Transitions
This past year brought about big changes for KaiKini as Taryn, KaiKiniʻs Founder, sold the company in May. While KaiKini has continued to customize swimwear for our loyal customers, our new Owner, Kate Henze, has been busy behind the scenes, learning the ins-and-outs of our designs and business.
The KaiKini team members you have come to know and trust over the years have remained the same and Kate is truly grateful to be working in collaboration with all three of these talented women. Luvie, our Lead Seamstress, has worked for the company for more than seven years. Ashleen, Kaikiniʻs Production Coordinator, and Noe, our Junior Seamstress, have been with us for almost two years. Each one of our team brings their individual style, dedication to excellence and spark to each piece of swimwear we create. Our hope is that each of you experiences this when interacting with us and feels the difference when you are out and about in your KaiKini.
Vision
Kateʻs vision for moving forward revolves around a few core principles…
- Work with Integrity: Make a quality product and deliver outstanding customer service.
- Work as a team: Value each person, collaborate always, and allow each person space to grow within our team.
- Be sustainable: Make informed and intentional decisions that create a strong business foundation.
- Serve our community.
Sustainability
You may have noticed that we have not been holding regular live auction events like in years past. As Kate began examining production expenses and rising material costs, it became clear that regular, deeply-discounted events would not be sustainable for the longevity of KaiKini. With that said, we have been working diligently to trim costs (without sacrificing our people or product quality) and to offer new purchasing options- allowing customers to buy for less and get swimwear delivered faster than in the past.
This Fall, we began producing an extensive line of Ready-to-Wear suits, allowing customers (not needing custom work) to both save money and get our suits straight away, without waiting on production. Our retired fabrics have also been made into Sale (“Rack”) Suits- now available on our website.
In addition, beginning with prints released in Fall 2022, we have streamlined our fabric purchasing process.
By ordering prints in larger quantities, we:
- Get more cut pieces from one length of fabric
- Avoid color variations/errors from our printmaker
- Eliminate fabric shipping delays
- Lessen the carbon footprint created by frequent shipments
- Are now able to guarantee a custom order turnaround time of two weeks!
Moving forward, we plan to launch new prints in three seasons: Spring (mid-February), Summer (April), and Autumn/Winter (mid-November).
Community
In July, we launched our KaiKini Cares Community Fund. Through customer donations and setting aside a portion of every suit we sell, KaiKini chose to support four local organizations for 2022: The Waipa Foundation, Kauai YWCA, Kauai Hospice, and The Surfrider Foundation. Solidifying our commitment to supporting women, the environment, and our community, KaiKini Cares raised $837, to be split equally between these organizations.
In addition, we donated 400 face masks to The Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati to support the wellbeing of children undergoing medical treatment and their families, during their stay at RMH.Holiday Pop-Up Shop
In November, we transformed a wall of our production studio into a functional display space and opened our doors to the public for the holiday season. In addition, we partnered with several local jewelry artists and artisans to offer handmade goods and gifts.
For 2023
Holiday
KaiKini will be closed until Wednesday, January 4th, for staff holiday.
Now Open
Our production studio will be open to the public Tuesdays-Fridays 12-4 pm; Weekends
by appointment only. (Closed Mondays for staff training and team-building)
Inclusivity
We are working to expand our design and customization options to become more size-inclusive. Want to help us expand our options and help us test out styles and new sizes? Tell us about you and what you struggle with when shopping for swimwear. You can help us make a more inclusive product and we can get you into your first KaiKini…on us!
Contact us at: mahalo@kaikini.com
VIP Subscription Service
We have been working to establish a subscription program that would not only send members regular pieces of swimwear but would include the following: a lower custom suit price point, try-on suits, regular online fitting consultations, exclusive (pre-release) access to new prints and sales events, fabric samples and exclusive deals from our artisan partners. If all goes as planned, this service will be rolled out in Spring, ahead of our Summer print launch.
In Your Town
KaiKini is expanding our wholesale business. Want to buy KaiKini in your favorite local store? Send us a message and give us details, including location, shop owner/buyerʻs name, and contact information. If we gain a new retailer from your lead, we have ways of thanking you!
Contact us at: mahalo@kaikini.com
Website
We are working to improve our website to make it easier to view print options and to ease the ordering process. During this process, feel free to reach out by phone or email with any questions or for ordering assistance. https://www.kaikini.com/pages/contact
Salt of the Earth
Our parent company, Salt of the Earth 808 LLC, will be launching a new lifestyle brand, SOTE, in the new year! The brand will feature handcrafted, sustainable goods from artisans on Kauai, across the Hawaiian Islands, and from around the United States.
KaiKini Cares Community Fund
For 2023, we chose to continue our support of Waipa Foundation and will be adding Women In Need to our fund.
Women In Need offers training, housing, and other support to women transitioning from domestic violence, incarceration, and homelessness. We have decided to raise funds (and goods) for their Gifting Closet, to provide essential personal hygiene, household, bath, and body products to those in need.
KaiKini customers can take part in supporting these organizations in several ways:
- Buy a KaiKini!
- Choose to add a donation at checkout
- To make a donation without making a swimwear purchase, choose the item “KaiKini Cares Donation” from our product pages.
- Follow us on Instagram & Facebook and watch for essential good drives at KaiKini in Kapaa.
From all of us here at KaiKini…
Mahalo Nui for being a part of our family. Hereʻs to a New Year filled with adventures, sun, and fun in our favorite swimwear!
