Best of HONOLULU 2022: The Best Shopping on O‘ahu

These 21 winners deserve a spot on your must-buy list.

August 1, 2022

Stacey Makiya, Brie Thalmann, Photos by Aaron K. Yoshino,

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Best Of Shopping 2022 Repurposed Home Decor Alt

Photo: Courtesy of Last Wave Co.

Best Repurposed Home Décor

At this point we are repurposing snobs. Creatives left and right are resurrecting things, which is awesome, but for Best of HONOLULU we look for the unicorns. And we found one. Last Wave Co. is a sister-owned home décor company that turns washed up surfboards into works of art. Ashley and Kirsten Moore find dinged, dented and broken boards (trash bins after north swells are a gold mine), remove the wax and grip pad, prep for paint, paint and draw freehand designs usually chosen by their customers. The base hues pull softer while the Island-inspired designs shine boldly. A special message from the owner honoring a memory is handwritten on the back of the board. “It could be their first ride, the best day they had surfing or the last wave they conquered,” says Ashley, “hence our company name.” —SM

lastwaveco.info, @lastwaveco

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Photo: David Croxford

Best Farmers Market

Reader Pick

Kaka‘ako Farmers Market is by far the largest open-air market on the island with close to 150 local vendors offering an insanely awesome array of ‘ono delicacies, fresh produce, artisan wares, home décor goods, pantry basics, fab fashions and so much more. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, which leaves plenty of time to walk the tent-lined stretch spanning two big parking lots on opposite sides of Ala Moana Boulevard. A few vendors we recommend—although they’re all worth a mention—are: Vermilli for its flowy frocks (cool comfort is always on trend); Paradise Paws known for its paw-pular dog treats made from local meats; Wallflour Bake Shop, which creates mouthwatering treats that show off local fruits; and Fields of Aloha and its rainbow mix of locally grown fruits and veggies. —SM

919 Ala Moana Blvd. and 210 Ward Ave., farmloversmarkets.com, @alohafarmlovers

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Photo: Courtesy of EHA Culture

Best Turkish Beach Blanket

When you hit the beach as often as locals do, you become a little obsessive about your gear. It’s gotta be functional, but style is also clutch—you can’t look like a tourist straight out of Waikīkī, after all. Enter Kaua‘i label EHA Culture’s Turkish-style beach blanket, crafted from soft 100% organic Turkish cotton that makes it both lightweight (translation: easy to pack) and quick-drying (goodbye gross mildew smell). The blanket clocks in at a generous 51-by-69-inches—mo’ blanket, mo’ fun, right? And there’s a plethora of eye-catching prints to choose from, featuring owner Erin Hoffman’s Hawai‘i-inspired artwork—think kalo leaves, ‘ōhi‘a lehua and tropical fruit. —BT

ehaculture.com, @eha.culture

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Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Best Sand-Free Beach Bag

So, here’s another thing to add to our “why didn’t we think of this before?” list: local swimwear line Of One Sea’s ingenious No Sand Tote. The beauty of the concept lies in its simplicity—the bottom of the bag features a sewn-in mesh lining and a zip-away flap. Just unzip at the end of your beach day and shake. The sand will fall through while your stuff stays put. Clever, right? Pair that with other great design details, including comfy padded straps and a splash-proof recycled nylon fabric, and you’ve got one beachin’ tote. —BT

ofonesea.com, @ofonesea

SEE ALSO: Best of HONOLULU Family 2022

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Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Best Shop for Moms and Daughters

Moms and teenage daughters: They get along … for two minutes. Then they butt heads, until one of them turns 21. But shopping has the power to unite. Enter Laine Honolulu. Literally. The Ala Moana shop carries a wealth of goods and goodies, including locally designed and made items, that excite teens, 20-somethings and moms too. Flowy cutout minis, crop tops and the latest TikTok trends (think yarn coasters and self-love stickers) charm Zillennials. A fashionable capsule of linen dresses, delicate jewelry (made by shop owner Shana Hesira) and reusable totes keep the low-key, mature crowd busy—so their daughters are free to roam without watchful eyes. And 20 minutes go by without a fight. That’s what happens when everyone stays in (their own) Laine. —SM

Ala Moana Center Level 3, lainehonolulu.com, @lainehonolulu

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Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Best Modern-Meets-Memorable Accessory

These hats. They’re not your average accessories, as you can see from Illikoi Goods’ Instagram. Scroll through rows of six- and five-panel hats in eye-catching materials, including Foodland grocery totes, USPS flat-rate envelopes, vintage Kāhala aloha shirts and Ralph Lauren plaid textile. It was our staff photographer, Aaron K. Yoshino, a credible fashion geek, who introduced us to owner Anthony Duong’s brand: “The homie also repurposes special clothing pieces (that people don’t want to throw away) into hats,” Yoshino says. Duong, the maker and stay-at-home dad, confirmed that since he started his pandemic-born business, requests have varied from a beloved pair of worn-down shorts to a Home Depot apron. “The family of a man, who was a longtime employee, wanted a special way to remember him,” he says. Hats off to Duong. —SM

illikoi.com, @illikoigoods

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Best Garden Shop

Reader Pick

Our readers have given two green thumbs up to Ko‘olau Farmers, and we’re inclined to do the same. The locally owned company has also become a go-to of ours for its fantastic selection of Island-grown plants (including unique finds from small growers), orchids, succulents, trees, seeds and gardening supplies. Plus, we’re partial to its neighborhood charm and helpful, longtime employees. Its name is a callback to Kāne‘ohe, where the company first took root as a co-op formed by farming families looking to trade goods, and the location of its first store. Since then, it’s blossomed to include branches in Kailua and McCully, where you’ll frequently catch us, fingers crossed and arms full of new plant babies. —BT

Multiple locations, koolaufarmers.com, @koolaufarmers

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Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Best Place to Buy Good, Cheap Dishes

Neglecting to highlight Marukai’s amazing selection of ceramics would be a crime. More than half of our team, including our food editors, stock their cabinets with dishware from the popular Asian mart. Why? First and foremost, the price. You can get four to five dishes (ranging from wasabi-shoyu-size plates to family-style serving bowls) for less than $25. Quality is on fleek. Some of them have lasted for years, and we microwave the hell out of them. And, for us fashion editors, the graphic patterns living on muted or color-poppin’ hues serve a cool, unique style. —SM

2310 Kamehameha Highway, (808) 845-5051, marukaihawaii.com

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Photo: Courtesy of @aloha_rubythepom/Jessamyn Kedl

Best Doggie Popsicles

Move over puppaccino, there’s a new doggie snack that’s been setting tails wagging. Local treat maker Pop Box’s drool-worthy pupsicles—that’s pooch-friendly popsicles—help Fido beat the heat with fun flavor combos, such as watermelon cucumber and apple peanut butter, which also includes blueberries and bananas. The pops are made using quality ingredients, including fresh fruits and veggies (often organic), and there’s no added sugar or preservatives. Find them at Kaimukī’s The Public Pet and Bean About Town, plus the occasional pop-up event via Pop Box’s spiffed-up vintage Citroen HY food truck. —BT

@popboxhawaii