Love for Aloha Love - Lahaina

It’s next to impossible to reflect on the Aloha Love without being flooded with emotions. The clothing boutique, Aloha Love, located in Old Town Lahaina on Front Street, opened July 4, 2022, and was lost in the wildfire that decimated the town on August 8th, 2023. The boutique was a vision and dream hatched by owner Michelle Rotter, who escaped to Maui during Covid while most of us were paralyzed. As an entrepreneur, risk-taker, and I like to say - gambler, she temporarily exchanged her home in Denver for one on Maui and relocated her family to the island for ten months, partaking in online school and fully embracing the WFH "business as usual" solution to an unknown future. To say she makes bold moves is an understatement, and this drive is what allowed her to make her dream of operating a retail clothing store on Maui a reality.

Having known Michelle on a personal and professional level for several years, she asked if I had interest in assisting with designing the space. It was an extremely tough decision given the tropical location and my availability, but ultimately I decided to clear my calendar & take on the project.

The originally planned boutique was scheduled to open in Paia, a hippy surfer town on the northern coast of Maui often known for the famous restaurant Mama’s Fish House and as a common stopping point to and from the Road to Hana drive. The site had a vintage Hawaiian boho vibe with a spacious interior overflowing to an outdoor retail and living space. The concept and design were at the implementation phase with supplies, fixtures, and elbow grease all in queue when we received word from the landlord, with a complicated backstory, deciding not to execute the lease agreement in exchange for operating a nightly rave in the space.

It was a hard fall, but we regrouped, rallied, and along with Michelle's sister, Barbara Walsh, we identified Old Town Lahaina as the new location for Michelle’s dream to come to fruition. The retail spaces in Lahaina lacked the charm and character of Paia, but we ultimately landed on a space, which included an upstairs studio apartment, in a historic building that was in the busiest shopping areas on Maui, Front Street. The Lahaina site required quite a bit of love and an immense transformation, but it was doable, and Barbara, who would manage and live above the store, was excited to establish roots and make Lahaina her new home.

With a modest budget and a narrow timeline, we set forth transforming both the retail and living spaces. The design and style were a departure from the original concept, lending more toward a classic tropical Hawaiian look and feel appealing to all. The drab tan & brown exterior of the building was brightened with a paint palette that complimented the cascading coral bougainvillea. The petite interior was flooded with tropical wall coverings, a repurposed Balinese sliding accent door, white washed fixtures, & island treasures. Aloha Love operated its first year in this phase one look & feel with design upgrades & professional photography planned for the fall which never happened, leaving us with photography captured for social media.

The challenge with island design work is the lack of resources; labor, materials, timely shipping, lack of shipping, etc & we scavenged the island for materials, resources & decor. We were fortunate to find many treasures at Endangered Pieces, & I may have worn a hazmat suit in a No-See-Um infested warehouse to ensure no stones were unturned. The "Hideaway", the 250 sq ft living space was designed with a kitschy Hawaiian vibe, & filled with bold colors & vintage rattan furniture sourced on the island. There is just this one cute photo of the hideaway, displaying a fresh local pineapple. There was an adjustment period for Barb, life as an empty nester living next door to Funky Monkey with a nightly DJ was a challenge but she grew to love Lahaina, formed bonds with the townies & became one of the locals. Barbara trusted her instincts to frantically leave, & escaped the fire with a friend and her pup, & is now living in Central Park managing June Ruby at Stanley Marketplace.

The Aloha Love story is one I will hold close to my heart forever. It's impossible to comprehend & to attempt to speak of the loss experienced in the Lahaina community. I have intimately experienced fire twice in my life within just two years and I remain lost for the right words. Although, what I have learned to accept as of late is it's OK to feel & express joy while still processing & feeling devastation & sorrow.

Despite the overwhelming loss experienced on so many levels by all, I am grateful to have taken this journey with Michelle, Barb & the island of Maui. Michelle has continually advocated for my creative abilities & has identified ones I didn't realize existed. She took me on her Hawaiian retail dream ride, forced me into a sister bond with she & Barb (flashbacks of the Pinto like car. imagine me rocking & wanting to disappear), provided some much-needed & required beach & pool time, stretched my design skills into the commercial space & connected me with the sacred island of Maui & the specifically the community of Lahaina forever.

Mahalo