A Journey Through Leis: Tradition Meets Innovation in Maui
Leilani Pearson, 42, embarked on her journey in Maui in 2014, moving with her partner to his grandparents’ ancestral property, which was adorned with a stunning array of 50-year-old gardenia bushes. Occasionally, she would create beautiful necklace leis by meticulously stringing the fragrant gardenias together with needle and thread, a practice beloved across Hawaii. However, she often favored a more distinct approach, braiding these exquisite flowers with lauhala, the dried leaves from the hala tree. This technique is reminiscent of her rich heritage from Tahiti, where she was born and raised. Over time, she began to diversify her creations, incorporating vibrant and unusual blooms into large, flat, angular leis. She would skillfully arrange striking scarlet lobster claw heliconia, radiant blue jade vine blossoms, and the captivating purple-tipped bromeliad flowers into intricate plaits of lauhala.
Historically, flower chains, or leis, were introduced to the Hawaiian islands by Polynesian voyagers approximately a millennium ago. Native Hawaiians utilized these floral adornments not only to honor their gods but also for medicinal purposes, to protect surfers, and as symbols of beauty. According to the 2003 book, “Nā Lei Makamae: The Treasured Lei,” co-authored by Marie A. McDonald, a prominent authority on the art of lei-making, the early artisans in Hawaii employed around 85 varieties of plants. These included banana leaves, the elegant tassels of flowering sugar cane stalks, and the bulbous, ruby-red ohia ai (mountain apple). While leis remain a cherished tradition today, gifted for a multitude of occasions ranging from birthdays to funerals, the variety of flowers and foliage used in contemporary arrangements has significantly diminished. Many once-thriving local flower farms have succumbed to the pressures of housing development, leading to a remarkable shift in sourcing. Currently, it is estimated that a staggering 90 percent of flowers used for leis, such as dendrobium orchids, are imported from countries like Thailand. Moreover, given the sheer number of blooms needed for a single strand—often hundreds—that will likely wilt the very next day, many locals are opting for more durable alternatives. These include creative options such as ribbons and even candy.
Among the flourishing lei creations, one can find beautiful examples crafted by Mau. For instance, a kui-style lei features vibrant blue jade vine blossoms intertwined with glossy black kukui nuts, while a poepoe-style lei showcases a delightful mix of epidendrum orchids, wild pikake, and hinahina. Additionally, a wili-style lei po’o (often worn on the head) is adorned with the stunning ohia lehua and the delicate pohinahina, alongside another poepoe-style lei that incorporates the unique berries of the octopus tree.
In recent times, a new generation of local floral designers is breathing fresh life into this cherished craft. Lauren Shearer, 34, launched her lei shop, Hawaii Flora + Fauna, in 2016 on Maui, where she grew up and felt a deep connection to the land. With a renewed perspective on the island’s natural resources, her innovative designs feature Bombax ceiba flowers intricately threaded together to mimic a vibrant, shocking pink lion’s mane. She has even crafted a dainty, flapper-style necklace from mongoose vertebrae and the green winged seed capsules of the indigenous aalii shrub. In a unique twist, she has strung honeybees (meticulously sourced as “already deceased,” as Shearer emphasizes) to highlight the intricate relationship between flowers and their essential pollinators. For a particularly adventurous customer seeking a “10 out of 10 on my weirdness scale,” she created a striking arrangement that included a mongoose skull, colorful pheasant feathers, and a centipede, showcasing the limitless creativity of modern lei-making.
