Aloha and welcome to Off Island, HIE Heirlooms of Hawaiʻi’s digital journal dedicated to all of the things we love on and off the island.
In Hawaiʻi, “I’ll be off island” is our way of saying that we will be out of town, either island-hopping to a neighbor island, or traveling on lengthier trips to the continent and beyond. Growing up on the most remote island chain in the world, road trips are not an option, so hopping on a plane for an adventure is our way of life.
These journeys spark inspiration, creativity and help us gain exposure to both global culture and style. There truly is no place like home, and no matter how long we’ve been away, we always make our way back to Hawaiʻi mere days or even decades later, forever influenced by these experiences exploring the world outside of our island home.
As told in the “History of Hawaiian Jewelry” portion of HIE’s website, our beloved Queen Liliʻuokalani embarked on an epic journey from Honolulu to London after receiving an invitation to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebration. We often find ourselves imagining what a journey across the United States looked like for our Queen. Perhaps, a stop in New York City to be fitted for gowns? We daydream about the awe-inspiring experience of attending the Jubilee alongside other royals from around the globe.
The Golden Jubilee State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, 21 June 1887 by Robert Taylor Pritchett (1828-1907)
Queen Liliʻuokalani’s trip to London was life changing and she returned to Honolulu feeling inspired and full of stories to share. Motivated to expand her personal jewelry collection, our Queen curated elegant, gold engraved bangles which eventually gained popularity as the Hawaiian heirloom bracelets we love today.
Our hope is to use this online journal as a place to share and document inspirations, both small and monumental, that our HIE community finds both on and off of the island.
