David Shepard Hawaii

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David Shepard Hawaii

David Shepard is the founder of a mission-driven, aloha wear company.

His drawings and designs are a further extension of his mission of conservation through aloha ’āina.

12/20/2023

Got that drip... living in a waterfall.

Enjoy the holiday season, and remember to support the local owned and run boutiques that we partner with and love so very much, as they carry our clothes for all your last-minute holiday shopping needs!

And if you are visiting landmarks with family for the holidays, check us out at:

Mahalo fam!

12/19/2023

I drew this print to specifically represent Honolulu, Diamond Head, and the south shore of O‘ahu: Manu-o-Kū & Flowering Hau Tree
The artwork is now on display

THE STORY BEHIND THE HAND-DRAWN DESIGN

A past Hawai’i echoes with visions of a future one. Manu-o-kū birds soar, nest, and fish amongst the coastal flowering Hawaiian hau trees. The hau flowers last only a single day each, going from yellow at dawn to orange and red as the day ends.

The manu-o-kū, also known as the white tern, holds deep cultural and ecological significance to Hawai’i. When seen out at sea, these graceful birds are natural indicators to seafarers that land is near. Like fishermen, they go out to sea in the mornings to fish and return to shore in the evenings.

Once rare in Hawai’i, except in the remote northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Their comeback since the 1970s in urban Honolulu is a testament to dedicated community conservation efforts while echoing the timeline of the Hawaiian cultural renaissance. Honolulu has implemented measures to protect the trees where they are actively nesting from disturbance, marking them with a blue ribbon around the trunks.

-David Shepard

12/18/2023

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎶, wishing we had such clear weather today! Can you identify the native Hawaiian plants in this picture? 🎄🌱

12/17/2023

Last Dec pop-up today from 12-5pm with our newest collection and some restocks of shirts, dresses, pareos, bags, etc. Come get your last-minute Christmas gifts and talk story. Hope to see you there 🎁🎄

The Story Behind this Hand-drawn Design:

Watch for Sharks

The Story Behind the Design:

"Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manō."

When the wiliwili tree flowers, the shark bites.

‘Olelo No‘eau (Hawaiian Proverb), Mary Kawena Pukui

Shark bites, though rare, have been documented to occur more in the Hawaiian islands during the fall, coinciding with the flowering of the wiliwili tree depicted in this hand-drawn artwork as well as the mating season for tiger sharks. This print is inspired by this astute Hawaiian observation of the interconnectedness of nature's patterns.

Wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) is a native Hawaiian flowering tree. Wiliwili, means "twist-twist," referring to the twisting shape of the seedpods. Its lightweight wood was once favored for making surfboards (papa he‘e nalu) and its bright red bean-like seeds for making lei.

The trees lose their leaves during the dry summer season. At the end of summer, they burst into bloom. Different trees have different colored flowers: ranging from very pale yellow, to orange, to crimson red. Found on the dry and windy leeward sides of the islands, groves of these trees are clustered across the open landscape. Normally hard to spot except when they bloom. Their colorful flowers catch your breath and can be seen from a great distance. This print is a reminder of the interconnectedness of the cycles of nature and of the wisdom embedded in these enticing flowers: watch for sharks.

-David Shepard

12/15/2023

Last day to order online and receive before Christmas is today!

Kaniakapupu Ohia Alani print on the Ko'olau range overlooking the island of O‘ahu.

12/14/2023

Epic people promote and protect our wild spaces. Shout out to and all the volunteers and naturalists who continuously support the largest nesting colony of layson albatross in the world. 15% of proceeds from this print support their mission. Thanks to all of you who have ordered and share the conservation message. We hope to spread the love for these magnificent birds that are now back to nest across the Hawaiian islands. Albatross season is here as surely as the Makahiki season!

- David Shepard

**Don't forget to make orders you want for Christmas by tomorrow, Dec 15th!

12/09/2023

A whole new holiday collection is here! Online with a selection in person at our special pop-up from 12-5pm today.

This event will be highlighting the preservation of endangered and threatened native Hawaiian plants in collaboration with and

Hope to see you there!

11/14/2023

Huge savings are coming this year for Cyber Monday. Want exclusive early access? Visit https://davidshepardhawaii.com/pages/email-list and subscribe to our email list.

02/10/2022

Kukui. Candlenut. Aleurites moluccanus. This significant tree is part of the Euphorbiaceae family, same as the endemic ‘akoko. This print was specially designed for ‘Iolani Palace, and is currently available in a Mens Aloha Shirt and Facemask!
The Story of my Kukui Lineage Print

The kukui tree and its nuts are symbolic of enlightenment, leadership, knowledge, wisdom and education. The nuts are rich in oil. When strung together and burned, they act as a torch or candle.

In this print the kukui nut cords stretch up and down burning from one to the next. Each nut is both a seed and a light. The burning of the nuts one by one symbolizes the passing of knowledge and light from past to future generations in an endless continuum. The kukui branches in the print further interlock into an infinity symbol. Wise leaders, educators and loved ones share that light and pass it onto us in turn that we may do the same.

The symbol of Hawaiian King Kalākaua's reign was ke kukuioiwikauikaua: the kukui torch that burns at mid-day. Inspired by the monarchy era, the symmetry, color palette, and feeling of this pattern are both a nod to Victorian, quilt, and kapa design work as well as a Hawaiian sensibility and depth of meaning.

*A portion of the proceeds from this print will support The Friends of Iolani Palace.

02/01/2022

Part of why I love what I do is the ability to get out there and be involved in the conservation and preservation of our ‘āina. There is always so much to learn, and each experience is truly fulfilling. Here’s a few photos from projects in the past that I enjoyed being a part of. In Kalaupapa on Moloka‘i, we collected seeds from the endangered Kolomona (Senna gaudichaudii) for regeneration efforts. Some of the others were taken at Limahuli Gardens with Kupu interns on a restoration site. What’s an added bonus is running into all these amazing native plants along the way!

01/26/2022

If you ever wondered about the process that goes into creating a print from start to finish, here’s a little visual preview!
It all starts with an idea…a vision. Something that invokes inspiration while encompassing a connection with culture and meaningful value. The vision is brought to physical form by sketching different pieces of the plant or animal and then graphically fitting them all together into a print which can then be transformed into various color schemes.
Here’s the connection that inspired me to create this print.

Coconut or Niu has a Hawaiian
saying or 'olelo no'eau, “Ka wai lewa
ka makani” or “The water which
sways in the breeze.” Water is often
symbolic of wealth, and the
heavens, the region above, here
provides blessings.
This print tells the life cycle or the genealogy of the coconut palm and it's fruit. Like a series of Russian dolls, each of us contains within us the multitudes of both our ancestors and the seed and nourishment for future generations.
Similarly, the coconut contains
within it multitudes. The coconut
provides nourishment of both
people and of the embryo within the
coconut. The fruit is capable of
withstanding long ocean voyages
as it protects future generations
within its husk. It is central to
pacific cultures, allowing them to
voyage and prosper.

01/17/2022

Hāpu’u (Cibotium spp) are a majestic ferns endemic to Hawai‘i. They were once plentiful especially in Mānoa Valley, but experienced a major decrease in population due to the harvesting and exploitation of their “pulu” or thick yellow/golden fibers that cover its stems that were used to stuff pillows and mattresses. They are very slow growing, but there are many older ones that still exist reaching very tall heights. They thrive in mesic to wet forests. Hawaiians of the old days actually ate the fiddles (new growth) of these ferns. They were also used to embalm bodies. Our Hāpu’u ‘Ilima print symbolizes the range of resources found Mauka (Hāpu’u )to Makai (‘Ilima.) From the mountains to the sea. Shop our Aloha Shirts, Women’s dresses, Masks, Scarves, and Pareo in this print online or in our retail locations!

Address

PO Box 2259
Honolulu, HI
96813

Website

http://www.davidshepardhawaii.com/

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