becoming, pleasing, fit, like, resembling, alike, similar. See kohu aliʻi, kohu like, kohu pono. ʻAʻohe kohu iki, most inappropriate, unsuitable, in very bad taste, absurd. Kohu kēnā pāpale iāʻoe, that hat is becoming to you. He kohu haole nō ke namu mai, talks just like a white person. ʻO kēlā kanaka, he kohu Pukikī ʻoe ke nānā aku, he looks just like a Portuguese. Hiki i ke kameleona ke ʻoʻolopū i kona kohu ʻana, i hinahina, i ʻōmaʻomaʻo, i ʻeleʻele, the chameleon can change his appearance to gray, green, black. Ua kohu au me ia lā, me ka liko lehua o uka, I’m a good match for her, for the lehua bud of the upland [a young girl]. hoʻo.kohu To assume a likeness to; to presume to; to make advances, perhaps hypocritically; to take a fancy to; to have a crush on; presumption, pretense. Mea hoʻokohu, thing that matches, accessories. Nānā aku ʻoe i ka hoʻokohu o mea iā Pole, see how so-and-so is infatuated with Pole. ʻAʻole hoʻi i ka hoʻokohu o ka makeʻe waiwai (1 Tes. 2.5), nor a pretense of covetousness. Hoʻokohu ka ua i uka, how fit and pleasing is the rain of the uplands.

Just look at all this! We can’t even get through all these goodies in one post, so let’s just talk about a few. Ladies, let’s begin with “Kohu kena papale ia oe” and what this means for when we are getting dressed to go out with a girlfriend. Take out papale and fill in with whatever you like and we have another way of saying that something looks good (or not so good) on our hoaaloha. We can also tell her that she needs to spice it up with some accessories – mea hookohu! I tell you, that Pukui, she just keeps on giving! I mean “Nani oe i kou lei” is always an option, in terms of grammar constructions for this kind of thing, but frankly I am bored with that and would like another choice. Next, let’s move on to the olelo “Aohe kohu iki.” How interesting is this one?!!! Bad taste? Most inappropriate? There are so many great opportunities to bust this buggah out. Ex: “You seen what Mea wrote on Mea ala’s fb wall? Talking about her kane cracking futs at the dinner table. Ho ka bad form ea, fut around food? Aohe kohu iki! He aha la kona ano?! O ka pono, wahi a na kupuna, he hele ma kahi e!” Ok, a bit of an extreme example, but you get the point, which is, it is nice to have many things in your arsenal when you want to comment on something. On that same tip, you gotta love the one about so-and-so being infatuated with Pole. Not only do we have hoʻokohu, but we have the “nānā aku ʻoe” – not the first time I have come across this phrase for when someone is about to really rip into something. I am not advocating that we all pop a can of Haterade, just that when we need to we know how to do it with style…cause obviously our kupuna did.

And that is what fascinates me most. What our kupuna did with language. HOW they expressed ideas. It is really easy to translate, word-for-word style, some English thought we have into Hawaiian. Just dip your brush in the olelo Hawaii paint and slather on. However, it is much more challenging (and I believe satisfying) to really look for a word or turn of phrase that conveys what we are trying to say in a way that maybe gets close to what our great-great grandparents would have said. To the way they saw the world and articulated it. I know, we can’t be them and we can’t ever completely escape our first language, but we can work hard, noii noelo i ka olelo, and put our best foot forward. Isn’t that what would make them proud? And besides, it’s good fun!

No laila, e na hoa olelo, he manao paha ko oukou? Any cool uses of kohu you have heard lately? Any scenarios where you think you could put one of these olelo to use? E hai mai i kou manao. E hoike mai i ka hua i ka umauma.

*Our website does not support the use of diacritical marks, so I do not write with them. However, I could not bring myself to alter the dictionary text, so sorry that part is kohu ole!

Summer is almost here……… & we can’t wait!!!

The 2013 Early Summer Collection | Ku Season has arrived and is available online now.  Last week, we took this collection to the famous south shore of Oahu to Waikiki.  Swells of summer are always the funnest here, so we got model Jenny Lee to take us around her home break. Jenny is a true Ambassador of the Ocean. She’s a Honolulu City & County Lifeguard, longboarder & a SUP surfer that is leading the way for wahine in this new growing sport. She’s grown up on the beaches of Waiks since a little kid where all the long time beach boys are her uncles. As an adult now, she still plays at this unreal ocean playground in between her tower watch shifts. Mahalo Jen for letting us cruise Waiks with you!

Checkout the new Early Summer Collection & Look Book Catalog at www.kealopiko.com | www.styledinhawaii.com  ALOHA

new projects on the table for our upcoming 2013 Ku Spring | Summer Collection

E o’u hoa kaunu o nei mea he olelo, e hoi hou mai no kaua e pili me ka nakeke ole.

Ok, I will admit it. I am neither clever nor romantic enough to come up with such fabulous turns of phrase. Give me another ten years or so ma ke a’o olelo and maybe I will get there. These are adapted from olelo I found on, yes you guessed it, my favorite place for noii olelo, nupepa.org. Of course I would love it if we also had a spoken corpus  for language research, but I digress. I found these, in their original form, while searching for the term “hoa kaunu.” It happened to be my word for today since it’s, drum roll…Valentine’s Day. Dun dun. I know, it’s annoying to be forced into acts of love on a specified day of the year, but it’s ok because really we are all living aloha every day, right? He he

I’m sure I’m not the only one who forgot that V-day is today (right???). I woke up with nothing for my ipo ahi but the same old arms I wrap around him every night and morning. Somewhere between washing the diapers, processing oral histories, and coming up with olelo for our next line of shirts, Valentine’s day fell by the wayside. I was all hilahila, too, when my kane presented me with earrings he had made for me from shells we collected together. Aue no hoi e.  So, I thought I would make him a special card with some words of love and a “coupon” redeemable for an evening meal on our favorite nearby puu, including wine in real glasses to be hoofed up the hill by yours truly (can you tell I am trying really hard to make up for being so lame and forgetting?). When I started picking my brain for sexy things ma ka olelo Hawaii, I came up short, as usual. Sure, I have my normal go-to phrases like “ke kii onohi,” “ka lawakua o insert place we are living” (usually either Pukalani or Takapuna), “ka hoa anoi,” etc. But my repertoire is quickly exhausted and I find myself atop Pu’uuluhua once again. Uluhua i ke aha? Uluhua i ka hiki ole ke hoike aku i ke ano maoli o kuu naau me ko’u manao ma ka olelo Hawaii!

I ain’t gonna front, I get frustrated on a regular basis because I want to really express the depth of my thoughts, feelings, desires, etc. ma ka olelo Hawaii and it’s really hard. I have a limited vocabulary and a limited understanding of how our kupuna whispered to each other when they were lying together under the light of the moon on a bed of lauae ferns in the wee hours of the night. Even though my work forces me to develop a better understanding of olelo every day, sometimes I feel like I am walking backwards. Having thousands of pages of digitized newspapers to search at the push of a button is one avenue for dealing with my frustration, but sometimes I just wish I could noho i ke alo o ka poe kahiko (I know, keep dreaming). But I give thanks for ka mea e loaa ana and the fact that my brain even remembered a phrase like “hoa kaunu” when I needed something to write on a card for my hubby. 

No laila e ke hoa e kaunu pu nei i keia moolelo pokole, he ui a he mau ninau ka’u ia oe: what are your challenges when it comes to olelo and expressing aloha to your loved one? How do you overcome them? And, most importantly, what is your favorite phrase for your kane or wahine? E hoike mai i ka hua i ka umauma. E kukakuka, e kike olelo kakou!

Oh yeah, and happy Valentine’s Day!!!

get some Kealopiko V-Luvin with a Kealopiko Valentine!

receive 15% off withcoupon code: IPO til 2.14.13 at www.kealopiko.com

our cupids our working hard w/daily deliveries of Kealopiko V-Luvin Valentines!