Mahina Made–A Local Lifestyle Brand Rooted in Hawaiian Culture

My mom made so many leis from that tree and always gifted it to people,” Kailee Freitas recalls. “The house was always filled with the flower’s sweet scent.” The memory makes her smile.

On a whim, during the pandemic, Freitas created a puakenikeni shirt.

“It started with custom doormats, a simple project to fill my creative side,” says Freitas. “At the time, I was juggling being a stay-at-home mom to two boys and virtually teaching second graders from Makalapa Elementary. The idea of a lei t-shirt was something I just tried, people latched onto it, and my business took off.”

The overwhelming response encouraged her to make the bittersweet decision to take a hiatus from teaching. “I love giving back in that way, but this was a chance to pursue another passion,” the Kamehameha Schools graduate says.

All of her tees are inspired by a personal connection. Her second shirt featured pīkake, a lei she donned at her wedding. “I share why I selected this flower with my customers either on a tag or in person. In return, they’ve shared their special memories with leis,” says Freitas. “It’s one of the best things to come out of this.”

Since the O‘ahu-based company’s 2017 launch, sales have grown 100 times over. A recent poll on the Mahina Made Instagram account shows that some of her customers own 15 shirts.

Riding the high of the tees’ success, she expanded Mahina Made to include home goods and accessories, which have also become top sellers. On top of that, the boss mom created the Ho‘omau Hawai‘i Market, a pop-up event featuring goods that perpetuate Hawaiian culture.

Photo: Courtesy of Kailee Freitas

“During the pandemic, small-business owners felt lonely. I wanted something to bring everyone together and normalize support of Hawaiian artisans and their products,” Freitas says.

The first market in 2021 was at the International Market Place. She was nervous about people showing up, but the response brought her to (happy) tears. “On the first day, there was a long line at 8 a.m.,” she says. “The market didn’t open until 10, and the parking lot was closed at 10:30. We drew over 3,000 people that weekend. I couldn’t believe it.”

With her businesses booming, Freitas says she has no plans of slowing down. This year, she’s again organizing a summer and holiday market. She’s also releasing new designs and colorways of her iconic tees and has more lightbulb collabs up her sleeve with local businesses.

She’s on a fast-track now, and despite all of her hard work, she says she knows she couldn’t have gotten as far as she has without some help. “One of the hugest takeaways from doing all this is gratitude. I get to do what I love, learn from other women-run businesses, meet incredible people and work with my family and friends. We joke my husband is Mahina’s maid—he’s the labor behind the brand. I couldn’t do all this without him.”

Available online and in select stores; including home decor, clothing and accessories. Visit mahinamade.com and @mahinamade to learn more