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FLUX Hawaii

A destination for local arts, culture, and social issues that reflect our islands’ unique sense of

01/12/2024

More Flux Holiday Gift Guide goodies: Know someone in desperate need of a spa day? 💆🏽‍♀️

At the link in our bio, find gifts for a much-needed self-care sesh or essentials to upgrade your wellness rituals year round.

04/05/2024

A bill aimed to crack down on short-term rentals (STRs) was signed into law today by Governor Josh Green. Senate Bill 2919 aims to regulate vacation rentals and the platforms that host them across the state, where 5.5 percent of total housing units are STRs. It is a direct response to the state’s ballooning housing crisis, exacerbated by the thousands of West Maui families who were displaced by last year’s Lahaina wildfires.

SB2919 gives counties home rule authority to regulate their specific vacation rental markets and redefine zoning ordinances, granting them the power to turn STRs into long-term homes or ban them altogether. Violators will face a proposed penalty of $10,000 per day. The measure also clarifies a 1957 law that challenged previous efforts to regulate vacation rentals in Honolulu. The new language could have far-reaching implications, paving the way for a more sustainable housing landscape as the median price of a single-family home soars to $820,000 and many residents increasingly find themselves priced out of the market.

SB2919 will take effect in West Maui on July 1, 2025, and on January 1, 2026 for the rest of the island, potentially turning Maui’s current 7,000 STRs into long-term housing. “Yesterday marked a monumental moment not just for Lahaina, but for the entire state,” said Paele Kiakona at a rally for Lāhainā Strong, who has occupied Kā‘anapali Beach since November 2023 in a call for dignified housing for fire survivors. The grassroots organization has been one of the major lobbyists for SB2919.

The Ohana Aina Association has raised objections to the bill, fearing it could aggravate existing housing challenges by limiting month-to-month rental availability for those who cannot qualify for long-term leases.

“It’s undeniable that this measure has been long overdue,” said Maui Councilwoman Keani Rawlins-Fernandez in her testimony. “It’s heartbreaking that it took our beloved town of Lahaina burning down, leaving so many without stable shelter, to finally get this common-sense legislation this far.”

Written by Kaia Stallings (). Photo by .

02/05/2024

Jim Little is one of the most famous frangipani growers in the world.⁠
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Since founding in 1973, he has become known for unique hybrids coveted by collectors. Despite his global reputation, though, Jim kept access to his Haleʻiwa farm limited and the secrets behind his famed plumeria confined to a choice few. ⁠
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That was until May 1, 2023. Last , the farm opened its doors to the public for the first time in its 50-year history. Now helmed by Jim’s son, the surf photographer , and grandson, Dane, the North Shore acreage welcomes tour groups at the height of the growing season, which allows visitors to stop, smell, and saunter among their world-renowned cultivars in person.⁠
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Find more unique ways to explore at the link in our bio. Written by . Photos by .⁠

23/04/2024

The beauty and brio on display in a Kaua’i aunty’s floral headpieces have captivated social media.⁠
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The woman, known simply as Aunty Nani, circulates her near-daily displays of island style via the Instagram account of . Though we never see her face, what’s always on view are the flowers, arranged artfully in her pulled back, silvering hair.⁠
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The themselves range from minimalist (a single-stem white lily as large as an open palm) to maximalist (tusk-like blue jade with tī leaves pinned to stand upright like a toothy crown). Some arrangements aren’t even flowers. Scroll back to 2018 to a cluster of orange eggplant and fern dangling in her hair and a clutch of handmade coconut palm frond roses speared to touch edges so they look like a shield.⁠
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Hiroko Letman, who works with Aunty Nani at a plant nursery and runs the account of nearly 40k followers, found the confidence in which the octogenarian styled herself striking and worthy of documentation. ⁠
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Originally from Japan, Letman was initially unaware of Hawai’i’s custom to bedeck one’s hair daily with flowers. “At first I thought this was something that young women do,” she says, but seeing Aunty Nani wearing these “very large, gorgeous flowers so beautifully, it changed my impressions about beauty and age. I realized it’s okay for older women to be very bold and expressive just like young women.“⁠
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Read more about why Aunty Nani’s singular style and adornments enthrall us at the link in our bio. Written by .

12/04/2024

: The beautiful geometry of Matt Mallams’ photographs.

“I’m just drawn to strong colors and deep shadows when trying to get creative with the compositions,” the Oahu-based street photographer and photo editor says. “Sometimes also trying to break the rules of conventual composition and other times trying to add as many elements that I can pack into the frame at once. All while making sure it’s all organized, nice, and neat.”

With a keen eye for color and an uncanny ability to choose an engaging vantage point, he skillfully brings order to the chaos he encounters.

Read his interview with photographer at the link in our bio.

26/03/2024

: Lydia Liliʻuokalani Kawānanakoa draped in lei and paʻu for the Kamehameha Day parade, c. 1930s-40s. Photo from Hawai‘i State Archives.

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FLUX HAWAII Issue No. 46 — On newsstands today! Where we examine the topic of housing in its various local forms and meanings. Featuring stories that illustrate the beauty and struggles of calling Hawaiʻi home, and highlighting those who challenge how to make, keep, and preserve our ways of life in the islands today. Subscribe at the link in our bio. — FLUX HAWAII — the Magazine⁠ Editor @mattdnf Editorial Director Lauren McNally ⁠ Managing Editor @eunicaescalante Managing Designer @taylorniimoto Designers @eleazarherradura⁠ @shikarabu ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i Editor @metamorphite⁠ Senior Editor @raesojot⁠ Contributing Editors @a_nnn_a @lisayamadason Senior Photographer @john_hook⁠ Producer @taykondo⁠ Maui Producer @ajatoscano Intern @kaiafterall Operations Director @sabrinebrinou⁠ Traffic Manager @sweetsheribombbomb ⁠ Partner/GM, Hawai‘i @joebock⁠ Publisher @jcut

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