Best of HONOLULU 2026: Shopping on O‘ahu

Editor pick

Customizable Leather Wallets

With 20 different models, 25 colors and seven types of leather to choose from—including smooth and matte Italian calf leather, kangaroo, python, fish, gator and shell cordovan—it’s easy to see why the bespoke wallet experience from Open Sea Leather Co. stands out.

Leathersmith Michael Bluth handmakes his pieces out of Hook & Hide, the Chinatown leather goods shop he shares with fellow leather label Tidal Theory. There, you can flip through a swatch book, examine stitch styles, check out the 20 colors of waxed Poly thread available and place an order, which will be ready for pickup or shipping in about a week. Prices start at $54 and the range includes everything from simple card wallets and billfolds to styles with penholders and money clips. —BT

5 N. Pauahi St., osleather.com, @opensealeather

Editor pick

High-Quality Kitchenware

Like everyone else who chucked their black plastic cooking utensils, I’ve been paying attention to microplastics and toxins in the kitchen. In fact, I’ve been systematically replacing my cheapie kitchenware with better options, a task made easier thanks to The Compleat Kitchen, the Kāhala culinary store known for its premium cookware, bakeware, tools and appliances. The specialty shop has been a Kāhala Mall staple for decades; it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. And though small, it’s packed to the gills with everything a home chef could want. Think hefty cast-iron Dutch ovens individually hand-cast in France, titanium-bonded Italian-made pans, stainless steel ladles and spatulas, and meticulously crafted Japanese Santoku and Kiritsuke knives that, as an employee recently demonstrated for me, slice through paper like butter. Tip: My favorite day to shop there is Thursday, when kama‘āina get 10% off. —BT

4211 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 737-5827, compleatkitchenhawaii.com, @compleatkitchen

Editor pick

Lei Vases

Potter Teri Ann Murakoshi, whom we featured in the April 2024 issue of HONOLULU, is the originator behind the current lei vase craze. For her Made by Teri Ann creations, Murakoshi shapes each vase by hand from clay at just the right height to sustain flowers fallen from trees or bouquets or leftover from lei. Filled with pua, the linear, oblong and rainbow-shaped vessels give the appearance of a lei at rest. Some vases are stamped with words like “Lei” and “Aloha,” while others are embellished with flowers. Even empty, they make charming table décor, and they’re among our favorite gifts of late, whether for our moms, aunties, friends or ourselves. —AL

Available at Olive Boutique and pop-ups and by custom order, @madebyteriann

Reader pick

Local Menswear, Surf Shop 

Finalist

Swimwear

T&C Surf Designs has been synonymous with Hawai‘i surf culture for more than half a century, ever since founder Craig Sugihara opened the brand’s first storefront in an old barbershop in Pearl City in 1971, with just a few thousand dollars and his board-shaping skills.

The shop’s location on Kamehameha Highway, en route to the North Shore, positioned it right between O‘ahu’s two biggest surf hubs and informed its original name—Town & Country Surfboards. Since then, Sugihara has opened six more locations on O‘ahu, including a 3,000-square-foot surfboard factory-shop in Waialua where you can peruse 200-plus board styles and custom design your next ride. And T&C’s merchandise mix has grown to include women’s, men’s and keiki apparel and accessories from top national surf brands and its own in-house label.

In 2022, Sugihara ushered in a new wave of leadership by handing the company’s reins to his son, Ryan, who continues to stoke love for the surfing lifestyle in fresh ways as president. T&C debuted a new line of bodyboards in 2026, it was tapped by Google Workspace for a Super Bowl LIX commercial, and we’ve been loving its recent collab collections. In the past few years, T&C has teamed up with everyone from Yeti and Volkswagen to Aussie swim brand Poolside Paradiso, Cali labels Salty Crew and Catch Surf, and towel brand Slowtide. It’s also partnered with local conservation groups, such as UH Mānoa’s Lyon Arboretum and Pū‘ā Foundation, on collections that support the preservation of Hawai‘i’s ecosystems. —BT

Multiple locations, tcsurf.com, @tcsurfhop

Reader pick

Art/Craft Supply Store

When you’re ready to start a new hobby, head to HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts. Whether you want guidance in a workshop, a DIY kit with instructions, or you’re just looking for raw project materials, you can easily find yourself juggling a terrarium, packet of googly eyes, pompoms and modeling clay you didn’t need a basket for since you were “just browsing.”

For decades, Ben Franklin has been the go-to spot for kids with crafty homework assignments, locals sprucing up their décor and more. In addition to all the felt, beads, wire, thread, sketchbooks, paints and glue you could ask for, toys and gifts round out the offerings at six locations on three islands. The stores also have clear lockers that local makers can rent to sell their own wares, which often include jewelry, stickers and cards. That’s probably where you’ll find us, arms full of realistic fake plants and punch needle kits. —KV

Multiple locations, benfranklinhawaii.com, @bfcrafts