Drop, Baby, Drop With Pua Pepeiao Lei Earrings
Designed to hold fresh flowers, Pua Pepeiao’s reusable earrings let you create mini lei to wear every day.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino. Styled by Brie Thalmann.
The petite pīkake bush in Harmony Abelaye’s Kāne‘ohe garden never seemed to produce enough flowers for an entire lei. A shame, she thought, especially when special occasions rolled around. The situation, however, planted a seed. What if she strung the blooms as earrings?
“When I have flowers, I want to showcase them,” she says. “Lei are festive, but earrings are more for every day.”
SEE ALSO: Bloom Bloom, Pow! These Flower-Blocked Lei Pack a Punch
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino. Styled by Brie Thalmann.
Thus in 2021, Pua Pepeiao blossomed, offering fresh flower earrings and posts. The business became a creative outlet for Abelaye, who is a nurse. She sells earring posts on Instagram, with gold-plated and sterling silver finishes, so you can string them yourself, and fully dressed pairs at pop-ups. Along with whole flowers, Abelaye also layers in other garden elements, such as red ginger and Song of India leaves, dried grasses and even small fruits.
The jewelry sparks joy for both the wearer and those around. “People always ask if they’re real,” she says. “You’re going through your day with a smile because you smell like puakenikeni or pīkake.”
