For Meleana Estes, lei are more than adornment. They are connection. A memory. A living expression of aloha. A respected cultural practitioner, creative, and author of Lei Aloha, Meleana has dedicated her work to honoring the tradition, meaning, and artistry of lei making in Hawaiʻi. Through her book and her practice, she brings renewed attention to a craft that has always been deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture, celebrating not only the beauty of lei, but the stories, relationships, and intention behind each one.
We sat down with Meleana to talk about her connection to lei, the inspiration behind the renowned Lei Aloha, and what this enduring tradition means to her.
Tell us about your history with making lei. How did you learn?
I really do not remember the exact moment I made my first lei. More, that lei were integral to all my ʻohana gatherings, and every event really. Whether when I landed on Oʻahu to visit my Tūtū and she greeted us with pua kenikeni, or a volleyball championship game when she adorned my entire team with head lei, or when I would sit on her cool basement steps and watch as she carefully placed her flowers and reached for soaking palapalai reeds in her old white fish bath bucket.
I learned that when we made lei it was a part of how we shared appreciation, love, congratulations, remembrances… To this day it is something my whole family does. Whether it is the care for the pua kenikeni trees for healthy flowers to string or the nurturing of the palapalai to use for our wili lei or the making, we are all aware of the needs and the importance of sharing.
What inspired you to create Lei Aloha?
I was inspired to create Lei Aloha because I could just see that lei appreciation and creativity and necessity was having a resurgence. While always integral to our culture, it seemed the younger generations were celebrating lei more and along with that, more photos, more hype for interest.
So, I capture this spirit of lei celebration along with history and manaʻo from makers, historians and cultural practitioners. Marie Mcdonald's Lei Makamae was the last book written on lei and I just thought for a topic so important and beautiful why not bring even more light to it. Lei Makamae and Kā Lei (her first book) are beyond beautiful and so informational too.
How do you celebrate Lei Day?
On Lei Day, I love to be in the thick of the action…seeing people wearing lei, hearing Hawaiian music strumming, smelling the wafting scent of pua melia, it is just a festive day! This is usually near Kapiʻolani Park, or the Kaimana Hotel. Where there is music happening, go find it, it will surely be festive and beautiful!
Why are lei so important in Hawaiʻi?
Lei have so many layers of importance. They are important to share with a coach who you appreciate donating their time to your child's team. They are important to share aloha to a loved one who has passed placing a lei over their photo. They are important in hula when the dancer wears a lei of the kinolau (physical embodiment) of a deity.
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