Made with love Made with love Made with love

Whenever Jennalyn Kauʻikeolani Okazaki (’25) makes something for Kauʻi’s Studio, it’s with aloha, or deep love and compassion. She hopes to invite people to experience or remember what makes Hawaiʻi special. I sat down with Okazaki to learn more about how her identity as an educator informs her work, how sustainability shows up in her products, and her advice for other small business owners.

Jenna Okazaki hosts a Kauʻi’s Studio table at a UW market.

You studied education at the University of Washington. What drew you to the field of education?

Education is such a grounding career. I work in special education, and it’s a combination of healing my inner child and being the grown-up I needed when I was a little kid. I want to be a safe person for them.

You run your business in addition to being an educator. How did Kauʻi’s Studio come to be?

I started Kauʻi’s Studio to have a creative outlet, try things outside of my comfort zone, and connect with my community. I learned to sew as a kid, and people would ask me to make things like bags or a water bottle holder. Now, as part of my business, I create art that’s also functional such as stickers, bags, book sleeves and bookmarks that are made with scraps of fabric primarily sourced from Japan and Hawai’i.

When you’re creating products, who do you design for?

A lot of what I create is inspired by my community and my identity as someone who is part of the Native Hawaiian diaspora. I grew up with Hawaiian culture, and I like to study native flora and species endemic to the area and incorporate them into my designs. Some of my art also has Japanese elements like the patterns and kanji, and I even have a bag that looks like an onigiri.

What kind of legacy do you want your art and business to leave behind?

I want to bring people joy and make them feel seen. By including elements of Hawaiian and Japanese culture, I hope that fellow Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and members of the diaspora feel teleported back to Hawai’i and get a sense of home, especially through the small details. I also hope that I’m doing them justice. I’m never going to perfectly represent my Hawaiian culture, but I can be intentional about what I make.

Why is sustainability a core value of your work?

It goes back to my Native cultural beliefs. We believe that life is precious, and the land and water are our ancestors. Part of taking care of both is keeping our footprint small and being mindful of the resources we use. In my case, I make a lot of items in small batches.

At in-person markets, I love to share more about how I make each item, like the fact that I use fabric scraps or that certain materials are zero waste. I also try to minimize the use of polyester and synthetic fabrics. When people shop with me, I thank them for choosing a more sustainable option. It’s a reminder that we can all make more conscious choices to take care of our environment.

Do you have any advice for other small business owners?

Take the space and time you’d take for someone else and keep it to yourself. Ask questions when you need support. And lastly, invest in yourself and create with your mana, your energy.

Shop Kauʻi’s Studio online and follow them on Instagram for updates.

About the author: Aleenah Ansari (she/her) is equal parts storyteller, creative problem solver, and journalist at heart who’s rooted in the stories of people behind products, companies, and initiatives. She writes about travel, entrepreneurship, mental health and wellness, and representation in media for Insider, The Seattle Times, Byrdie, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals, reading a book by a BIPOC author, or planning her next trip to New York. You can learn more at her website.