First Friday

Alecia Kanamu

Alecia Kanamu is an Rnb & Soul singer/songwriter from Honolulu, Hawaii. You can listen to her latest single “Thinking of You” on all streaming platforms. The singer spends her time in Hawaii and LA recording and performing. Audiences can look out for new music expected to be released in the upcoming months. Check out her Instagram @aleciamusic or YouTube to follow her journey.

Crystal Rose

Crystal Rose is a local artist based in Honolulu. She discovered sewing at a young age when her mom started making her clothes by hand. She started thrifting to find throwaways from different eras that she could take home and adjust to her personal size and style. Her outfits were often colorfully commented on by schoolmates, which she can appreciate and laugh about now.She went on to study fashion design at UH Manoa, worked in the retail and design industry for ten years, and eventually created crystal rose label in 2019, a one-woman company where she designs, cuts, sews, and packages everything at her in-home studio. Explore her work here.

“Beyond the Frame: Visions in Thread”

Although I’ve always struggled to draw with pen and paper, I found that I could bring my ideas to life just as effectively through the medium of fabric and thread. Many of my pieces embody a surreal vibe, blending dreamlike elements with wearable art. By transforming discarded and forgotten materials into unique designs, this collection celebrates the beauty of imperfection and the power and warmth of handcrafted artistry. I invite the wearers (and viewers) to embrace their individuality and find beauty in the unconventional.

Heavenly

Mapis Bernal, the creator and founder of Heavenly is a fashion designer from Bogota, Colombia based in Honolulu Hawaii. She graduated from Arturo Tejada Cano School of Design & Fashion Marketing and since 2016 has been producing fashion with Heavenly both independently and in collaboration with other local creators. Heavenly is centered around the concept of “slow fashion” which aims to design and produce works that revolve around local and sustainable resources, workforce, and emphasizes quality and longevity of a piece rather than mass production that exploits both the people who make it and the Earth’s resources and environment. She draws inspiration from her indigenous ancestor's relationship with nature, our growing counterculture to mass consumerism and emphasis on localism, and her life experiences growing up in Colombia, teaching art in the Marshall Islands, and working for and with several local fashion and design brands in Hawaii. Her aim is not only to produce pieces that truly represent the concepts of slow fashion, but also inspire, connect, and empower those who chose to enter Heavenly’s creative sanctuary. Explore her work here.

Ripple Realms

Ripples, both literal and metaphorical, represent the subtle distortions in perception that shape our understanding of reality. Through movement and perceptual tricks, the collection challenges conventional perspectives, inviting viewers to question their assumptions and embrace new ways of seeing. Ripple Realms delves into a whimsical portal inspired by the enchanting elements of nudibranchs, ripples, distortion, optical illusions, perspective, delicacy, whimsy, magic, and sustainability. Ripple Realms represents a fusion of these diverse concepts, weaving them together into a cohesive narrative that explores the interplay between nature, perception, and sustainability.

Max High

Max High is a multi-instrumentalist of Japanese-Filipino-French descent currently based in Honolulu. Formally trained as a flutist and drummer, Max has been an active musician for over 10 years. Max approaches music-making as a daily experimental practice with a focus on ambient and electronic creations. In November of 2023, Max’s album “Recordings 3” was released on vinyl via local record label Aloha Got Soul. His music leans towards meditative soundscapes, synthesizer-based sound design and ethereal tones. Explore Max's music here.

Izik

Izik, who credits his musical influences to artists like Mariah Carey, The Carpenters, Amy Winehouse, Loyal Garner, Beyoncé and Frank Ocean, has developed a unique sound never before heard in Hawai‘i. When asked how he would describe his sound, Izik says, “I’m what would happen if Sam Smith, Teresa Bright, Solange & Maggie Rogers re-recorded ‘Lady Marmalade’.”

He has spent years honing his craft and begin performing in local venues across Hawai‘i in early 2013. Since then, Izik has become an award-winning performer with multiple local, national and international tours under his belt.

Izik released his second album &bougainvillea (Zeo Music) in October 2019; a follow up to his debut release, Obsidian. Explore more of Izik's music here.