ISSUE 1 // FIRST + FRESH [SPRING 2014] by HNL FLOW

issue 1, vol 1

FIRST + FRESH

631-D Keeaumoku St. thefirmhnlhawaii.com

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IN THIS ISSUE Note: You can click links for easy access!

8 Letter from the Editor

A few words from HNLF's leading lady.

10 Urban Aloha Kaka'ako's next non-profit rager celebrates the arts for a good cause.

15 Glorified Supply Company John "Jon Jon" Ulep ties urban culture and his faith together in one simple clothing brand.

21 Shawn Saito: Climbing HI to success

26 Meet the Team Team HNLF is a diverse group - read more about them and see who they really are.

Prie: Hawaii's Next Star Shawn Saito is our featured Flow Crew member of the month. Find out more about one of the youngest Watch out, Bruno! Local rapper Prie is on his way for a tour and a record deal, but he's still members on our team. staying true to his roots.

24 Hot Spots at Eat the Street You might have some favorites at the monthly food truck event...but we've come to share some that you might not know of.

36 New Kids on the Block HNL Flow crew members and models come together to show off the latest trends from featured vendors Kalapaki Girl Dezigns and Glorified Supply Company.

49 Thank You's We love acknowledging our supporters. Here's a toast to our Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and all those who supported our journey along the way.

36 5

hnlflow.com | info@hnlflow.com FOUNDER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Vina Cristobal CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR OF FINANCE/MARKETING Peter Cheng

SF | HNL | LA | LV | GU | TKO | NY mgnakrtl.bigcartel.com

MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS Girlieh Mae Barit HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY Starr Benson HEAD OF GRAPHIC DESIGN Meddie Asuncion ___________________ WRITERS Sasha Anderson Chelan Crane Anthony Selvanathan PHOTOGRAPHERS Nadia Fale Bradley Quiocho Brittany Reis Shawn Saito Jordan Zizzi __________________ Want to advertise with us? Contact us at info@hnlflow.com.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR text: vina cristobal || photo: peter cheng

got questions? email us here! fb, IG, + tweet us too! HNL Flow @hnlflow

@hnlflow

Six years ago, I was starting up high school and had this crazy magazine obsession.

It's shown us that we are more than we seem. We're more than just a group of college kids with some intent to start a magazine.

Six years later, I'm probably the youngest magazine editor-in-chief in the state (trippy, ain't it?)

No, we're much more than that.

But anyway...welcome to the VERY first issue of HNL Flow (not "Honolulu Flow," but I forgive those who misunderstood the magazine title)!

We're creative, talented, determined, and innovative individuals who are coming together to bring you the fruit of our collaborative effort.

So I'm sitting here, asking myself, "How does one even write a Letter from the Editor?" Again, I never imagined myself going through this process (at least not at my age).

Also, we're here because of you.

I'll try my best, so bear with me. Since starting up HNL Flow, our team has gone through our share of successes and failures, and none of us have realized how far it would take us. 8

In this issue, you'll see old and new faces alike who are about to show you how far they've come from the beginning. Are you ready, Honolulu?

Let's get fresh. - Vina Cristobal Founder + editor-in-chief

Start something new.

Make a difference.

party with

a purpose

text: vina cristobal photos: joanna chang

When I first met Jenna and Liz Robinson, it was on Facebook. Both of them added me simultaneously, and at first, I thought it was one of those random friend requests. Come to find out, they were the coordinators behind the non-profit art event known as Urban Aloha, which began in August 2013. The mini-block party, whose slogan is “Party with a Purpose,” consisted of live art, slam poetry, burlesque (for their second event) and more. All the donations and proceeds from the event went to the Youth Oureach program in Waikiki. I was astounded at the pair’s willingness to help the youth in need. After making some arrangements, Peter [Cheng] and I went to meet up with them. We talked story and shared stories of accomplishments and obstacles with our respective companies over cups of coffee. This is not only the story of the Robinsons, but also how Urban Aloha came to be. HNLF: How did you both start Urban Aloha? Jenna: Liz did talks at Kapiolani Community College about LGBT issues, and one of the professors there gave her a flyer for the Youth Outreach Center. Liz: After the professor gave me that flyer, I decided to do some donations and dropped stuff off to the kids at Youth Oureach. After my first drop off, I felt the need to give again. I told myself, “This is what I want to do.” Jenna: That’s when I had the idea of doing something creative, but at the same time, I wanted to help others. HNLF: How did Urban Aloha branch off? Jenna: Our friends are like one big network. The more people we told, the more people would show up. We thought it was just going to be our friends, but on the day of the event, more people showed up than we expected. Liz: We also tacked flyers to bulletin boards at Starbucks and other places in town to get the word out there. HNLF: Why the name Urban Aloha? Jenna: How do you show love in town? People who don’t live in town think we have no heart. But the people who live in the city, in the urban side of Honolulu, have a heart, and we have aloha. And that’s what our event is trying to showcase.

ABOVE: Jenna and Liz Robinson [photo credit: Nicole Schubert] HNLF: How did your first event turn out? Liz: Great! We raised $2000 from donations, plus an out-of-pocket contribution from me and Jenna. We also received 12 bags chock full donations – and we’re still accepting donations right now. Jenna: The thing about it is that every uprising artist wants to do good. It gives them a platform to express themselves while doing something good for the community. Through Urban Aloha, we made that happen. HNLF: Have you faced any challenges while doing Urban Aloha? Liz: There’s always going to be obstacles, but I can name this one time where this guy from the attorney general’s office called us and said that raffles were illegal here in Hawaii. We had a raffle for a two-night stay at the Sheraton Waikiki, and he basically implied that we stole the money. It was kind of a shock to me. I called my mom and I just literally cried, wondering what would happen to us.

HNLF: That’s terrible! How’d that turn out? Liz: The next day, a lady from the attorney general’s office told us there was nothing to worry about. Fortunately, we were let go with a warning. Jenna: Basically, instead of breaking us down, it made us hold our ground. Liz: People hold non-profits like us to a higher standard, which is why it came as a shock that we stole money. But it was definitely a learning experience. HNLF: Any plans to further the success of Urban Aloha? Liz: We are planning to focus on different themes for each event. For our second event, we did an antibullying/GSA kind of thing. We want to raise awareness about bullying and tell people how to prevent it through our event. Jenna: We want to be able to give people another way to be a voice in their community. Urban Aloha isn’t just an event; it helps people stand up for who they are.

The next Urban Aloha event is in June. More details TBA. Check out Urban Aloha on Facebook and Instagram:

(Editor's Note: Joanna Chang was a photographer for HNLF until January 2014.)

ABOVE to BELOW: - Joanna Chang helps artist Joel Gaspar with a live art masterpiece. - The crowd at the first Urban Aloha exceeded the Robinsons’ expectations. - Jenna ‘J-Rob’ Robinson shouts in an intense moment of an original poem she wrote.

SUMMER RELEASE COMING MAY 2014 "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD." -LUKE 1:57

keep the faith fresh

Model Harumi Akasaki (shown here) can be seen with the back design of the ReBrand t-shirt, while founder John "Jon Jon" Ulep (next page) is seen with the front design.

glorified supply co.'s john "jon jon" ulep talks about his brand, his faith and his advice for future clothing. THE BEGINNING Waipahu resident John "Jon Jon" Ulep is a strong Christian, event coordinator, a youth ministry director at St. Joseph Church and now he's made another title for himself: "clothing designer." It all started in November 2011. Ulep was sketching designs in a notebook while helping out at a class he was teaching for the AGAPE Youth Group at St. Joseph. A close friend approached him and suggested that his design should be on a t-shirt. After considering the option of printing his own t-shirts, Ulep took the suggestion, watched some YouTube tutorials on printing shirts and called his cousin for help on how to screen print his designs onto different clothing.

photo credit: Daren Del Val

"My brand is a front," he said. "I want a brand that isn't just another street brand, but more like a Christian brand. I wanna rep my religion proudly." And from there, Glofiried Supply Company (formerly known as Glorified Apparel, before Ulep underwent a brand name change in 2013) was born. Ulep first promoted his line to the kids at AGAPE, who were astounded by the various designs that Ulep made. Glofiried Supply Company became an instant success among Ulep's youth group, and this became his passion project. The concept of business was confusing for Ulep, however. Fortunately, his fiancee, Marnelli "MJ" Basilio, helps him out with the finance. "If it wasn't for her, I'd be lost," Ulep said. "I don't really know all the technical stuff, but I'm glad I have help."

GLORIFIED SUPPLY COMPANY STEPS UP

Since then, Ulep has released a multitude of designs. His most popular is the "Let Go, Let God" design whic can still be found on his website. He also released a line centered around Dewey Do Good, a 1950's-esque animated character who is the mascot of the brand.

Ulep decided that he would take his brand to the next level. He felt that his brand needed to expand to a larger audience, so he decided to take Glofiried Supply Company to Kaka'ako. Glorified Supply Company was an Art+Flea vendor in September 2013, but although the turnout for his booth was successful, he decided not to return as a recurring brand for the monthly event.

"I felt kind of hesitant being there," Ulep said. "Kaka'ako isn't exactly an area where a Christian brand can branch out. The experience I had at Art+Flea was something new and I'm glad I had that experience, but I decided that I would stick to smaller events."

Ulep settled for promoting his brand at craft fairs and other religious events, and even created his own event called Reap and Sow Hawaii.

"Reap and Sow Hawaii was an event I did back in 2013 and asked a couple of people I knew to help out," Ulep said abou the event, which happened in July at Logos Bookstore in Kaka'ako. "I thought it would just be a few friends who woul show up, but we had a really huge turnout." This is just one of the many opportunities that Ulep has been fortunate to have. He's befriended YouTube sensation AJ Rafael, who came down to perform at Fresh Cafe in July.

ABOVE: Martin Moore III sports Glorified Supply Co.'s newest design, "Fingers Crossed."

"AJ is a really down-to-earth guy," Ulep said. "My friend is really close to him, and he was taking care of him while h was here. I decided to do a collaboration with him, to promote him and to promote my brand." Ulep added that Rafael was also a devout Christian.

"He [Rafael] is so strong in his faith, and you could see that, he said.

A FUTURE FOR GLORIFIED SUPPLY CO. Despite the adversities he's faced, Ulep has never given up on his brand and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon.

ABOVE: Christyn Wong (left) and Girlieh Barit show off the Banksy-inspired tee, made by Ulep.

Ulep plans to come out with more products for his brand, such as 5-panel snapbacks and wayfarer sunglasses. He is also in the works of doing a second Reap and Sow Hawaii event, which he hopes will be more successful than the first. He offers advice to future designers that want to start up their own clothing line: "Don't say it, just do it," he said. "You need to understand your market, and your brand. Stay consistent."

___________________________________________________________________________ To find out more about GSC or to purchase their clothing: click on the links below,

and you can also find Glorified Supply Company here.

The debut book from Hawaii author

“Gritty, haunting, and suspenseful.” — O, The Oprah Magazine

“A sparkling debut.” — ELLE Magazine

“Vividly imagined, beautifully written, at times almost unbearably suspenful.” - Joyce Carol Oates

Available at BARNES AND NOBLE and ONLINE

www.kristianakahakauwila.com

HAWAII'S NEWEST NAMES IN HIP HOP click below to sample some of their tracks:

HNLF photographer Shawn Saito isn't your ordinary teen. In fact, he's more extraordinary than you think. Text: HNL Flow Staff Photos: Shawn Saito

CLIMBING HI TO

SUCCESS

A collector of historical documents, great supporter of the arts, the secretary on a Board of Directors, and an avid traveler, Hawaii Pacific University student Shawn Saito isn’t the typical modern day teenager. Saito, a 19-year-old Hospitality and Tourism Management major, is currently a sophomore attending HPU in DowntownHonolulu. During his spare time, Shawn loves searching for deals on eBay, photography, and volunteer work with many local charities in Hawaii. While most of his peers play video games or go surfing, Shawn enjoys spending his time working on his next charity project or finding the newest piece of art to hang in his (gallery like) condominium, all while having a leadership positions in multiple organizations. How does he handle his school, work, and play loads? According to Shawn, it all comes down to “time management, passion, and dedication to serving.” During his time at Hawaii Baptist Academy, Shawn showed great potential and aptitude to being a leader in his community. Serving as Vice President of the Student Council, as well as being a co-chair in the National Honor Society and a leader in the HBA Servant Group, Shawn always looked for ways to serve and help others. Leading numerous fundraisers and leadership initiatives, Shawn was dedicated to helping those around him. Shawn recounted that one of his favorite memories at HBA “was being a part of Servant Group and going out to Nanakuli to serve food to the homeless every month.” His time in high school greatly molded the career path and type of person that Shawn would later become during his college years. During his first week at Hawaii Pacific University, Shawn discovered his career passion. In his travel industry management class, Shawn’s professor stated that to work in the hospitality industry, “one must be willing to serve others.” Shawn immediately realized that the tourism industry is where he would find his passion in life. Since that week, Shawn has interned at the Kahala Hotel and Resort, work as the Director of Program Outreach at ClimbHI (a tourism nonprofit agency), and was most recently elected to serve as the Vice President of the Travel Industry Management Student Organization and Chair the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee at HPU. Despite his hectic schedule, Shawn found that time was actually on his side.

Shawn believes that “people can actually do anything and everything they want to as long as they know when and where something will happen and where it fits into their life.” Finding a balance between the professional and personal sides of life can be challenging and even become one of the greatest hindrances that people face. However, “if people take a few short minutes to plan our their day, and then take some time out of their day to relax and detox in whatever way suits themselves, Shawn believes that “people discover they will become much more productive and much less irritable.” This is a strategy that Shawn continues to utilize in his life every day. Through his life experience and lessons, what sums up Shawn’s message for everyone can be spoken with three words: Live with Aloha.

ABOVE: Shawn gets a photo op with Tulsi Gabbard.

(Editor's Note: Shawn Saito was also an Indiegogo donor who claimed an article about himself for the first issue.)

text + photos: peter cheng

FLOW FAVES: EAT THE STREET

We’re sure you can name some of your favorite food trucks whenever you go to the Eat the Street festivals (which are held every month in Kaka’ako). But here’s a couple that you may - or may not - have overlooked, so if you’ve never heard of some of these places, check them out at the next Eat the Street.

CAKEWORKS

In the mood for something sweet during your eat the street experience? The Kaimuki-based Cakeworks is the one stop shop for pastries, including its vast variety of macarons (as pictured here). You can also find them at 2820 S.King Street across from the Hawaiian Humane Society.

BAJA STYLE MEXICAN FOOD

Mexico meets Hawaii at this frequent eat the street vendor. Since 2010, this food truck has brought both the modern flair (baja style) andthe traditions of Mexico to Honolulu’s urban streets. The burrito grande (left) is one ofthe most ordered items on the menu. A 14 inch delicacy made of prito beans and fresh meat wrapped in a handmadeflour tortilla makes the customer feel like they’re in the heart of Mexico city.

ELENA’S FILIPINO FOOD

Pancit, lumpia - Elena’s got it all! The popular Waipahu restaurant has expanded into the food truck business. From pork adobo to fried rice omelettes, Elena’s satisfies its customers with filipino favorites, both old and new. the lumpia dish (left) consists of two lumpia, a tomato salad, a scoop of rice, and pork. Elena’s Restaurant is in Waipahu, at 94-866 Moloalo Street (behind Jack in the Box).

GIRLS WHO BAKE NEXT DOOR Although this vendor has been around eat the street for a while, we decided to give their pastries a try. Their treats are just as enticing as a dessert after a classy dinner. Aside from these red velvet cupcakes, the girls offer lemon bars, mochi, cookies, and coffee fudge brownies. the girls set up shop in Downtown, Mililani, Mapunapuna and Keeaumoku.

KETTLE CORN HAWAII

Looking for that popcorn-at-the-movies grind? Kettle Corn Hawaii makes homemade popcorn in large bags for you to take home after a long day at eat the street. According to Sam Aiona of Kettle CornHawaii, the popcorn has a “sweet and salty taste, which is what people like about it.”

meet the team 13 people sharing 1 dream. read on to find out who they are, and what inspires and motivates them. pictures by: vina cristobal + jordan zizzi (editor's note: anthony's and nadia's were provided to HNL Flow with permission.)

THE LEADS VINA CRISTOBAL

PETER CHENG

founder, editor-in-chief 20 l CUH l Kapolei “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in a wide shot.” - Charlie Chaplin

co-founder/director of finance 20 l CUH l Makiki “If you can dream it, you can do it.” - Walt Disney

MEDDIE ASUNCION

STARR BENSON

head of graphic design 20 l Pacific U l Salt Lake “I dream of living in a perfect world, but I am still willing to give it my all in an imperfect world.” - Murong Xuecun

head of photography

20 l CUH l Los Angeles “Wealth is of the heart and mind, not the pocket.” - Pharrell Williams

THE FLOW CREW SASHA ANDERSON writer/graphic designer 20 l CUH l Atlanta

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up only if you try.” - Dr. Seuss

CHELAN CRANE

writer 21 l CUH l Ewa Beach “Live every moment like it’s your last.” - Anonymous

GIRLIEH BARIT

marketing/public relations 20 l UHM l Waianae “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” -Dr. Seuss

NADIA FALE photographer

20 l CUH l Laie “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” - Dr. Seuss

BRAD QUIOCHO photographer 21 l KCC l Wailuku “Often imitated, never duplicated.” - Anonymous

SHAWN SAITO

BRITTANY REIS

photographer 18 l Waipahu “Stand for what you believe in, and don’t let nobody tell you can’t do what you want.” - Tyler the Creator

ANTHONY SELVANATHAN

photographer writer 19 l HPU l Ewa Beach 20 l CUH l Moiliili “We are given 24 hours in “If you get a chance, take it. a day; is that not more than enough If it changes your life, let it. time to change the life Nobody said that it’d be easy, of one person each day?” they just promised it would be worth it.” - Shawn Saito -Anonymous

JORDAN ZIZZI

photographer 22 l Waianae “You are who you love, not who loves you.” - Fall Out Boy

WANNA BE A PART OF TEAM HNL FLOW?

We are looking for 18-25 year olds who want to write, take photos design, and promote for our magazine! If you think this is for you - let us know! Contact us at info@hnlflow.com! * Serious inquiries only.

Photo: Mel Tjoeng

(Editor's Note: On page 31, Kurt Cobain was misspelled.)

98-027 Hekaha St. #11 Aiea, HI. 96701 #(808)366-9787 @kalapaki_girl_dezigns

NEW KIDS

PHOTOS + STYLING: STARR BENSON, VINA CRISTOBAL AND BRITTANY REIS WARDROBE: KALAPAKI GIRL DEZIGNS AND GLORIFIED SUPPLY COMPANY

ON THE BLOCK

FROM LEFT: MARKETING/PR REP GIRLIEH BARIT; HARUMI AKASAKI; WRITERS CHELAN CRANE AND ANTHONY SELVANATHAN; JOANNA CHANG; CHRISTYN WONG

HARUMI AKASAKI On Harumi: Dress: Kalapaki Girl Dezigns Jewelry: Harumi's own

GIRLIEH BARIT On Girlieh: T-shirt: Glorified Supply Co. Shorts: Girlieh's own

JOANNA CHANG On Joanna: Snapback: Pura Vida Tank: Glorified Supply Co. Shorts: Joanna's own

COZIA CHAPMAN JR. On Cozia: Tank: Glorified Supply Co.

CHELAN CRANE On Chelan: Dress: Kalapaki Girl Dezigns Earrings: Chelan's own

TREVOR ELLIS On Travis: T-shirt: Trevor's own Pants: Trevor's own

MARTIN MOORE III On Martin: Shirt: Martin's own Snapback: Glorified Supply Co.

ANTHONY SELVANATHAN On Anthony: Shirt: Glorified Supply Co. Jeans: Anthony's own

BRI WINN On Bri: Shirt: Glorified Supply Cp. Snapback: Cozia's own

CHRISTYN WONG On Christyn: Dress: Kalapaki Girl Dezigns

We couldn't have done it without your help and support, mahalo. - Team HNL Flow

summer 2014