Na Mea Hawai'i

Every time I am in the Ward Warehouse area I love to browse through Na Mea Hawaii as they have a collection of books, jewelry, Hawaiian and local items you will not find anywhere else. Last week I went to the book launch for Linda Paik Moriarity's book, Lei Ni'ihau at Na Mea Hawaii and there was music, food, and an overflow crowd, many wearing stunning Ni'ihau shell leis. We bought several books and had Linda autograph them for us and enjoyed browsing. For people visiting Hawaii, this should be a stop on your list! And for us locals, a business that we should keep supporting.

What a gem this lovely place is!!! My friend and I decided to patronize the remaining vendors at Ward Center before they close at the end of the year, thanks to further expansion of the Victoria Ward/Howard Hughes expansion. This little shop has so much Hawaiiana packed into one small space that you could literally spend an hour looking at everything, picking up stocking stuffers, gifts for friends and family both far and near. Lisa helped me check out, and while I paid for my purchases I noticed this gorgeous blue and white quilt which I discovered was painted! The artist had created smaller quilts and some that were framed. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find here. Prices are reasonable and selection varied. Drop in and you'll find out.

I have so many regrets about all the things I didn't buy at Na Mea Hawaii. If you're looking for an authentic curated shopping experience that helps the Native Hawaiian community thrive this is it. The book section is unmatched and I love browsing all the crafts and clothes from local artists. This time the Pegge Hopper art and local sticker collection impressed me but there are a treasure trove of items to discover.

Na Mea Hawai'i is a must-visit for anyone interested about Hawaiian culture, art, language, and history. It's primarily an art and book store, but they also offer cultural classes, lectures, and readings. It is the largest selection of books in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, including modern popular books like the Hobbit and Harry Potter as well as history, culture, and other subjects. They also have many books about Hawai'i in English for those wishing to know more.The store is located in Ward Centre after having moved from a larger space in Ward Warehouse. It's brightly lit, colorful, and welcoming. Prices are worth the quality and local production; if you're looking for meaningful souvenirs actually made here by local artisans, this is worth your time. They have fabrics, jewelry, and other artwork.For visitors and residents alike, it's a unique place that is worth the visit to learn about the culture and history of the islands.

I am a malihini (visitor) but I always stop by Na Mea when I am here. I finally bit the bullet bought a lauhala pāpale (lauhala hat) on this trip with the help of Dell. There isn't a large selection but I was fortunate enough to find one that I love and fit. As those who know, getting a pāpale is an investment and Dell gently guided me through the process and let me make my own decision which is what you want from a retail therapist. He had good knowledge about weavers so I felt confident and happy with my purchase. I will not only wear my hat when I visit again but also in New York when I return. Mahalo Dell and Na Mea!

Took a Lauhala class. Wasn't able to complete my lauhala project, Kaleo assisted me in finally finishing it. All I can say is Fabulous customer svc. Thank you Na Mea Hawaii!!

Several years ago when this gift shop was at its original location, Ward Warehouse, we'd frequently stop in picking up locally made gifts or books for family and friends. Back then, this store had a larger footprint than its current relocation to Ward Centre. I remember this one time when my husband and his eldest brother were reading a book about Hawaiian Pidgin English while roaring in laughter. Some of the customers and friendly salespeople joined in with their banter in pidgin and soon everyone in the store was "crackin' up" and saying "Eh, you mento buggahs, you rememba wen...". It has been about 3 years since Na Mea Hawai'i had relocated into Ward Centre in a much smaller and intimate space but their customer service and fine artisan-made gifts ranging from hat bands made with loving hands by Hawaiian feather worker, men's and women's Aloha wear, jewelry with semi-precious stones, lovely wood turned bowls from local wood species to Hawaiian culture and history books. We went into Na Mea Hawai'i to browse but were focused on replacing some locally produced stationery (memo pads) for my brother-in-law. Yeah, he's old school to still use paper and pen to jot down his market lists or appointment reminders instead of inputting the information into his smartphone. Besides, the local memo pads are unique, and we were surprised that after 3 years, my BIL asked us to see if we could get more. Unfortunately, we didn't find what we were looking for but the friendly salesperson, Dawn, offered to speak with her manager about finding the source and possibly bringing in the product. We readily filled out their contact list with hopes that we'd be called when the product is available. Meanwhile, my husband roamed around the store and plopped himself in front of the bookshelves. He found the latest release of the Holy Bible translated into pidgin English which we're considering sending a copy to one of my relatives and several other fun books that made us reminisce about our childhood in Hawai'i. There were lei-making and Hawaiian medicine instructional books which caught my eyes. Hm, I chuckled to myself thinking about how I've changed from looking at artwork and considering how to incorporate the artwork into our home décor or buying apparel and jewelry for career wear to just reading books about Hawai'i's historical perspectives or how-to-make projects ...hm, learning never stops.Anyway, Na Mea Hawai'i is a wonderful gift store that features locally-made products and art that promote the Hawaiian culture. Expect to find culturally significant artwork with vintage and modern tastes as in gallery exhibitions. Many items here are NOT inexpensive trinkets and many items are worth passing on to the family but don't let that scare you away as there are fun and made for daily use items.We're hoping that we'll receive a call back from Dawn about those local memo pads and stationery for my brother-in-law, soon. Supporting this local business supports our Hawaiian culture.

I stopped by the reopening party for the new location of Na Mea at Ward Centre. The old location was at Ward Warehouse which will soon be torn down to build (what else?) luxury high rises.The new Na Mea looks everything like you'd expect from a store that specializes in Hawaiian books, arts, jewelry, and apparel. I think this new home suits Na Mea even more than its former Ward Warehouse location. This new space is cozy, warm, and inviting. Because it is inside Ward Centre, noise from traffic is minimized, so you can spend even more time browsing all of the locally made items that are offered.As you know, most things that are local or handmade tend to be on the pricey side. However, prices here are comparable to other similar type of stores on the island.If you are in need of higher quality Hawaiian gifts for friends, family, and colleagues, Na Mea is an excellent place to shop.

I posted a three star review several months ago. Today I went in to utilize my gift card. I saw a beautifully crafted pen price at $188. At the register she said oh it's actually $192. We raised our prices, but forgot to change the tags. I informed her that I thought that was an ethical practice so she said she would give me a four dollar discount. I handed over my gift card that had $77 on it and she said when she entered the number that there was only a two dollar remaining amount. Needless to say, will never ever shop there again again It's very sad because Hawaiian artists deserve a better outlet.

Beautiful stuff I love the books so much to look at really nice. Go shopping lol around plenty nice stuff to buy. Good for local people