Ku'uipo
Last month, I went to Oahu, Hawaii with two my girlfriends and their significant others. I previously have been to Oahu two times previously, however with my family as a teenager. Since my friends wanted a chill, kick-back vacation, we kept our itinerary low-key. There were a few Hawaiian foods and sightseeing locations on my bucket list that I made sure I did not miss this trip.
I shot today’s lookbook “Ku’uipo” at the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, one of the most tranquil and beautiful gardens I have seen to date. Tucked away from the bustling city, Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden is a 400 acre of lush with a few picnic areas and lakes for you to relax and enjoy nature in its fullest capacity. I only heard about the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden when I was browsing Instagram a year ago, and knew I had to visit whenever I had the opportunity to visit Oahu again. And so, with visiting the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, I knew that I wanted to shoot and share with you a look for the Crystal Avenue. Before I go into the outfit details, I wanted to thank one of my very good friends, Christina, for shooting “Ku’uipo” for me.
The word “Ku’uipo” translates to sweetheart in Hawaiian. You may find it silly, but the reason why I chose to name this look “Ku’uipo” is because lately I have been hearing from encounters with strangers, my friends, and loved ones that I am very sweet, and wanted to bring a sweet look to the Crystal Avenue.
For “Ku’uipo,” I chose a ruffled floral print wrap dress from Zara. Instead of wearing the wrap dress as a dress, I wanted to make the dress into a different statement piece: a light cardigan. The reason why I wanted to wear the wrap dress as a cardigan was because I wanted a more versatile look to wear while shopping or taking a quick stroll on the beach. I paired the ruffled floral print wrap dress with a cami and black shorts for a little bit of color blocking and to let the warm tones of the wrap dress pop. To finish the look, I went for my new favorite pair of sandals from Lulus. I love these sandals because there is a heel, and you know I cannot object to any shoe that gives me comfort and a little bit of extra height.
I can’t wait for the next time I am back in Hawaii, because I definitely want to say an Aloha to the other Hawaiian islands. Have a wonderful rest of your week and I will see you all again soon.
Photography by Christina Hoang
