PROJECT 1.
LEI FOR LAHAINA
CONTEXT
After the 2023 Lahaina wildfire, a community needed more than aid. It needed a way to come together. Lei for Lahaina is a fundraising event rooted in lei-making, mele and prayer, celebrating Hawaiian resilience and protecting the future of Lahaina.
PROJECT TYPE
Self-initiated. Began as a school project at The University of San Francisco and is now an ongoing passion project.
DELIVERABLES
Visual identity system
Logo Design
Social media graphics
Merch design (event tickets, tshirt, tote bags)
Event mockups (created with AI Adobe Firefly assistance)
THE PROBLEM
Fundraising often asks people to give and then step back. How do you create an event that lets people participate, not just donate, while treating Hawaiian culture and the people of Lahaina with care?
THE SOLUTION
Build the visual identity and campaign around one idea: turning aloha into action. The lei is the central symbol. It is made by many hands and given with intention.
MERCHANDISE
VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEM
The Lei for Lahaina branding centers around the symbol of the lei. Just as a lei is created by many hands weaving flowers together, the rebuilding of Lahaina relies on many hands coming together in unity and care.
In Hawaiian tradition, red and yellow were sacred colors of royalty and the gods–symbols of strength and resilience reflected in this event’s identity.
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
Lahaina translates to ‘merciless sun’ in English. With this logo, I wanted to reframe that intensity into a symbol of resilience and renewal. The sun represents strength and regrowth, while the woman offering a lei evokes the promise that life, even after hardship, will bloom again.
IMAGERY
Most of the images used for the event were either photos I took myself or old pictures I found in photo albums. I edited the images in Photoshop to highlight the love and strength symbolized by the red. I also applied a subtle glow effect to create a mature, nostalgic atmosphere.
ONGOING PROJECT