New Printed Clutches From Kahulale‘a

These purses are made with kimono fabric, art prints and vintage aloha wear.

Learning how to master the elusive contour technique.
Being the only one to ask for directions, like, ever.
That whole giving birth thing.

Oh, the burdens of being a woman. It’s a lot to carry, especially when you’re already laden with that behemoth you call a bag. We get it—you’ve gotta put your kombucha and makeup kit somewhere—but does your everyday carry have to be such a lug?

Hold up. Send that faux pas packing and reach for some arm candy that’s an attention grabber in all the good ways. Kahulale‘a, Kehau Nielson’s line of handmade clutches, is just the thing to pack some chic action into your outfit. Nielson, who is a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant by day, has been whipping up her eclectic pieces by night in her kitchen for the past two years.

She started off on a borrowed sewing machine with leather and upcycled aloha wear, making vibrant, retro purses that couldn’t help but draw attention. For a softer, more mature look, you’ll find the pieces from her Tokyo Love Story collection to be even handier: a beautiful blend of leather and kimono fabric. This month, Nielson released the latest in her third line, Chapter Two, which melds of-the-moment prints with affordable leather-look backing. The pineapple print is so beach chic, and we are loving the hot-off-the-presses gold and blue sea urchin print (a collaboration with local artist Lauren Roth). Finished with the polished Kahulale‘a nameplate, these bags are all the takeaway you need to look totes stylish.

Carry on, ladies.

$55–$73, Oasis Lifestyle, Waikīkī Beachwalk Hotel. Visit kahulalea.com for more information.