Author: manaolahawaii

MANAOLA honors kapa tradition with the Hoʻoniʻoniʻo print, created as an homage to the guild of women known as wāhine hoʻoniʻoniʻo as well as the goddess Laʻahana. The wāhine were talented graphic artists who worked in the hale kua (the womens beating house where kapa was produced) and were in charge of the final stages of kapa decoration.

Hoʻoniʻoniʻo means “to spot or streak,” a simple geometric style used in ancient prints and often seen in archaic kapa fragments. The 3 center lines of this pattern were created using a lapa tool, or a kapa liner often made of kauila wood, ‘ohe (bamboo) or tortoise shell sewn onto laths. This modern offering is MANAOLA’s interpretation of reimagined Hawaiian stripes.

The simplicity of Hoʻoniʻoniʻo showcases the designer’s affinity for ancient artistry as well as the foundation of kapa design. Through this print, MANAOLA celebrates the women of this tradition as well as the goddess who guided and inspired their creativity, Laʻahana (laʻa meaning sacred, hana meaning work), the patron diety of the sacred arts.

As its name denotes, the Nīʻau pattern mimics the literal mid rib frond of the coconut leaf. From this sturdy spine or stem, narrow leaflets form clean geometric lines represented in this print as an homage to the profound niu or coconut tree. Hawaiians, like many Polynesian cultures, hold the coconut tree in high regard for its sustainability and multi-purpose usage, utilizing all parts of the tree which yield materials for medicine, fuel, food and shelter.

Hawaiian mythology also refers to niu as a kinolau or earthly manifestation of the god Kū, who represents fishing, farming and war. This staple canoe plant is key for survival, and wai niu (coconut water) is considered sacred, used in ceremony and special occasions because it exists in the elevation of the gods. Wai niu is also the only water that can be offered to the gods as it is the only water that is not touched by human hands.

In Hawaiian culture, Mauna a Wākea—the tallest mountain on Hawai‘i Island, more commonly referred to today as Maunakea—is revered as a sacred place. In mo‘olelo (stories), the mauna (mountain) is considered to be the child of Wākea, the sky father, and Papawalinu‘u, the earth mother. Upon the mountain summit, Wākea charged the creation god Kāne with custodianship over the mauna. Kāne gave birth to four fully-formed water goddess: Poli‘ahu, the goddess of the snow, Waiau the guardian of the lake, Kahoupōkāne, the guardian of both the summit of Mauna a Wākea and the summit of its sister, Maunaloa, and Lilinoe, the goddess of the mists.

MANAOLA honors the four sacred goddesses of the mountain through the Mauna print, which features four different mauna shapes. At the top is the shape representing Poli‘ahu. Waiau’s is placed at the bottom. Lilinoe’s is on the left and Kahoupōkāne’s on the right side of the pattern which, symbolically, is closest to Maunaloa and the older Mount Hualālai.