Everything we have made so far grows from one moʻolelo: the story of Puniaiki. We have told it in three drops, and each one goes a little deeper.
- Series 1: The Source (November 2025). One design, created and printed in Hawaiʻi on dri-fits, hoodies, tees and jackets.
- Series 2: The Kuleana (April 2026). One design, also created and printed in Hawaiʻi on the same styles.
- Series 3: MAMo 2026 (September 2026). Our first cut-and-sew collection, 100% made in Hawaiʻi and hand screen printed. Three designs in a range of colorways and fabrics, made to open the MAMo Wearable Art Show, where Moses Goods told this story live as our models walked.
Here is the story behind all three.
A child carried away
Kūʻula and Hina-pu-ku-ia were fishing deities, and their son was ʻAiʻai. ʻAiʻai and his wife, Pūʻiwa, had a son: Puniaiki.
One day Pūʻiwa was fishing at a stream in Nuʻuanu and left the baby unattended. To protect him, ʻAiʻai called on the ancestral elements to bring a flood. As the water carried the child away, his tiny body began to change. He became an ʻoʻopu.
Caught in a net
ʻAiʻai ran down to Kaumakapili. There he watched Kikihale, daughter of the aliʻi, fishing near the mouth of the stream. In her net she found a large ʻoʻopu, about the size of a small child, and carried it home.
Kikihale kept the fish in a calabash as a pet. One day the calabash began to shake. When she lifted the lid, the fish was gone. Looking back at her was a small child: Puniaiki.
The gift of Kahuai
Puniaiki grew into a handsome young man, and Kikihale claimed him as her husband. She treated him cruelly for not bringing her the fish she wanted. To prove himself, Puniaiki paddled his canoe out to sea.
Then something told him to look back toward Kaumakapili. There he saw a brilliant rainbow, and in it stood his father, ʻAiʻai, returned at last. ʻAiʻai pulled a gift from a gourd: Kahuai, the sacred pearl hook that once belonged to Kūʻula himself.
Puniaiki raised Kahuai over his head. The sea began to churn, and hundreds of aku leapt into his canoe. There was enough to feed his wife, his family and the whole village.
Why this story, now
The story of Puniaiki shows that true power comes from our connection to our kūpuna. Those who align with that mana create flows of abundance for the benefit of all. That is what we hope you feel when you wear these pieces.
Three series, one story
The Source carries the moment the sea answered: schooling aku leaping into the canoe.
The Kuleana shows the moment the gift was passed down: the aku leaping, the canoe, Kahuai, and the gourd from which ʻAiʻai pulled the sacred hook to give to his son.
MAMo 2026 carries the story in three prints. The ʻOʻopu print celebrates Puniaiki's transformation, from the stream to the calabash, and the fresh water that flows from mauka to the shoreline.
ʻUpena, the fishing net, honors traditional cordage and the way communities gathered together.
Our Loko iʻa Kuapā print was hand-drawn from sketches of the kuapā at Heʻeia fishpond, cared for by Paepae o Heʻeia, our mission partner for this collection.
Most of the MAMo 2026 pieces are named for the people in the story:
- The KŪʻULA Long Sleeve Aloha Shirt, for the fishing deity and grandfather of Puniaiki
- The HINA Short, Tailored Palazzo Pant and Puff Sleeve Jacket, for Hina-pu-ku-ia, his grandmother
- The ʻAIʻAI Board Shorts, for the father who never stopped watching over his son
- The PUNIAIKI Short Sleeve Aloha Shirt, for the hero who stepped into his kuleana
- The KIKIHALE Sass, for the aliʻi's daughter who pulled him from the stream
- The ʻEKE MINI and MAX Pouches, inspired by Puniaiki the fisherman
The colors and the red
The colors come from the places in the story. Navy and slate are the deep waters off Māmala, where the aku run. Olive is the streams at Hanakaialama and the brackish water of the fishpond.
Then there's the red. Look closely and you'll find a single red fish in every design, plus red buttonholes, thread and zippers. Red (ʻulaʻula) is sacred to Kū and Kūʻula-kai. Red fish like kūmū and ʻāweoweo were royal offerings, and they marked the presence of the kiaʻi, the guardian, at the mākāhā, the fishpond gate.
A red fish can also be a hōʻailona, a sign. It can mark the presence of an aliʻi, a transition or a significant change. It reminds us to be observant, to kilo what is happening in the natural and spiritual worlds, and to look for the balance between them.
Why we give back
Go Deep Hawaiʻi started in Kāneʻohe to move beyond the postcard and share the lesser-told moʻolelo of our islands. For every piece sold from any of our three series, $5 goes to Paepae o Heʻeia to care for the kuapā and the fishpond, which protect our fishing sources and provide abundance for our community.
Every order comes with a story card that shares this moʻolelo, so the story travels with you.
Wear the Story | Share the Story