Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, Māmā, Native Hawaiian Owner and Designer Tanya Uyehara has always enjoyed creating. Born into a family of craftsmen and women, musicians, hula dancers, and artists, she has always been surrounded by natural beauty and the arts.
Established in 2013, Lahaʻole Designs (meaning rare, choice, unique) started when Tanya was on maternity leave with her fourth child. Wanting to create Christmas gifts for her nieces, she took a metal soldering class at a local jewelry store. From there, she experimented with wire wrapping and manipulating metals to manifest shapes she dreamt of creating. Among the vast sea of talented jewelry makers and designers, Tanya wanted to stand out by forging pieces that were unique, meaningful, and highlighted Native Hawaiian culture.
Drawing inspiration from native Hawaiian flowers as a means to share stories passed down through oral history, our pieces are made to share native Hawaiian culture with others, cultivating an appreciation and awareness of the beauty of Hawaiʻi. We hope you enjoy our pieces and love them as much as we love making them.