This is a holokū, a type of muʻumuʻu. For me, and others I presume wearing and collecting mu’umu’u is a way of preserving the Hawaii of old. I envision beautiful women adorned in flower leis, Strolling the grounds of the Moana surfrider, or attending a lūʻau at some grand home. The romanticised version of Hawaii captured so perfectly in Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawai’i” which is one of my favorite movies. Its cheesy, and doesn’t do us any favors as far as Hawai’i’s fight for our Rights or ‘aina, but in truth I find it as enchanting as anything I’ve heard in stories. So when I got an invitation to an event with an aloha attire dress code I couldn’t resist (I have A LOT of mu’u). It just so happened to be held on the same day as the Pipeline Pro contest here on the North shore during what some called “the best pipe day during a contest ever” and so due to an extremely high volume of traffic ( and the fact that I misread the date) I found myself running barefoot down Kamehameha Hwy, with sand on my face, in this most gorgeous dress trying to make it on time. It’s a good memory, and it made me laugh, moral of the story? I want to see more Hawaii women wearing these dresses. Weddings, birthdays, lunches, brunches, cause can. The list goes on. Thanks Tahnei, you’re the real MVP.