About me

Aloha Kākou,

Thank you for being here with me. I’m Moana Rae, owner and creator of Kaulele Designs by Moana Rae, and I’d love to share a little about myself and how the branding of Kaulele came to be.

Kaulele is a Hawaiian word that means “to take flight” or “to soar.” For me, it represents freedom, creativity, and the courage to follow your passion. 😊 Values that are stitched into every piece I create.

It all started the summer before my freshman year. My best friend and I decided we wanted to sew our own school clothes. My mom has always been quite the seamstress 🥰 growing up, she sewed many of my outfits 😊 so I asked her to teach me. She took us to the fabric store to pick out a shirt pattern and some matching fabric. I was so excited to start! 🤩

My mom showed me how to cut out the pattern pieces, pin them, and cut the fabric. I followed her instructions, but I was a little intimidated by the sewing machine. Once I started sewing, I quickly realized that stitching a straight line was not as easy as it looked. And guess what? I gave up 😫 and Mom finished it for me. Ugh, right?

Years later, I decided I was going to sew my daughters’ Halloween costumes. One wanted to be a Pink Princess, and the other, Snow White. I went to the local Singer Sewing Center, bought my first sewing machine, and picked up the patterns, fabrics, and all the trims and sparkles I needed. I told myself I would complete these costumes from start to finish, no matter what.

I read the instructions front to back, up and down, side to side, 😖 I don’t know how many times! And the more I read, the more confused I got. But I was determined. I followed the directions as best I could (though I’ll admit, I made up a lot as I went along). In the end, I finished both dresses 🤩 and not only that, my girls won the costume contest at a church Halloween party!

Since then, I haven’t been able to put my sewing machine away ☺️ and that was 30 years ago. I’ve sewn everything from clothing to upholstery, dolls to surfboard bags, and everything in between. But my absolute favorite has always been sewing for my girls. 

In recent years, I’ve especially fallen in love with creating and sewing handbags. Every time I finish one, it brings me so much joy. I’ve gifted many to friends and family, and now, I’m excited to share them with you.

I truly believe we are each gifted with talents that are uniquely ours. Yes, there are thousands of artists and makers out there, maybe even hundreds of thousands who share a similar craft, 🥰 but that’s what makes the world so beautiful. When we share our gifts, we help each other grow, connect, and take flight.

I hope you find something here that speaks to you. Mahalo for supporting hand- and heart-made creations.