I’m a toes-in-the sand island girl!
My roots are in the Hawaiian Islands, but I also lived in the Solomon Islands. I have now made my home in the North Island of NZ- not surprisingly in the warmer climes of the beautiful Bay of Islands. I love the freedoms we enjoy living here- freedom from conventions, crowds and harsh weather. Mostly I love the relaxed feeling of being surrounded by sand, salty air, surf and sunny rays.
Upon moving here, I immediately felt I belonged, taking comfort in the similarities in the cultures and lifestyles between Hawaii and NZ. I was also awed and inspired by the natural beauty, culture and local art here. Having always loved the colourful and expressive ‘Aloha Attire’, (Hawaiian shirts, etc), I was inspired to bring this classic style here….but with NZ designs and styles tailored for our Kiwi lifestyle.
Kaleo means “to express” in Hawaiian. Kaleo is my way of expressing and blending the voices of my past and present life through our creations that celebrate our shared love of our culture, fun, sun, sand and sea. Working with talented NZ artists, Kaleo creates limited edition prints that capture the beauty in our natural surroundings, rich culture and iconic imagery that defines the coastal New Zealand experience.
We then print our designs onto premium fabrics and craft them into well- made clothing and accessories, designed to be expressive, comfortable and carefree. No fast fashion here- we make timeless styles that we hope you will treasure for years to come.
And with an abundance of inspiration and talented artists around us, we look forward to sharing new, colourful and exciting designs with each new season.
Celebrate what you love in what you wear.
Get comfortable.. in local style.
We hope you enjoy Kaleo Designs.
Thanks for visiting our website!
Christine Makaweo
P.S. When in the Bay of Islands, please come visit our design studio and shop in Kerikeri.