We are so excited to introduce our newest pattern, lei uʻi — a combination of white pua kalaunu, pakalana, and loke.
Lei season is one of our favorite times of year. There is something special about walking into a lei shop and seeing rows and rows of lei made by different hands — each one a little different, each one made with care. This time of year, everyone has someone to celebrate, and the shops reflect that energy.
This lei came out of exactly that kind of moment. A dear friend had just finished a business cohort — months of hard work, intention, and investment in herself — and we wanted to honor that with a lei. Pikake was not in season, so white pua kalaunu stepped in. It is a heartier flower, and what it may lack in the intensity of pikake, it more than makes up for with its own soft, quiet scent — especially alongside pakalana. Add loke for a pop of color, and the combination felt just right. Uʻi: beautiful. The name was an easy choice.
None of these three flowers are native to Hawaiʻi. Pua kalaunu originates from India, southern China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Pakalana arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-1800s, carried here during a time of significant exchange between Asia and Hawaiʻi. And roses have been cultivated for thousands of years, beginning in Asia, before finding their place in the islands. Lei makers have always had a beautiful way of embracing flowers from all over the world and making them their own.
That is what lei season really is — a reminder that giving a lei is not about the flowers alone. It is about the person behind them, the hands that made it, and the love that passes between the giver and the one who receives it. The flowers change with the season. The aloha behind them does not.