Akalei Designs is Hawaii's premier designer of handcrafted Kumihimo beaded glass Hawaiian Lei and the world's original Designer of Hawaiian Glass Beaded Forever Lei. Recently featured in Maui on HI Now (Dec 14, 2023) with POP-Up Mãkeke and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. With hundreds of unique designs all our collections are handcrafted on Maui from beads we've sourced from around the globe. Akalei is unique in that we incorporate aspects of floral lei into modern "forever lei" using glass beads with designs normally only seen in the shell lei made famous on the island of Ni’ihau (The Forbidden Island). Please come by to visit our Studio located at the residential condos of Kai Makani. Please text, call or email to schedule with at least 4 hours notice.
One of the earliest original Akalei Design items is quickly becoming the best selling item in our shop. Each necklace lei is handcrafted on Maui and involves meticulous attention to detail while braiding in this "counted bead" pattern. Most incorporate over 1000 glass beads woven in by hand on a Marudai wooden stand originating in Japan. Each design is finished with a strong magnetic clasp to ensure the necklace lei will stay in place and feel comfortable to wear. The beautiful colors reflect local flowers, birds, fish and contemporary combinations of colors, shapes and sizes of a wide range of beads from around the world. Custom lengths and designs for most necklaces are available.