Fighting Eel fans—the day has finally arrived! After months of teasing her brand’s fifth O‘ahu location, designer Lan Chung’s new Mānoa boutique will open this Friday, March. 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. After that, it will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The shop is located on East Mānoa Road in the two-story building that formerly housed Mānoa Gallery (you may remember it from its green and white facade) right next door to Feast. We stopped in for an early look—here’s what to expect.

Bright and airy, it’s good vibes from the moment you step through the door. Chung gave the space the Fighting Eel treatment, fitting its 1,200 square feet with fluted wood fixtures, arched details and textural lighting in neutral hues that allow the merch to really pop. And pop it does—there’s so much great eye candy, it’s hard to know where to start.

Head left and you’ll immediately hit our favorite rack, filled with fashions from Chung’s recent Black Label and Romance Capsule collections. Chung herself was rocking the Black Label Harlow dress, featuring a lovely green-and-pink anthurium print and flirty keyhole bodice. Wall cubbies contain a slew of home and lifestyle accessories—this is the largest selection of those categories that I’ve seen in any of the FE stores—from blankets and shower curtains to room fragrances, chopsticks and melamine plate sets.

Head right for swimwear, men’s shirts and shelves brimming with fashion accessories—think caps embroidered with local sayings, fish-print wallets, neoprene waist bags and more. Back near the fitting room and lounge zone, browse mini racks filled with keiki swimwear and clothing. New parents and those hunting for baby gifts will appreciate the cheery onesies, diaper changing pads, bib sets and swaddles.

We’ve heard that new categories, including pet accessories and ceramics are on the way. And aside from all the fashiony goodness, the shop also has a back room slated to be a mini lei shop, complete with lei refrigerators. Happy shopping!

2964 East Mānoa Road, fightingeel.com, @fightingeel

SEE ALSO: Meet the Designer of Active by Teal, the Trendsetting Jumpsuit Brand

Photos: Courtesy of Active by Teal

Meet Teal Kealohi Salvador, the 28-year-old designer from ‘Aiea whose Active by Teal line has skyrocketed in popularity since its launch in 2022.

Family Style

My dad was lead designer for Crazy Shirts and started his own company, Nalu Blue, designing Hawaiian-themed stickers and decals. I worked for him since I was 8, 9, 10 years old, and by the time I was 12 to 14, I was packing orders, doing invoices and helping at craft fairs. So, from that age I knew I wanted to get into something similar.

Photos: Courtesy of Active by Teal

Fit to Be Tried

I’ve always been an active person. I go to the gym every morning. I do yoga, Pilates and hike. I thought, maybe I can do activewear.

One-Piece Wonders

The jumpsuit from my first collection sold out within the same month, so I knew we were on to something. When designing them, I wanted something that would shape to your body and follow your curves rather than squish you in. Our newest jumpsuit, the Aura, sold out in 30 minutes.

SEE ALSO: Shop Local: Where to Buy Hawai‘i-Designed Activewear

Photos: Courtesy of Active by Teal

Teal Sightings

It’s the best feeling ever when I see a girl at the gym, at the mall or a coffee shop [in my design]. Sometimes they’ll say how appreciative they are for what I’ve created and how confident they feel in the piece. That’s one of my main goals—body positivity.

Up Next

I have a lot of swim pieces that I want to launch by this summer. And I’ve been wanting to go into more ready-to-wear pieces, like button-downs or flowy pants, an oversized cargo or a cute little skirt to go with a jumpsuit or bodysuit. I also have a collab with Fighting Eel in the works.

activebyteal.com, @activebyteal

If the neon sign and shimmering disco ball didn’t tip you off to the vibe at Small Kine Gift, the shop’s floor-to-ceiling candy lei installation should confirm that this is a place where fun and creativity thrive. The new Kaimukī boutique from journalist Mitchell Kuga and artist-graphic designer Adam J. Kurtz offers artwork, books, homewares, souvenirs and snacks from small, design-focused brands—think everything from Dusen Dusen oven mitts and Moon Collective gear to witty finds from Kurtz’s Adam JK label. Be sure to also keep an eye out for the store’s in-house line, consisting of playful pins, patches, key chains, stickers and more.

3424 Wai‘alae Ave., small.kine.gift, @smallkinegift

SEE ALSO: New in Town

Photo: Courtesy of Nicole Franzen, Philpotts Interiors

When undertaking a renovation, it’s best to start with good bones—core elements that have held up well over time. In the case of Mauna Kea Muse, a grand 1979 home on the Kohala Coast, recently reimagined by architect Paige Wilburn and interior designer Marion Philpotts-Miller, those bones included a rare find—an enchanting Japanese Zen garden that the team restored to its former glory.

Originally commissioned by a German baron for his mistress, a member of Thai royalty, the home is constructed as a Balinese pod house, featuring pavilions that wrap around and offer views of the garden space. Adorned with hand-painted sakura wallpaper and glowing silk lanterns, the teahouse-like dining room is perched above the garden’s glassy koi pond replete with water lilies.

“When you close the doors, it’s like you’re sitting inside of a jewel box,” Wilburn says. From the onyx-clad kitchen, replete with patinaed copper finishes, one can take in the garden’s woolly mondo grass, rounded natal plum hedges and strawberry guava trees, trimmed bonsai-style. Even the primary bath’s jade-trimmed soaking tub offers glimpses of its flowering mock orange and Hong Kong orchid trees.

Save for the newly designed kitchens and bathrooms, “it was basically a restoration project,” Philpotts-Miller explains. Traverse the enchanting, tree-lined entry bridge and you’re immediately met with one of the Mauna Kea Muse’s most striking original features—its scaled roof. “It’s folded like dragon skin,” Wilburn says. “The way it moves across the roofline is just spectacular.” Decades-worth of brown paint was stripped back to reveal the shingles’ natural beauty, a process repeated for home’s front door and the rows of ‘ōhi‘a posts flanking its breezeways.

SEE ALSO: Architect Aaron Ackerman Builds a World-Class Sustainable House

Décor-wise, Philpotts-Miller balanced old and new by juxtaposing the home’s modern elements with exquisite antiquities. Richly textured wall coverings, light fixtures and furnishings play nicely against its clean lines, while bold Asian motifs and works by local artists, such as Yvonne Cheng, further accentuate its cross-cultural aesthetic.

philpotts.net, @philpottsinteriors

Photo: Earth & Skye Ceramics

Line: Earth & Skye Ceramics

Photo: Christopher Mattheu

Hometown: I was born and raised in Pearl City. I graduated from Kamehameha Schools, which is where my passion for pottery started under the instruction of Donald Harvey, Carl F.K. Pao and Reid Shigezawa.

Currently Resides: Los Angeles

Aesthetic: I am a bit of a perfectionist, which is a daring thing to say in the world of pottery. So, I will say my aesthetic attempts to achieve perfection but embraces the inevitable imperfection.

Photo: Earth & Skye Ceramics

Natural Evolution: I strive for the harmony between a simple form and some additional element to either enhance or disrupt that flow. I rarely go into my projects with a “plan” per se. I have a general idea in my head, but the execution and process are determined as the project goes on—each vessel dictates its own path and overall look.

Inspirations: Being in a community studio plays a big part. I’m surrounded by an abundance of unique creative perspectives on a daily basis. Collaborating with other artists—each with their own stories, techniques and past experiences to share—or even a simple exchange of words can influence my artistic personality.

@earthandskyeceramics

SEE ALSO: Solario Studio Art Unlocks Core Memories

Photo: Courtesy of Hina’s Treasures

When it comes to jewelry trends, charm bracelets have always had staying power, maybe because it feels natural to keep mementos and talismans close at hand. And far as we’ve seen, few have nailed a local version as well as designer Renee Schofield. Her Hawai‘i Island label, Hina’s Treasures, builds on a paperclip-style link bracelet, offering gold-filled charms inscribed with lei motifs, Hawaiian quilt patterns and custom Hawaiian phrases. In between freshwater pearls and tiny photo charms, you can also add in blooms and plants, including crown flowers and ‘ulu leaves, as well as sunrise shells and Old English letters.

hinastreasureshawaii.com, @hinas_treasures

SEE ALSO: Hie Heirlooms of Hawai‘i Shares a Fresh Take on Hawaiian Bracelets

Photo: Briana Autran

Loomed textile art has long been a celebrated element of South American culture, especially in Arica, the coastal city in northern Chile where illustrator Valentina Autran is from. Now based on O‘ahu, Autran brings a touch of her home country in the form of tapestries made under her label, Vidaloha Studio.

“I’m especially drawn to large-scale works that play the main character in a room,” she says. Each piece starts out as a handmade sketch before being woven on large mechanical looms using organic cotton threads. Featuring lush tropical foliage, surf scenes and mountain ranges inspired by Autran’s travels, the pieces lend spaces lovely textural depth and warmth.

vidaloha.com, @vidaloha.studio

Photo: Courtesy of Kepola Design House

Making things by hand comes naturally for designer Autmn Tyler. “While I was growing up, my family gardened, canned and crafted much of what we needed,” she says. “Those roots instilled in me a love for creating something meaningful from start to finish.”

Today, that affinity for traditional craftsmanship shines through with Kepola Design House, Tyler’s slow-fashion womenswear label based in Kailua-Kona. A paean to the rich textures, colors and patterns found in nature, the line features earthy hues, a relaxed aesthetic and hand-sewn pieces made from sustainable materials. We’d happily add to our wardrobe Kepola’s oversized linen blazer (finished with delicate Akoya shell buttons), cozy cotton-fleece sweatshirt and striped lounge sets.

SEE ALSO: Love At Dawn Gives Second Life to Vintage Aloha Shirts and Mu‘umu‘u

Up next for Tyler, incorporating recycled materials, fabric remnants and repurposed textiles.

kepoladesignhouse.com, @kepoladesignhouse

Editor’s Note: It’s Mu‘umu‘u Month once again. Here, we take a look back at our first foray into Mu‘u at the Museum, published on Jan. 10, 2023. Though the event is not taking place this year, we’re looking forward to the next one.

SEE ALSO: Shop Local: Where to Find Vintage and Secondhand Mu‘umu‘u on O‘ahu

January has been abuzz with talk of Mu‘umu‘u Month. If you’re not familiar with the concept, let me give you a little her-story: In 2014, a tiny mu‘umu‘u movement began with one Kaua‘i woman—artist-designer Shannon Hiramoto, who decided to celebrate the beloved, uniquely Hawai‘i dress style by rocking a different mu‘u every day that January. She posted her looks on Instagram with the hashtag #muumuumonth, inspiring countless others to follow suit.

Since then, Mu‘umu‘u Month festivities have popped up on several islands. And this past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend Honolulu’s biggest event—Mu‘u at the Museum at the Queen Emma Summer Palace.

Hosted by the nonprofit Daughters of Hawai‘i, who preserve the palace and run its operations, the evening also honored Queen Emma’s 187th birthday. The night featured a 50th anniversary fashion show by legendary local label Nake‘u Awai Designs. It also included a best-dressed contest, live Hawaiian music by the Casey Olsen Trio and the Hawai‘i Youth Opera Chorus, and a shopping market with lei po‘o, feather lei, jewelry, accessories and fashions from Hawai‘i makers.

Designer Nake‘u Awai and models / Photo: Sean Marrs Photography

It was such a joyful experience. Not only was the fashion a feast for the eyes—there were beautiful patterns and rainbows of color everywhere I turned, and styles from so many different decades to pore over—it was an instant conversation starter.

Women spanning multiple generations connected over sleeve details and ruffled trims, their faces lighting up when recalling the family member their mu‘umu‘u once belonged to, a once favorite label that’s no longer around or the special collection their mu‘u was a part of.

Hawai‘i Youth Opera Chorus / Photo: Sean Marrs Photography

The best part is that Mu‘umu‘u Month has just started. I can’t wait to see the other treasures that get pulled out of people’s closets. And I can’t wait to start shopping for next year.

For more info on the Queen Emma Summer Palace and the Daughters of Hawai‘i, visit daughtersofhawaii.org, @daughtersofhawaii

Mu‘u at the Museum mākeke / Photo: Sean Marrs Photography

SEE ALSO: Celebrate Hawaiian Culture and Dresses at the Mu‘umu‘u Library

Editor’s Note: It’s Mu‘umu‘u Month once again, so let’s take an appreciative look back at the styles worn at the 2024 Mu‘u at the Museum. Though the event is not taking place this year, we’re looking forward to the next one.

SEE ALSO: Shop Local: Where to Find Vintage and Secondhand Mu‘umu‘u on O‘ahu

Kelsie Suan-Kon modeling during the Mu‘umu‘u Library and DeStash Hawai‘i fashion show. Photo: Anthony Consillio

The mu‘umuu‘u wowed once again at the 2024 Mu‘u at the Museum event, which took place on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at the Queen Emma Summer Palace. Held in honor of Queen Emma’s 188th birthday, the annual event is put on by the Daughters of Hawai‘i, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the historic preservation of Hānaiakamalama and Hulihe‘e Palace in Kailua-Kona.

The evening’s festivities included pūpū by Nui Kealoha and specialty cocktails, live music by Ei Nei and Ekolu Chang, hula by Nā Pua Hala, a Chinese lion dance performance, a fashion show by the Mu‘umu‘u Library and DeStash Hawai‘i, shopping and more.

Photo: Anthony Consillio

Guests were encouraged to don mu‘umu‘u, holukū and aloha attire, and many dressed to match the event’s theme, Where East Meets West, inspired by the Great Chinese Merchants’ Ball of 1856.

SEE ALSO: Gorgeous Mu‘umu‘u Worn at Mu‘u at the Museum 2023

Photo: Anthony Consillio

daughtersofhawaii.org, @daughtersofhawaii, @queenemmasummerpalace