Part boutique, part vintage store, part florist—the space is constantly in flux as owner Andrew Mau uses his curation talent and keen sense of design to find and create treasures inspired by the islands and beyond. Island-Boy Shop opened originally in 2017 in Rhode Island, where O‘ahu-born Mau studied furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), before opening in Honolulu in December 2020 when he returned home. “I see it as a space where creativity meets curation,” he says. “I hope my visitors see the shop as a place of discovery and delight.” Stop in for vintage Hawaiian, modern accessories and handmade floral arrangements in unique vessels. And, if you’re lucky, a visit with Astro, Island-Boy’s shop dog. Here, Mau fills us in on a few of his favorite brands he carries in-store. 307C Kamani St., Kaka‘ako, islandboy.shop
Owner Andrew Mau and shop dog Astro at Island-Boy Shop. PHOTO BY IJFKE RIDGLEY
"I launched AER Scents when their founder Ted Young-Ing Rohn visited Hawai‘i in January of this year. I’m the second American retailer to represent this 100% botanical fragrance line based in Berlin, Germany. I love that the scents are unisex, complex, but simple enough to be layered together. It’s an item you must experience in person." aerscents.com
PHOTO BY IJFKE RIDGLEY
"&Tradition is a lighting company that licenses designs from designers past and present. As part of my furniture design degree, I’m fascinated by lighting and represent a few of the styles that &Tradition licenses, such as The Flowerpot by Verner Panton and Fromakami by Jaime Hayon, to name a few. These chic and design-forward pieces are relevant to new condos as well as old Hawai‘i homes. I love being able to work with locals on their home designs, so lighting and furniture have been a really fun category to represent." andtradition.com
PHOTO BY IJFKE RIDGLEY
PHOTO BY IJFKE RIDGLEY
"This brand embodies what I enjoy in a vendor and is creative, quality and relevant. The team of leather artisans, led by owner and Creative Director Lindy McDonough, creates bags of quality parallel to larger design labels, but manufactures in their little studio in New England. I am one of very few who are able to retail their beautiful products, and I hope Honolulu will discover their stunning pieces. I love that they produce like an art studio, adding new colors and retiring styles as they see fit on a seasonless schedule. I’m also the only retailer trained to monogram their products." lindquist-object.com
PHOTO BY IJFKE RIDGLEY
"Tofu Skin is a Honolulu-based skincare line founded by Lynn Yee—made in Palolo! The products are amazing (I use them daily) and created in batches like food (for your skin) from high-quality ingredients like cold-pressed organic camellia oil and fresh local ingredients like ‘olena (Hawaiian turmeric). I’m one of two places on the island you can experience them and purchase the classic Method set." tofuskinmethod.com
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