Page 5 - MidWeek Kauai - April 12, 2023

APRIL 12, 2023 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 5
In Meleana Estes’ new book, the Honolulu resident explores Hawaiian culture through the art of lei making and shares the stories of the flower, craftsmanship and community of local lei culture. PHOTO COURTESY TARA ROCK
Lei Maker Continues To Blossom
FROM PAGE 4
New York City and Sydney, Austra- lia. But it wasn’t always that way.
her beloved Hawaiian heirloom bracelets, gifted to her from the matriarchs of her family.
Dwai‘i traditional gem and making it more modern, fun and accessible.” ubbed the “curator of
Born and raised in Kīlauea, Kaua‘i, Estes grew up chasing her cousins around their family’s farm. Weaving around fruit trees, bare- foot, with her hair whirling in the wind, she enjoyed her quaint, red- dirt-stained lifestyle.
“I have a bracelet that says my tūtū’s name. I know that my gran- dad gave it to her for an anniversa- ry and she gifted it to me at some point,” says Estes. “It’s sort of like she’s passing on her energy, love and mana to me. It’s a little bit like a passing of a baton, like, ‘Now it’s your time to wear this.’”
modern aloha,” Estes has
“I loved my time on the East Coast and abroad,” she says. “I think you should always be true to your own self and your own style. Don’t lose your bright, shining Ha- wai‘i light. If you show aloha to a place, it’ll show aloha to you back. I did that with New York; I loved it there. I wanted to absorb all of it, and it took care of me. I was very proud to be from Hawai‘i, no mat- ter where I was, and I would incor- porate whatever Hawai‘i I could, whenever I could.”
Desiring to, yet again, perpetuate and breathe new life into Hawaiian traditions, Estes created HIE Heir- looms of Hawai‘i (hiehawaii.com) with her calabash cousin, Noël Shaw. The brand sells bracelets, some traditional and some with a modern spin, that can be engraved for a personalized touch.
“We have our own sense of self,” says Estes. “Hawai‘i has a very strong sense of identity and we’ re not afraid to show it. We’re proud of it. We’re proud to be Hawaiian, we’re proud to share it, we’re proud to wear lei, we’re proud to wear our bracelets and we’ re proud to wear mu‘umu‘u. I love that.”
made it her mission to cel- ebrate the things that make Hawai‘i unique.
She did this in part by wearing
“The bracelets are the first proj- ect from the ‘Meleana perspective’ of modernizing and taking a Ha-
Following Lei Aloha’s release, Estes will have rolled out two big endeavors this year — and it’s not even May yet. Amid the flurry, hopefully, she’ll remember to stop and smell the puakenikeni, and, like a flower in bloom, celebrate these moments of glory.
WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING FOR
Redemption Center Buyers for our Kauai Resource Center
• Must be able to work in an outdoor environment.
• Basic math and excellent customer service skills. • Able to lift 40 lbs. consistently throughout the day.
APPLY IN PERSON MON. - FRI. 9:00 to 4:00 • 3460 AHUKINI ROAD LIHUE, HAWAII
WE PROVIDE EXCELLENT BENEFITS
SIGN-ON BONUS $500
Bonus is paid out after 6 months of satisfactory
employment. ***Restrictions Apply***
Background Check, Drug Screen, Physical and Basic Math Testing Required. EOE/Drug Free Workplace
E5
G