August 23, 2021 I Supply
Kanileʻa ʻUkulele Wins Gold for its Store Design
The Kanileʻa Oha series wall with Kapena.
Kanileʻa ʻUkulele received gold in the 2021 ICSC Global Visual Victories Awards for Most Creative Temporary Store Design. It’s the first-ever gold for the Hawaii-based ukulele maker known for its handcrafted instruments. It’s also the first gold for its host property, Kaneohe, Hawaii-based Windward Mall, in its nearly 40 years in business.
The ICSC Visual Victories Awards Program is a visual merchandising competition specifically created for cart, kiosk and temporary in-line retailers. The annual competition recognizes outstanding work done by visual merchandisers, retailers and specialty leasing agents.
Kanileʻa ʻUkulele acquired its new retail space in Windward Mall on August 1. Designed by the Souza brothers, three young professionals under 30, the 2,000-square-foot showroom was created as a destination for both locals and visitors to gather around music. The company said in a statement that since the ukulele is an instrument that brings people together, creating happiness, and promoting health and longevity were important values to be represented in the comprehensive vision and visual display.
“If you told me a year ago that we would be internationally recognized for our store design, I would not have believed you,” said Kaimana Souza, CEO of Kanileʻa ʻUkulele and eldest of the Souza brothers. “My brothers and I designed the space and were also the owner and builder combo — we ran the job site without a professional contractor. It was important for us to be hands-on because we wanted the showroom to express the same aesthetic and build quality that we put into our ukuleles. We were pleased with the result.”
Kanileʻa ʻUkulele also co-sponsored a Windward Mall 2020 holiday event which won the silver for the ICSC MAXI Experiential Awards.
