Portfolio
ANA is Japan's largest airline and you might recall that in 2018, they introduced the Flying Honu. As the first Japanese-operated Airbus 380, the Flying Honu brings hundreds of passengers on a direct flight from Japan to Hawai'i. In celebration of their Flying Honu aircraft, which if you don't know is painted like a turtle (or honu in Hawaiian), they came to me to explore some of my favorite things about traveling to the islands.
“A grove of giant redwood or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great and beautiful cathedral." - Teddy Roosevelt You didn't think I could write about the National Parks without quoting Teddy Roosevelt did you?! Well just like Teddy, the great folks at the Parks Project believe it's our responsibility to promote, protect, and preserve public lands, which is why every purchase supports conservation projects in our national parks.
We had such a blast working on the the first Kahala shirt, the 'Makai,' that creating a second exclusive design collaboration was a no-brainer. Since we went makai (toward the sea) last time, we felt it was only right to go mauka (toward the mountains) for this one. On the surface, Hawai‘i seems to be known for endless sand beaches, crystal clear water and reefs.
While I usually stick to mountains and beaches, I dove into a piece of town that is certainly worthy of every inch of nostalgia I could draw. I designed this print in collaboration with the Historic Hawaii Foundation. It was fascinating looking through 100 year old photos and learning about the the town's buildings, signage, and place in Honolulu history.
OluKai is a Hawaiian-inspired footwear company that is constantly innovating around the type of comfy and cozy shoe they bring their people. They make shoes that I actually love to wear, which is saying something for a surf bum whose in and out of sand a lot. It isn't my first time working with OluKai, but this was a very different kind of collaboration with them.
