Releasing exclusively in-store and online this Friday, November 29 at 12am HST.
Aloha kākou!
The cornerstone of our Black Friday event is our Lā Kūokoʻa Collection and the three powerful pieces that encapsulate the theme through the moʻolelo below.
Mahalo for rocking with us through all the Black Fridays throughout the years, and we hope to make this one even bigger and better.
MOʻOLELO:
ESTEEM
He Lā‘au ku ho‘okāhi, he lehua no Ka‘ala.
A lone tree, a lehua of Ka‘ala.
An expression of admiration for an outstanding person, unequaled in beauty, wisdom, or skill.
Have you ever thought about those childhood friendships—the ones that shape who you are, where you have each other’s backs no matter what? That’s the kind of bond Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, had with Timoteo Ha‘alilio.
By the mid-1800s, foreign nations were circling like mano to take over Hawai‘i. Gunboats and power plays were becoming serious threats. Kauikeaouli felt the tides of change coming and He didn’t back down. In 1842, he sent Ha‘alilio—along with William Richards and Sir George Simpson—on a mission that no non-European nation had ever pulled off: getting global recognition for Hawai‘i as an independent country. The odds were stacked, but the mission was on.
Ha‘alilio wasn’t just some random choice for this task. This was his childhood friend, his ACE, the guy Kauikeaouli trusted most. He was adopted into the royal family by Queen Keōpūolani. They’d been tight since they were kids at Hale Pōhaku, the first royal school and palace. Ha‘alilio had stood by Kauikeaouli’s side through everything by putting his finances and royal government business affairs in order, and now, he was about to take on the most important mission of his life.
It was a grueling journey, not an easy one but they did it. First, they got a commitment from the U.S. in December 1842—essentially a tentative agreement, “Hawaii should be independent of outside persuasion and be allowed to captain their own ship.”. But the real prize came in November 1843, when Great Britain and France signed the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, officially recognizing Hawai‘i as an independent nation. It was massive—Hawai‘i became one of the first non-European countries to achieve that.
But Ha‘alilio’s journey came at a cost. He became seriously ill along the way, and, sadly, he never made it back home. He passed away in December 1844 while still serving his people, trying to return to his homeland. It was a huge loss, not only for Kauikeaouli but for all of Hawai‘i.
Ha‘alilio wasn’t just a diplomat. He was a governor, the kingdom’s treasurer, and one of the architects of the 1839 Declaration of Rights and the 1840 Constitution. He also was the architect of the Hawaiian Coat of Arms. He helped shape the very foundation of our government while staying true to his king and his people.
In Ko Hawai‘i Pae ‘Āina, there are two types of Kolea birds known as Koleamoku and Kolealele. Koleamoku refers to the period when the Kolea spends most of his time at home from August to April. Kolealele refers to the time this bird migrates to Alaska. In our mo‘olelo of Ku‘oko‘a, Kauikeaouli is the Koleamoku because he stayed on the moku (seat of government), while Ha‘alilio becomes Kolealele, flying across the earth as a messenger for Ko Hawai‘i Pae ‘Āina.
The Anglo-Franco Proclamation is positioned as more than a document. It’s a testament to our independence, to what Hawaiian patriots fought for, and what we’ll continue to fight for. It is the difference between autonomy and possession, us versus them, Thier and their! Ha‘alilio and Kauikeaouli ensured that Hawai‘i stood its ground as a sovereign nation. Their story is a reminder of what it means to hold it down for home, to protect the hard work of the past, and to never forget the hard-fought independence that remains deep within us.
E Ola ka inoa o Ha’alilio
E Ola nā Kōleamoku
E Ola nā Kōlealele
E Ola Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina!!!
Hauʻoli Lā Kūʻokoʻa!!
ESTEEM SNAPBACK - BLACK
- FITTED PROVISION F1 structured adjustable snapback
- 100% nylon
ESTEEM / FLOURISHED TEE - CLOVE
- 100% cotton
SEAL THE DEAL TEE - WHITE
- 100% cotton
