Releasing exclusively in-store and online (FittedHawaii.com and PaieaProjects.com) this Saturday, November 1 at 11am HST.
Aloha kākou!
Kohala is the backdrop to some of the greatest origin stories of Hawaiian mo‘olelo. At the end of the Akoni Pule Highway is the majestic Pololū Valley, it’s inoa (name)—literally meaning “long spear”—derived from the many battles fought in this wahi pana. In the Hawaiian Creation Story—Kumulipo—Wākea (Sky Father) and Hoʻohōkūkalani lived in Pololū Valley and conceived a still-born son, Hāloa, who became the first kalo (taro) plant—the staple food of the kanaka maoli.
Pololū Valley provided shelter for Kamehameha the Great as told in the mo‘olelo of “Nae‘ole’s Flight.” Nae‘ole was a chief of Kohala and was known for his athleticism, his name meaning “without shortness of breath,” solidified his reputation as a great runner. When the Hawai‘i Island chiefess, Keku‘iapoiwa, gave birth to a boy there was a prophecy stating a warrior king would unite Hawai‘i. According to nā kahuna (priests), one of the hōʻailona (sign) to signal coming of this prophesized leader was an astronomical anomaly the colonizers call, “Haley’s Comet,” which streaked across the sky the night Kamehameha the Great aka Pai‘ea was born in Kohala.
Many of the place names of modern Kohala tell the story of Nae‘ole’s flight to save an infant Kamehameha: Hāwī (to breathe with a squeal) and Kapa‘au (swimming kapa). Nae‘ole’s flight to save the future mō‘ī marked the start of the Kamehameha dynasty who ruled a united Hawaiian Islands from 1795 to 1872 with Pai‘ea (Kamehameha the Great); Liholiho (Kamehameha II); Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III); ‘Iolani (Kamehameha IV); and Kapuāiwa (Kamehameha V).
Like Pai‘ea, Cowboys Guard Layden Kauka (@laydenkauka_) is a celebrated son of Kohala. He continues the Kauka legacy of his father and older brothers as a top basketball prospect.
The Fitted + Paiea Projects KOHALA “Fab Five” Collection celebrates the birthplace of Kamehameha the Great with the KOHALA “Fab Five” Basketball Jersey, Kamehameha Dynasty “Fab Five” Tee, and Kamehameha 9FIFTY Snapback “Maize & Blue” Denim Trucker.
