Amateur Hula Dancer Turned Magazine Editor, Surfer, and Treasure Hunter
Aloha! My name is Pahina and I'm super excited to introduce myself. I'm the gal behind the hula skirt of Pahina's Aloha, an online destination where you can find a highly-curated selection of unique vintage goods inspired by Hawaii, the ocean, surfing, and all things aloha.
What is Pahina's Aloha?
I want pahinas.com to be THE place you trust to find everything you'll need to sprinkle your beach shack, closet, and jewelry box with a fun, tropical, vintage, Hawaiian flavor. When you visit the site, you'll also find a stream of content that I'll be creating myself—as that's actually one of the things I do best (you'll soon see why).
Hi! Seeing if I still got it in a beautiful vintage sarong I'll be offering on the site.
Why You Should Trust Me
Thanks to six years of working as an editor at multiple design, home, and style magazines in NYC, I've developed a serious knowledge and eye for products and design. This training included curating trend pages, styling photo shoots, traveling and reporting on tradeshows, and developing stories and gift guides at an intense rate.
Though I currently have a full-time gig as a design writer for Dwell, this is my passion project that I've been dreaming of my whole life. And when I finally decided to do it, I knew it had to focus on the things that inspire me most—that is, Hawaii, sunshine, the sea, and surfing.
I'm Your Personal Treasure Hunter
When you come to Pahina's, you're not only looking for interesting, Hawaiian-inspired vintage products, but you're also seeking a rare service that I'm providing. I'm doing the heavy lifting (so to speak) that goes into peeling through endless vintage sources around the world to uncover hard-to-find goods that are high-quality and represent an aloha lifestyle. And man, do I love doing it—and always have. I spent the weekends of my young years thrift hopping with my mom, the mother of all trinkets.
This is me carefully peeling through one of my favorite flea markets, looking for the perfect trinket. They call it the "laser vision."
Where it All Began - My Hula Days
Though it'd be almost impossible to find someone who isn't a fan of Hawaii, my love for all things aloha goes far beyond being just a fan girl of the tropical state.
My one true love growing up was dancing. I practiced it religiously throughout my childhood and into college. And as a little one growing up in L.A. who spent most of her time in the studio, I had a bright-eyed idea to become the best hula girl outside of Hawaii. My dance teacher—whose mother danced with Shirley Temple in multiple old Hollywood films (imagine my little girl excitement at that news!!!)—had also been a Hawaiian dancer and was ecstatic at the idea of teaching me. I ended up becoming enamored and performed at luaus, talent contests, and other local performances as much as I could. As I got older, I taught classes for young girls and teenagers alike.
This is me showing off my little lady hula skills circa 1998.
My Magazine Editor Days
After graduating college with an English and writing degree, I grabbed a position in the Home, Decorating, and Style departments at Martha Stewart Living (again, imagine my excitement). There, I learned everything I know today about styling, photo shoot production, product curation, and story development. From there, I held editor positions at Country Living, Cottages & Gardens, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda. After moving to San Francisco, I took on a position as a writer and content producer for Dwell.com, where I continue to write about modern design, midcentury architecture, and innovative design news.
Some of My Fave Product Pages I've Created
Veranda - Aloha trend page inspired by a Hawaiian feather work exhibit
House Beautiful - Instant Room article with designer Sara Gilbane about decorating a happy and sunny little breakfast nook
Hamptons Cottages & Gardens - Summer entertaining shop page for summer soirées
Hamptons Cottages & Gardens - Summer accessories shop page for long days in the sun
House Beautiful - Styled product shot with goods from different shops that source locally-made products
One of my favorite articles I've written for Dwell.com. You'll find the whole story about the Surfjack in Waikiki, along with a couple of other stories about Hawaiian midcentury destinations, on the blog soon.
Me Today
And this leads me to where I am now, and the final piece of the puzzle—surfing. After recently learning how to ride a wave after years of dreaming about being a Roxy girl, I finally dove in, and am now completely obsessed. I find an intense amount of inspiration from the sport, the culture, and the lifestyle it represents. You'll see this passion reveal itself throughout the products I'm offering, as well as in the content I'll be bringing to you.
This is me being the happiest I can possibly be, catching a wave in Hanalei, Kauai—my favorite place in the world.