unpretentious tees for luxe beach bums

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Sunset over a beach with a person in a canoe and palm trees in the background.

from kailua

unpretentious tees for luxe beach bums

Beige t-shirt with a detailed seahorse design on a sandy background

the origin story

i didn't plan to start a surf tee label. i wore my favorite surf tees threadbare, then my go-to surf shop switched designers and the vibe drifted. i couldn't replace the shirts i loved, so i started designing ones i wished existed.

on meditative kailua beach walks, the ocean kept handing me ideas. random folks would ask me about the tees, so i made a few more.

today, each piece is made to order. keeps waste low and freshness high. it's not about hype. it's about a great tee, gratitude, and carrying a little kailua aloha with you wherever you go.

the tees

two collections. one brand.

a man standing on the beach wearing a pearl colored shirt with a colorful graphic of a person fishing
kumu (core). the foundation. always available. heavyweight tees and sun shirts built around windward oʻahu micro-lore. made to order, refined over time. no inventory waste.
Black and white illustration of a jelly fish on a t-shirt with a blurred background
hiwa hiwa (limited). individually numbered drops. never reprinted in the same color/design configuration. fifty units per edition. when they're gone they're pau (finished)

the logos

Black 'Kailua HI' text with a flower on a white background

maʻo hau hele

marks the most accessible, family-friendly pieces. you'll find it on the inside neck labels and woven labels on shirts like sea dog and humu², and on shirts that have the mark printed on them like the be pono sunshirts.

Kailua Hi Logo

pakalolo

marks the more kolohe (mischievous) pieces, character driven, edgy, elevated consciousness. you'll find it on the inside neck labels and woven labels on most of the hiwa hiwa (limited) drops

Close-up of a hibiscus flower with green leaves in the background

care for the land. care for each other.

mālama ʻāina

a portion of the profits support sustainable coastlines hawaiʻi. if you see me walking on kailua beach with a green compostable bag picking up trash and wearing a kailua hi surf tee. come by and say hi, or better yet, grab a bag and help out.

ʻōlelo matters

i try to use ʻokina and kahakō correctly and treat hawaiian visual language with care. the pieces are contemporary artwork for apparel, not traditional uhi.

If i miss something, tell me. i'll listen and do my best to fix it.