Wahine Making Waves: Alexis Akiona of Lexbreezy Hawaii

Female entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in our community by driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth in our island home; all while breaking barriers and setting new benchmarks for success in the business world. Their pursuit of excellence not only elevates their own ventures but also inspires a collective movement towards sustainable and economic development.

Supporting local has never been more meaningful than it is today. In 2022, Bank of Hawaii joined forces with Mana Up, a local accelerator program, in a celebration of local makers and artisans. This initiative is designed to help Hawaii’s entrepreneurs grow and succeed, with an overall mission to diversify the local economy for generations to come.

About Lexbreezy Hawaii

Founded by Native Hawaiian designer, Alexis Akiona, Lexbreezy Hawaii creates aloha wear and resort wear with a modern twist, reflecting local culture. Alexis Akiona is a second generation aloha wear designer. Alexis comes from a family of artists and entrepreneurs. She took early inspiration from her mother, Lola Miller, who is the designer and founder of the popular aloha wear clothing brand, Simply Sisters.

Lexbreezy Hawaii is a second-generation modern aloha wear company that embodies the spirit of Hawaii and the rich Hawaiian culture through fashion. Their belief is that aloha wear should be accessible to all, fostering a sense of unity and the spirit of aloha. Lexbreezy Hawaii is dedicated to crafting styles that vividly depict the essence of contemporary aloha wear through their distinctive and unparalleled prints. Their mission is to bridge generations through their timeless fashion, forging meaningful connections between culture, people, and the spirit of aloha.

Lexbreezy Hawaii is comprised of an all wahine team. Each woman on their team is from a different area of Oahu. From the Windward to the Leeward side, everyone works united. This allows them to empower one another while building the foundation of Lexbreezy Hawaii’s legacy.

“I want to leave a legacy. That is my mission and the mission of Lexbreezy Hawaii. To inspire the next generation – we don’t have to leave Hawaii. We can stay right here in our home to do what we love and live our dreams. It’s possible,” shared Alexis.

Building a Legacy to Share Aloha (Wear)

Combining her large social media following (with an impressive 25,000 followers on Instagram at the time) with her fashion line, she connected this existing following with her passion for fashion to ignite Lexbreezy Hawaii. Alexis officially launched her own clothing line, Lexbreezy Hawaii, in 2016 at the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair. The Merrie Monarch is an internationally acclaimed hula competition, spanning a week, in Hilo, Hawaii (located on Hawaii Island, aka Big Island), that offers a craft fair, various hula shows, and a parade through historic Hilo town. At its inaugural sale, Lexbreezy Hawaii sold out within ten minutes of the doors opening. This became Alexis’ “aha moment” that she was onto something much bigger than she had in mind, with true passions at the heart of it – fashion and aloha wear.

Alexis shared that it was not and at times still is not easy for her to be a female entrepreneur, including experiences where she was not taken seriously. “When I look at where I am, even today, it’s not easy to be a female in a room. It becomes my fuel – to do what I’m doing – to be a woman, as an entrepreneur, in Hawaii, raising my family.” To overcome the challenges, Alexis learned that, “the struggles never go away, you have to learn how to block out the noise to keep pushing forward.” She also emphasized the importance of asking for help from those around you, especially those in your village, who want to support you and see you succeed.

For those thinking of getting started on their entrepreneurial journey, Alexis has some advice for you: “lean on whoever you can – your family, your village. I’m here to tell you – it’s ok to do what we want and dream of. It’s okay to do it all!”

About Bank of Hawaii x Mana Up

Together, this initiative with Mana Up will highlight Hawaii’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and propel local companies to the next level. Bank of Hawaii is the exclusive Mana Up banking partner at the Founder Level to lead key strategic programs, including a new executive mentorship program, and to offer a platform to share local entrepreneur stories.

Shop Lexbreezy Hawaii and other House of Mana Up products today!