About Us
What does Ho‘omau Hawai‘i Mean?
Depending on the context, Ho’omau Hawai’i has many meanings - just like most Hawaiian names and phrases. When naming this particular mākeke, we wanted a name that was broad enough to be inclusive, but specific enough that it spoke to our mission. To us, Ho’omau Hawai’i simply means “to perpetuate Hawai’i”. We hope our event does just that! All the participating vendors respectfully perpetuate the many aspects of our culture, values, language, and people! This event is for everyone who loves and appreciates ‘Ike Hawai’i.
What is Ho‘omau Hawai‘i's Mission?
It is no secret ... Hawai'i is a brand. Not only that, it has become one of the most marketable brands globally. However, there are so many huge corporations who are making millions off of our culture without having any real authentic connections to it. The mission of this event is to change that narrative.
Ho'omau Hawai'i Market highlights Native Hawaiian owned businesses here in Hawai'i as well as other local shops who all have the same mission of sharing the Hawaiian culture through their passions and talents. We believe that we can work together to help mainstream our heritage. Through our products, we hope to help others integrate Native Hawaiian culture and language into their lives in practical ways. Every vendor at this event will be selling items reflective of the Hawaiian culture.
About Mahina Made
Mahina Made is the founder of Ho'omau Hawai'i Market. We are a Hawai'i-based small business owned by a Native Hawaiian family. We started our business in 2017 with the mission to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture through fashion and to normalize our language and cultural perspectives into everyday items. We believe that in order to revive and strengthen our lāhui, we need to give people access to our culture in modern ways. All of our items are designed in Hawaii and originate from meaningful stories, some personal and some cultural.