FRIENDS IN PLACES: ALOHA SUNDAY

We interviewed Kahana Kalama, co-founder of Aloha Sunday, a men's and women's fashion and lifestyle boutique located down in San Diego with an intelligent but laid back, surf-driven aesthetic. We're fully onboard with their ethos ( to quote one bit, "life as Holiday is more about perspective and intent than happenstance,") and we're really excited they're stocking our products.

The initial idea for Aloha Sunday was ultimately to create a resort inspired collection based around the notion of dressing for occasion.  But we understood that a smart retail presentation is key in telling the story. So we set out to create a physical space that really embodied the concept of Aloha Sunday. 

We gravitated towards a multi-brand concept to be able to work with brands that complimented our ethos. We wanted to partner with companies that shared our values and commitment to ethical manufacturing and well-designed products with a story (like Blackbird).  

Having spent a lot of time in the fashion industry we realized that there were a lot of designers and makers creating amazing things that weren’t being distributed at all in Southern California.  We wanted to fill that void.

Roughly 800 square feet, however within the next couple of months we plan on expanding to a space that would double our floor space.

We’re located in a neighborhood just inland from downtown San Diego called North Park. As an avid surfer from Hawaii, people have a hard time understanding why I would live 15 minutes from the coast in San Diego, but the truth is I’ve lived here for the past 5 years and I absolutely love it.

North Park is an up and coming neighborhood consisting of a diverse and conscientious community that really understands quality.  North Park is home to some of the best restaurants, bars, breweries and coffee shops in San Diego.  We love the people here.

In addition to carrying the entire collection of Aloha Sunday, we stock around 35 brands whose offerings range from clothing and grooming products to home goods.  We’re surfers at heart so we also do carry a tight collection of premium surfboards and surfing accessories.  We also have a small selection of women’s clothing and bathing suits.

It’s definitely all about the experience.  Our goal is to be as personable as possible.  San Diego isn’t necessarily known for its well-dressed men.  However, we realize that a lot of guys are open to dressing a little better if they could be introduced to quality options in a comfortable setting that lacks pretense.  

We also carry a lot of brands that you can’t find south of LA.

Within the next couple of months we’ll be expanding our current store and adding a second location in North County San Diego.

It really depends on our mood… However, we really like anything that makes us feel like we’re on vacation. Typically this consists of a lot of jazz, Bossa Nova, rock and Hawaiian music from the 60’s and 70’s.  Check out our Sunday Soundtracks (https://alohasunday.com/category/sunday-soundtrack-2/) to get a glimpse into our musical preferences.

I’d have to say the smell of rain in the summer.  Growing up on the east side of Hawaii I became very accustomed to sporadic afternoon showers.  Anytime I smell the scent of rain hitting hot asphalt it reminds me of home.

Blackbird products stocked: Incense, Aftershave, Shaving Oil, May 18th Soap Sets, Black Licorice Hand Soap (bathroom exclusive)