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This Kaniakapūpū Lehua ʻUla Women's Midi Wrap Dress from David Shepard Hawaii is available at Pop-Up Mākeke and is designed, cut, and sewn in Hawai'i on imported fabric.
The midi dress includes bell sleeves and has a v-neck design with a string tie in the back. It comes with an optional long matching fabric tie for use at the waist. This limited quantity print is hand-drawn onto the fabric.
It is made with draping 100% Tencel which is a sustainably made eucalyptus-based fabric. Tencel is a fiber that is intended as a silk substitute that is derived from wood pulp. It is a natural fabric in the same family as Modal that is more breathable and soft than cotton. There is no plastic, polyester, or cotton used here. It is, instead, an all-natural sustainable wood pulp fiber with a luxurious silky texture.
Features:
- Material: 100% Tencel
- Note: The model is wearing a size medium.
- Machine washable and dry on a gentle setting.
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Kaniakapūpū means “the singing of the land shells” in Hawaiian. Featured in this print are kāhuli snails, ’ōhi’a lehua bursting into flower, and nectar-feeding i’iwi birds. This print has layers of meaning, or ‘kauna’: The songs of the snails bring Hawai’i into being.
Kaniakapūpū is the name of the summer palace of Kamehameha III, who said in 1843, ‘ua mau ke ea o ka ’aina i ka pono’ or ‘the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.’ The Hawai’i state motto to this day.
Kāhuli (tree snails) is attributed with song and are featured in oli, mele, and mo’olelo. They are considered hō’ailona (omens or signs) when encountered in the forest. Their colorful forms adorn plants and people alike, as their shells were used in lei. Unfortunately, they are under threat of extinction by the appetites of introduced invasive predators. Hawai’i’s Snail Extinction Prevention Program and its partners are rearing Kāhuli for reintroduction and are protecting their habitats.