I have been obsessively thinking about Oahu, and only partially because of Tuesday’s brilliant Lost premier (and all the show-related Lost sights I like). It’s also because of the great souvies I picked up at a place called Muumuu Heaven, a shop in Kailua, including this tote bag.
There are a few things I love about it. Unlike a lot of big bags, it’s extremely lightweight because it’s made of recycled sail cloth. It’s huge and roomy, with a minimum of fuss (not over-designed).
It has this charming Hawaiian map on the inside, which makes me happy every time I rediscover it:
The store has a great mandate: to reuse and recycle muumuus, sail cloths, pieces of jewelry, vases, even plastic oil barrels, into adorable and fashionable stuff. They had a press blitz when President Obama’s sister brought in their grandmother’s muumuu–she wore one every day–and the owner refashioned it into a tie he wore for his inauguration. (More on that story in this article.)
Admittedly, I was skeptical. I didn’t really see, fashion-wise, how muumuus could be heavenly. Until I saw them reconstituted into sleek little dresses, that is. (As always, my recommendations for stores are because I honestly like them. I paid for this bag and have no financial incentive to write this up. I just like their stuff.)
Muumuu Heaven has soul. The women who worked there just seemed happy to be part of the enterprise, and I love the idea of creating beautiful pieces–and less landfill–in a place as magnificent as Oahu.
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