Tune Into Your Nature With Koa

Koa is a company built for everyone under the sun and is deeply rooted in the Hawaiian islands.

Check out our interview with the founders below.

All three of you grew up or are from Hawai'i, a place where the sun washes over every corner of the island during all hours of the day. How did your upbringing in the islands Inspire your current ventures into the world of skin care?

Growing up and spending time in Hawai'i gives you the opportunity to connect with nature in a way that’s rare in other places. Everytime you go outside (and even when you’re inside), you’re reminded of the natural world around you. It’s easy to forget about what’s happening to your skin because of all the time spent outside.

With all of the sun and exposure to the elements, sunscreen is critical for keeping your skin healthy and preventing skin cancer and premature aging (a major cause of which is UV exposure). As people from Hawai'i, our lifelong relationship with sunscreen (we’ve tried everything out there!) helped us develop a formula that meets our high performance standards while feeling great on skin.

Hawai'i also has 10 of the 14 recognized climate zones, so your skincare has to be flexible enough to work in a wide range of conditions. That variability was a major driver of our product strategy, as our products are flexible enough to work across environments and climates. Whether you’re surfing or subway surfing, Koa keeps your skin healthy and happy.

With our products we also wanted to capture the feeling of being in Hawai'i. We often say we feel our healthiest when we’re in Hawai'i, not just our bodies, but our skin too. We wanted to share that feeling with customers so when they use our products they get the feeling of being in Hawai'i. We use Hawaiian botanicals like Kukui Nut, Giant Pacific Seaweed and [Hibiscus] which not only smell like the islands, but also give you that fresh, sun-kissed sensation of visiting (our) home.

Walk me through the creation of Koa, how did you all meet and when did you decide to build this brand?

Hiro and Ty met while working together in New York City. They always wanted to try their hand at something entrepreneurial and first had the idea for starting a skincare brand in late 2017. They both wanted to share the skincare knowledge they had from growing up in Hawai'i with a broader audience.

They met Kapono at his design studio in early 2019 and connected over their mutual roots in Hawai'i, that’s really when Koa was born. Koa launched in the summer of 2019 and we’ve continued to build the brand everyday since.

In addition to building great products inspired by our upbringing, we hope that our brand can serve as a platform for people to learn more about Hawai'i, why it means so much to us and how it can add to global conversations about things like sustainability and multiculturalism.

How do you implement pre-modern Hawaiian philosophies into your products and what does that look like for someone who didn’t grow up in Hawai'i?

Hawai'i and its local culture is a driver of the brand in many ways, but one thing we really wanted to incorporate was the heritage botanical ingredients found in Hawai'i and Asia (we all share Asian ethnicities). Many of the botanical ingredients we use currently and are planning to use in future products, have been used by their native cultures for centuries for their health benefits and we wanted to preserve that heritage while also incorporating modern ingredients to boost their efficacy.

Another core part of the brand is our emphasis on being connected with nature and doing less harm to the environment. That has been a key philosophy of Hawaiian culture since its beginning. The ancient Hawaiians understood that we are really stewards of nature and guests on the land, so it’s our responsibility to take care of it, as it takes care of us. In modern Hawai'i, people have a deep sense of sustainability that comes from living on an island and a respect for nature that we try to emulate as a brand.

What are you each responsible for behind the scenes and how do you split the work amongst yourselves and your team?

There is quite a bit of overlap when it comes to responsibilities of our roles, being a small team, many of the workflows and decisions we have to make involve all of us. At a high level, Kapono handles all of the creative and brand design decisions (ranging from packaging and web design, to social media posts and ads). Hiro handles a lot of partner workflows and strategic decisions, as well as being the lead on our website and marketing strategy. Ty works on strategic decisions, as well as managing relationships with retail partners, customers, and handling most aspects of the supply chain (working with our suppliers and logistics team). We all work on product development and major brand decisions.

What are the core ingredients in your products and how versatile are they in other climates?

Some of the key botanical ingredients in our products are things like Yuzu, Kukui Nut, Giant Seaweed, and Green Tea. We chose our botanical ingredients for their heritage and health benefits, and we paired them with modern ingredients to make sure they perform regardless of the climate.

For example, our cleanser removes oils and buildup without stripping skin of natural moisture, something that can be an issue in arid climates. Our moisturizer is a light-weight formula that isn’t too greasy in humid regions, but also works in drier environments due to the hyaluronic acid we include to help skin retain moisture.

Our SPF is an all around great pick for the zinc oxide protection it gives (which is much better for humans and the coral) and its high SPF and UVA protection ratings. It’s really designed to be a mineral SPF that you can wear comfortably everyday, without really feeling like you’re wearing SPF.

The preconceived notion with skincare for men is often looked at as something that “emasculates” them. How did you all shatter this perception with your personal values and line of products?

We think of ourselves as a non gendered skincare brand, because everyone has skin and we believe it’s important for everyone to think of skincare as an essential part of daily health (like brushing your teeth). Men are definitely a little more hesitant to jump into skincare until it becomes an issue (i.e., they start to notice the aging effects), but we’re really working on framing it as a preventative step to maintain your skin health. A lot of guys don't want to add more steps to their routine, but once they try it, they realize it really does make a difference in how their skin feels. It isn’t just about looking better, but feeling better too! Sustainability is very crucial in today's world and it seems like ‘Living Koa’ embodies the principles that surround this.

How have you enforced the importance of sustainability into your brand and what steps are you taking to improve?

Sustainability drives a lot of key decisions we make as a brand. From a brand building perspective, we spent a lot of time learning about supply chains and their impact on the plant. We made sure to seek out partners who share our views on sustainability and made an effort to minimize our carbon footprint as much as possible (and offset the rest with carbon credits). A few examples are using manufacturers with non-fossil fuel power sources, closed-loop water systems to prevent runoff and contamination, and using recycled paper or FSC-certified paper for all shipping packaging. We also use USPS for delivery as they have one of the lowest carbon footprints per package of all mail carriers and we are testing carbon-free local delivery methods in the near future!

That being said, we are far from perfect and are always trying to improve in terms of sustainability. Things we’re working on now include moving our packaging from virgin plastics to aluminum and post-consumer recycled plastics. We initially chose plastic because it’s lightweight (lowering its carbon footprint associated with transportation) and durable (fewer wasted components), but as we grow as a brand, we always want to explore better alternatives and improve how we do things.

I saw that the company itself donates 1% of every purchase to a non profit organization of the customers choice and that’s incredible. How do you curate the organizations that your customers get to choose from?

Previously we donated 1% of our proceeds to ocean preservation efforts, but felt like it would be great to open up the giving opportunities to more causes we care about. For our new giving program, we partnered with Beam to find and vet the organizations we donate to. We plan on growing this list as time goes on, but really wanted to give customers the opportunity to direct their donation to the causes they care about most.

The current giving options we offer customers to choose from are: Stop AAPI Hate, Alu Like (Native Hawaiian opportunity creation), The O’ahu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation (ocean preservation), and Reclaim (LGBTQ+ mental health).

How do you all plan on expanding your brand in the nearby future?

We have a lot of things in mind for the future, including a product line expansion planned for later this year! One thing we always are mindful of when thinking about new products is making sure we aren’t putting them out for the sake of having new products. The cosmetics world is full of fad products, so we try to make sure we are making what our customers want and not just adding things to the world for the sake of it.

Another exciting thing we’re working on is a continuation of our ‘Living Pono’ (in Hawaiian pono means ‘good’ or ‘righteous’) collaboration program which we’ve been testing on a small scale. For the program, we partner with fashion brands to use their leftover fabric that might have otherwise gone to waste, and repurpose it into useful objects. Our first test of this program was a collaboration with Chromat to create hold-all bags from their leftover swimsuit fabric. We’re working on our next collaboration with two great Hawaii brands now, so keep an eye out for it soon!

Beauty

Power in Glam at Kim Shui: FW24

For Shui, this collection is about claiming and standing in your power. Even the color palette — deep oxbloods, vibrant greens, and bright cherry reds — evokes intensity, inspired by Kazuo Shiraga Gutai’s paintings.

Signature Shui elements found their way into this collection, including lace detailing and printed mini dresses, but other intentional design choices are specific to the range, like corseted leather jackets and brazen shoulder pads. These symbolize structure and support, bracing the Kim Shui woman for whatever life throws her way — even though she doesn’t need clothing to reinforce that strength, it’s already inside of her.

Backstage offered a closer look into just how fierce every look was, amplified by sultry makeup. Siren eyes were complimented by candy-like shellacked lips and the final accessory touches — futuristic Poppy Lissiman and Akila sunglasses and fingerless gloves — were just the cherry on top of every look.

Beauty

Sonny Molina

February 03, 2024

More an architect of tresses than a groomer, Sonny Molina's work is as much about art as it is about hair. While many of us think of past hair experiments and shudder at memories of less-than-desirable uneven bangs and botched accidental chops, Molina's textured, unexpected, and trendsetting cuts defy convention and only get sexier as they grow out. A long way from the days of testing haircuts on friends, they now have an entire network of models and creatives eager and willing to go under their shears. Since finding a home in the beautiful chaos of Manhattan, Molina has cut and styled the stars of downtown, including fellow office person and New York star Ren G of Club Eat. Their editorial work has graced the covers of The Cut, Homme Girls, Perfect, and Re-Edition, and their styles have graced the runways of Anna Bolina and Vaquera alike, crowning it girls like Bella Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, and Hunter Schafer. While every look Molina crafts is wildly unique from the rest, they are all united by Molina's love for creative expression and impulse for adventure.

Interview OFFICE
Photography YAHSHEL MACAPAGAL

[Originally published in office magazine Issue 20, Fall-Winter 2023. Order your copy here.]

What is your ideal office?

Somewhere overlooking Manhattan … with plenty of space and light.

If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be and what would you do?

Probably some gross billionaire and literally fund all my friends’ dreams immediately!

What era most inspires you?

There is truly something special about every era … but I do love the 70’s.

Who was the last person you hugged, and how did it feel?

My partner Coco, it felt tender.

For you, what is the most sacred place in New York?

As cliche as it sounds, anywhere my friends are!

What does play look like to you?

Blissful with no boundaries.

If you were a hair tool or product, what would you be?

I would be a classic mixed-bristle hairbrush.

What is your favorite texture at the moment?

I'm obsessed with patina … as a texture and color.

Who was the last person to make you laugh?

My dog Kiki. Yes, he’s more of a person than a dog.

How do you win in a fight?

Listen, process, reciprocate.

Beauty

Love for Our Mother

Throwing factory-produced recipes and excessive packaging to the wayside, the ethical beauty and scent brand collaborates with herbalists, farmers, and expert perfumers to create sustainable perfumes and cosmetics — while also marrying the worlds of art and beauty through their one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass vessels. Because beauty is truly an art, and we should decorate ourselves as worthy canvasses. office sat down with Kindred Black’s co-founders to discuss their unique process below.

What originally spurred you both to introduce a disruptive, apothecary-esque brand to the beauty scene?

Alice— I think it’s kind of age-old: I had this need in my own life and couldn’t figure out a way to fill that need in a way that aligned with my values. We’re both makeup and skincare lovers but with packaging being what it is, there was so much we didn’t feel right buying. We wanted an alternative where as much thought is put into the packaging as it is in the ingredients, where every single element of the line is considered.

Jen— We always said we’re not going to be the “please recycle this plastic bag” type of company — that’s such BS! Companies need to invest in alternatives so the public isn’t left guessing how to make their products more environmentally friendly. We spend a lot more money than we would have to if we just mass-produced bottles overseas and bottled up some pretty skincare. But we’re super anti-greenwashing — we want our behind-the-scenes to be 100% true to the ethics and values that we put out there to our community.

Your packaging — artisan-crafted glass bottles — really takes thoughtful production and consumption to the next level.

Alice— When we initially set out to design the collection, we envisioned a vanity with beautiful vessels, no branding, just pure oils and scents in colorful shapes and silhouettes. Life is already so cluttered; we think of the beauty routine as a quiet time, a private, sacred space. The entire line is plastic-free and every single item in the collection comes in an individually handblown glass vessel. Behind each bottle is an artist blowing out the glass, one by one. They’re not producing mass quantities; everything is designed to be treasured.

Tell me about the Kindred Black community. Not only do you work closely and travel to meet farmers and herbalists, but you also partner with artists and artisans for your one-of-a-kind glass bottles. What does this community mean to you?

Jen— They’re everything for us and we couldn’t have such a special line without them. We’ve met such extraordinary people doing this — a chemist turned perfumer who only creates using ancient methods of extraction with the flowers and plants that she grows. An herbalist that specializes in Sonoran Desert flora. Glass blowers from all over the country who show their work in museums and create our bottles one by one like unique sculptures. Even a collective in Mexico that creates bottles using glass from residents and restaurants because there is no municipal recycling. They all have different specialties, but our community shares a set of values when it comes to our planet.

You also mentioned that the brand is historically rooted. How does the past inform every scent, cosmetic, or rich skin serum?

Alice— We’re both hugely into history and just curious people. When you start to look into it, some botanicals have been used for thousands of years to heal and scent the skin and as primitive cosmetics and ‘medicine,’ dating back to the earliest civilizations. People have always used what’s around them for beauty. Our formulas all start with who used this plant, what for, and whether or not there is a good reason to still use it on the skin. For example, our Aker Fassi lip and cheek pigment is a recipe that makes use of a dried poppy flower that North African Berber women have used as makeup for centuries. It’s a beautiful, flattering shade of berry red and we were just so taken by its place in history.

What is your favorite scent you have created to date?

Jen— This is hard — I love Earthly because it’s just so different from anything I’ve ever smelled. It’s like grassy damp moss and violet leaves but also has a lot of lilac enfleurage in it. Not many people use real lilac because it’s incredibly difficult and time-consuming to make and has a more subtle scent than say a jasmine or a rose. But real lilac is incredible and complex.

Alice— Delta Dawn is my current favorite. It's a classic floral rose but has real depth to it — an underbelly. The star ingredient is a night-blooming Damask rose that’s harvested before the sun rises. You can smell the cool night air, but also the warmth and muskiness of the jasmine oil, known as the perfume of love.

How does art play a role in Kindred Black? Many of the handmade bottles sold are antique or vintage-inspired. Where did that shared interest spur from?

Alice— We’re both big collectors, verging on hoarders, and have shelves and boxes full of trinkets and treasures we’ve picked up over the years — everything from piles of shells and rocks to antique Lalique perfume vessels, antiquarian snuff bottles, folk art liquor jugs, and on and on. We often find ourselves using an old glass piece as a jumping-off point — or a piece that we’re lusting after in an auction or Museum catalog. The halls of The Met are filled with incredibly beautiful glass perfumes and cosmetic tinctures that have survived millennia. Pre-plastic everything, in the early 20th century, many cosmetics were refillable and came in the most exquisite packaging — lipsticks in sterling silver canisters, blush in bejeweled compacts. They were practically pieces of jewelry. We like to think of our bottles as precious objects that people will hold on to and cherish as the years go by.

You just launched your refill program. How do you hope this sways the wider beauty industry?

Jen— We were really excited to start doing refills for our skincare — like I said, our bottles are like little, individually made sculptures. We chose aluminum for the refills because the necks are wide enough to clean the bottle out and aluminum is the most easily recyclable material. We’re hoping that if a tiny company like ours can spend the money and do it, more of these million and billion-dollar brands will start paying attention to their footprint. They have such power to create real change, it’s heartbreaking so many of them choose to sidestep the opportunity.

Tell me about one of the strangest ingredients you have worked with.

Jen— We made a light summer perfume and skin treatment once to benefit the Ocean Conservancy and infused the ingredients with sea salt from the Sea of Cortez. Not a strange ingredient but it definitely gave the scent a unique profile. We once gathered large sacks of rose petals from the world’s largest rose bush that sits inside the courtyard of an old hotel in Tombstone, AZ. We had a lot of grand ideas for it but the petals couldn’t be cleaned well enough to be made into anything marketable, so we had to give up on it. Sometimes these experiments fail!

Alice— Maybe the strangest right now is quite widely used for cosmetics by everyone from Chanel on down because it’s a safe alternative to chemical dyes. The rich berry red of Night Venom is from a pigment that is made from the cochineal beetle, an insect native to parts of North and South America. It’s actually a stain that has been used for centuries – Cleopatra is said to have ground up the beetle in beeswax to achieve her renowned red lips. The Aztecs also used the pigment for dyeing and painting, and it was then brought back to Europe with their Spanish colonizers.

You just celebrated eight years. What do you hope is in store for the next few and how do you hope to continue revolutionizing the beauty space?

Jen— We’re always looking to make things less wasteful in everything we do. There’s always room to improve. We’d like for our line to be 100% refillable and are working on bottle design tweaks that would make that achievable. We’d also love to expand the glass operation down the road and begin recycling our own glass. Our mantra is “love for our mother” and it informs everything that we do.

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