That 70's Thrift: Vintage Hawaii Brought To You By Pahina’s Aloha
Get Your Hands On The Best Selection Of Hawaii’s Timeless Vintage Treasures
Alexa, play “Blue Hawaii” by Elvis Presley. Cue the high-waisted bikinis, piña coladas (extra rum-floater), and a full-moonlit night on the beach. The grandeur of vintage Hawai’i is timeless -- if only we could replay the 60’s/70’s like our favorite binge-worthy Netflix series. Wouldn’t that be a dream. Can we just rewind to when Elvis was all the rage and products were made to last a lifetime.
A time when fast-food was in it’s first demi-decade and fast-fashion wasn’t even a thought. An era where the collective was conscious of their environmental impact, guess what, the hippies were on to something.
This current fast-fashion trend of buying, wearing, and quickly discarding clothes negatively impacts our environment at a growing rate. We may not be able to reverse time. But fortunately, for us, Pahina’s Aloha has hand-selected and curated the perfect collection to get our vintage fix. We had the privilege to discuss everything vintage with boss-woman Paige Alexus Yau, owner of Pahina’s Aloha.
What Inspired Your Brand?
My childhood was filled with dancing and scouring flea markets and thrift stores with my mother—that is, when we weren’t making jewelry together. These experiences inspired me to create my own vintage shop, pulling from the spirit of Hawaii that I always dreamed of as a child. As an adult, I began spending a lot of time in Hawaii, solidifying this love for the colors, sounds, textures, materials, and people of the islands. Today, I scour the land for unique, special, and beautiful vintage accessories, clothing, jewelry, and home goods—hand-selecting and curating collections to share with those who are looking to fill their lives with treasures that each hold their own unique pasts. Pahina’s Aloha is an online boutique that features a curated selection of unique vintage goods inspired by Hawaii, the ocean, and the natural beauty that surrounds us.
What is the nature and sustainability behind your products?
All of the vintage products I carry are innately sustainable in the fact that their lives are being extended beyond one single lifetime—if not multiple. No matter where they came from, they’re living a second, third, or even fourth life after being passed around from one closet or home to another. When you buy vintage, the product has already proven that it can stand the test of time in terms of both quality and style. It means it’s timeless and well-made. It also means that you’re saving that item from joining the landfill when it could be settling into a new home to be cherished for years to come.
What’s your take on sustainability?
Sustainability can mean many things, whether it’s in the way your products are manufactured, where your materials come from, what the intended use is, or what the expected lifespan will look like. When consumers shop vintage, they’re saving these products from going to waste, while saving energy and materials that would otherwise be going into the production of an alternative, new product.
Words: Daevry Calibuso