March 11, 2016
By Josie Moyer
We asked these local businesses to tell us what’s trending in their shops right now. Here’s what they had to say.
HAFALOHA
Intertwining their Hawaiian and Chamorro heritage in both marriage and business, the Hafaloha brand was created by husband and wife team Leonard “Len” Kaae and Tara Unpingco Kaae. Hafaloha serves as a creative outlet to express ideas, humor and their love of the island life. The brand began as an online clothing and merchandise retailer in 2013, and in November 2015, Len and Tara opened their first brick and mortar store, located in the Flame Tree Plaza across from Pacific Islands Club in Tumon.
Hafaloha serves up soft, snowy Hawaiian-style shave ice, sweetened by flavored syrups made in-house and piled high over a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream. With more than 40 flavors to choose from, you can either create your own masterpiece or try one of their bestselling flavors such as latiya, orange dreamsicle and strawberry shortcake. For those in the mood for a treat that’s both fresh and nutritious, Hafaloha also offers a customizable acai bowl with fresh fruits and add-ons poured over acai, granola and honey.
The shop also carries an array of merchandise featuring original designs and the company is gearing up to expand its clothing line to include cut and sew shirts and more. Hafaloha recently unveiled a line of wooden frame sunglasses that are made of bamboo, African hardwood, teak, rosewood, and skateboard deck, all 100% polarized and 100% stylish.
Hafaloha celebrates individuality and a lifestyle that embraces the hafa adai and aloha spirit.
“We hope to be ambassadors to our heritage and homeland, spreading the spirit and culture of what it is like to be from the islands,” said Len Kaae.
Check out Hafaloha online at hafaloha.com, facebook.com/HafalohaClothing and @hafaloha on Instagram.
RUN GUAM
Tired of wearing nondescript athletic wear at running events and races, three local runners set out to create their own brand of performance athletic apparel that features unique style elements inspired by Guam’s landscape and cultural heritage. And thus, Run Guam Inc. was born.
The three founding members of Run Guam – Derek Mandell, Desmond Mandell, and Sherwin Paet – are transforming the island’s fitness scene with their line of quality athletic performance singlets, long sleeves, hats and backpacks. Run Guam apparel is designed by local runners and maintains the industry standard in athletic fabric with DRIKWIK moisture-wicking technology.
“Our customers love the material our products are made of, which keeps them comfortable and seen during their workouts,” said Sherwin Paet.
Run Guam doesn’t have a physical store location, but orders can be placed easily online at werunguam.com and picked up locally 2-3 business days after purchase. There is no shipping or handling fee for local orders.
“The sport of running on Guam itself is growing which is great to see! More people are coming out and challenging themselves to live a healthy lifestyle. Whether it is running a 5K or completing a marathon, it’s just exciting to see people getting out there and participating in physical activities,” said Paet.
For news about Run Guam pop up locations, promotions and future product releases, follow @runguam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
STICKERS EXPRESS
Since 2002, Stickers Express has made it easy for islanders to express their island pride through stickers, car decals and t-shirts. The shop, located on the second floor of the Agana Shopping Center across Playport, has over 130 original design stickers for Guam, CNMI, Micronesia and other neighboring pacific islands. Off-island customers can order from the shop’s online store at stickersxpress.com, which ships globally.
Stickers Express also prints customized stickers, decals and t-shirts, which owner Elaine Takashy says has become a trend.
“We get a lot of custom decal orders from car clubs, sports teams and even families who want a unified sticker with their family name or kids names. It’s also becoming a trend to order a small batch of custom t-shirts for special occasions like birthday parties and even funerals,” said Takashy.
Whether you need just one or a hundred stickers, the team at Stickers Express can take a picture, graphic, logo, even a sketch, and transform it into a 3M vinyl decal that has an outdoor life span of about 7 years. Stickers Express also takes orders for small and large quantity silkscreen or heat press custom t-shirts that start as low as $12 per shirt.
PRIMO SURF
Since the 1980s, Primo Surf has been Guam’s premier source for quality surf and skateboard gear and apparel. For clothing, footwear and accessories by top and emerging brands such Vissla, RVKA, Billabong, O’Neill, Roxy, Jansport, Liive, Carve, Sin, Dirty Dog and more, check out Primo Surf at the Micronesia Mall or Agana Shopping Center. Primo Surf is also your source for skateboard decks, wheels, bearings, and trucks.
For ocean adventurers, Primo Surf in the Agana Shopping Center has everything you need to take your open water experience to the next level. The standup paddling trend is surging right now and Primo Surf can help you choose a paddleboard and paddle from their collection. Manta body boards, leashes, and Cobra open-top kayaks can also be found at the shop’s Agana location, as well as life jackets, booties and other gear.
