Manaola

Dropped in on Friday, was shopping for the grandkeiki. Limited choices but cherry patterns for my 5T Gdaughter and 12M G son.Kind of pricey, but if da buggah is special money is less of an issue.The two wahine were so friendly and professional, make me want to go back.Mahalo for the special gifts. So professionally wrapped and presented, worth the cost. Thanks guys

A very beautiful store. I asked about a few things:-Regular releases on designs/ patterns-online inventory matching in-store inventory-social media presence/ notifications on new releases The short answer was no to all of the above- to his credit, he was trying to word his answers to sound PC about it all (even though these are shortfalls on their side)The icing on the cake was- "we're going to sell out whether we post about it or not". It was clear he's not a salesperson, or versed in business- and that's fine. I got you. I see you. I will not support you.

The designs keep bringing you back into this place! Gorgeous colors, patterns and culturally significant designs. Prices can be steep for some items and reasonable for others. Service is always great and attentive here. Great selection of clothes, jackets, tops, dresses and men's wear.

Free tickets to the Hula Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...My friend, Kuuipo, tagged me on Instagram for a contest to win 4 tickets to see the last football game of the college season. I didn't think I'd win... but... I did!I got a message from Manaola HAWAII to pick up the tickets TODAY. I was on my way to my mom's house for Lunar New Year dinner, so I had to take a detour to Ala Moana Shopping Center... haha![Loosely translated:Mana = magical power. Ola = life]LOCATION: using Rena G.'s tip on the Yelp app, she directed me to Center Stage - by Big Island Candies. Wow...there was a big crowd outside because the shop was in the process of being blessed for the New Year of the Golden Rat. A Kung Fu Club was performing the traditional Lion Dance. Luckily, I had a red envelope (li see) in my purse so I could feed one of the lions! How exciting!I wasn't able to shop this time, so I'm looking forward to returning and getting a dress. The traditional Hawaiian patterns on the material have special meanings. The styles are contemporary and look comfortable and modern. If you look on Facebook and/or Instagram, the photos use the natural beauty of our islands as a backdrop. The ocean and mountains accentuate the clothing that the local models are wearing. Besides clothing, there were tote bags, clutches, body lotions, and more! I just gotta go back soon and take a better look at these treasures!Tips: there's free parking at Ala Moana Shopping Center - go to the Makai side, lower level. The clean, spacious store has several dressing rooms!Thanks to Kuuipo and Manaola HAWAII for the tickets to the Hula Bowl!BONUS: Designer Manaola Yap was at the store! He graciously paused to let me get a photo!

The concept of wearing culture conscious clothing is absolutely brilliant. Read about the Manaola mission here: https://www.manaolahawaii.com/our-story/ In many indigenous cultures around the world, 'ike (knowledge) is traditionally passed on through mo'olelo (story). At Manaola Hawai'i, the Native Hawaiian culture is cleverly perpetuated in its authentic clothing design as each piece has its own personal mo'olelo to tell. Read about each unique handcrafted print here: https://www.manaolahawaii.com/prints/Upon entering, sounds of contemporary Hawaiian falsetto music play softly in the background as I peruse the boutique. The Kolani Collection, located in the very back, catches my eye because of its signature gold print.On my initial visit, I ended up buying four dresses: three nani and one kawena. All were 100% rayon, so if you buy these, be careful when cleaning it because the fabric is unpredictable. I recommend handwashing, steaming or dry cleaning only as it may shrink, stetch, or bleed dyes. On my next visit, I bought four of the six colors that the Kipuka Poncho came in and went back a week later to buy the final two colors because my collection felt incomplete. Then, I returned, yet again, for another visit and purchased four malama dresses (two came from the Kolani collection, which are priced significantly more than the other two). Since then, I've been visiting and checking their inventory about every two weeks or so. To date, I have over 10 pieces and counting. So, yes, you could say I'm obsessed! I just LOVE the free-flowing nature of each piece. Whenever I wear Manaola, I get complimented on my outfit. It never fails and is worth every penny!The customer service has been exceptional every single time I've visited. I've come around so often that they've gotten to know my entire family. The local staff is genuinely friendly and helpful, especially when trying to find the right fit. Both standard sizes (XS to XXL) as well as in-btween sizes (XS-S, S-M, M-L, L-XL, XL-XXL) are available. A lot of the pieces are OS or one-size-fits-all, so even mo' bettah! With each purchase, a mana'o (thought or idea) card is provided at checkout to explain the meaning of the pattern that I have chosen, so I can wear my Manaola pieces with ha'aheo (pride) everywhere I go.

Mahalo nui to Casey & Anela! Casey (not sure of proper spelling ) was so patient in helping me! She took her time to help me logon to the site sense never have particular dress in shoppe My Mother will love her dress!!!ALSo, I love the Masks from Here! These masks are perfectly Large for my Large mandible! Seriously comfortable! When I speak plenty-kine and inhale, the mask doesn't get sucked up in my mouth! This is such a fantastic shoppe!Thank your gorgeous employee KC for me again!

I will never support this company. Both the owner and people that work for the company think they sh*t gold. They walk around with their nose to the sky as if they are Gods gift to the world. If you've ever seen them at Merrie Monarch, you know exactly what I mean. Now let's talk about the clothes. I haven't seen a single item from them that was crafted in Hawaii but yet they profit on Hawaiian culture. Something made in Indonesia should not cost $300. There are many companies in Hawaii that craft their own clothing in house and do not charge nearly as much. Shame on you Manaola.

I love the dress I bought and the staff was super nice To me, Manaola is the best local designer. And it's near another of my favorites, Big Island Cookies

The 2 stars is for the service and staff at Ala Moana. First time I walked in, lady looks up, no greeting. Another girl comes from the back, very friendly and helpful. I ended up buying three dresses, one which had to be ordered. I chose delivery to the store as it's free and I wasn't in a rush for the dress. Advised that it would take about 3 days. I signed up for their rewards program so I could get updates on their new lines. I received the welcome email. After paying for the dress that I ordered online, I noticed that I didn't get an online receipt. They said they would call when and I'd get an email when the dress arrived at the store for pick up. I went back to the store and asked the (no greeting) lady who helped me, where the receipt was. She didn't give me a printed one. She ended up doing a screenshot of the order to use as my receipt and emailed it to me. Almost a week goes by and no call or email. I called the store and got, "oh yeah, the dress just got delivered to the store."I visited the store a few more times, 2 greeting, 1no greeting or help. It's really unfortunate regarding the inconsistent service because Manaola has really nice, comfortable, and classy clothing. When you say Aloha, you need to practice it.

Disappointed and dissatisfied with quality and service. Received a beautiful men's shirt as a gift last Christmas. Because of it's value have worn it only three times for special occasions. This last time when I took it out of the washer the seam on one of the sleeves ripped leaving a long thread hanging and now an open seam. I took the shirt to the Ala Moana store and explained what happened. The shirt is in perfect condition other than the seam. I inquired if they could do anything and even asked if their seamstress could just mend and sew it. One sales person asked what size it was and walked away. I saw her look at the other shirts hanging on the rack of the same print but didn't come back. The other sales person started questioning me about who gave me the shirt which she found in the computer. I know my friend buys alot from this store. She then went to the back and after a few minutes returned saying they can't do anything cause I washed the shirt. I left disappointed thinking I was dealing with a higher end brand that would offer some type of service assistance or option that would back the quality of their items. Building a quality brand is also about taking care of your customers.