Iwi Nails was born in late 2021 by owner Līhau Willing’s desire to create nail art designs that reflect her culture and identity rooted in Hawaiʻi.
The wahine born in South Kona met her husband from Molokaʻi, and prior to settling on the Friendly Isle in 2009, the pair spent some time in Korea. It was there that Willing was exposed to the global beauty industry, particularly gel nail strips and accessories. Upon returning to the Islands, she researched what it would take to produce a long-lasting product with ʻāina-inspired designs.
Today, “Iwi Nails offers semi-cured gel nail strips and custom press-ons, with a focus on community engagement through collaborations with local artists and nonprofits,” according to its website. “Unlike typical nail strips, you cure these after application for a manicure that lasts 3-4 weeks when applied correctly.”
She recalled a couple of her first collections, Hebrew cone shell and pastel palaka prints, which are still among the brand’s most popular designs.
“On that first day, I had 50 orders and it went from there,” she said. “It was very much unplanned.”
Storytelling is a priority, she adds, noting that intentional moʻolelo is included in the packaging, on the website and through social media. “One really important thing for me is making sure that Hawai’i has accurate cultural representation not just on the Continent but across the world. … Our designs aren’t just for Hawai’i people to wear.”
Willing joined Purple Maia Foundation's FoundHer, a business accelerator for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Asian women entrepreneurs across Hawaiʻi, as part of the 2022/2023 cohort. She also filmed a commercial with Disney Advertising called “Let Your Nails Do The Talking,” now streaming across Disney+ and Hulu.
Iwi Nails can be shopped online and in wholesale retailers across the Islands. As of November, Willing launched her first storefront on Molokaʻi, which also showcases other local makers.
“It’s been really good and offers a curated boutique vibe,” she said. “As a business owner [here], there are benefits and struggles — shipping is a struggle, cost can be restrictive, networking and mentorship is tough. But the community is strong and supportive.”
Expanding the company’s reach and partnerships continues to be a focus. Iwi Nails will be at pop-up markets in Honolulu over the summer, including the Hoʻomau Market on June 13-16 and Made in Hawaiʻi Festival from Aug. 20-23.
The businesses’ Look Good Do Good program donates a percentage of sales to various causes. Last month, its Behbeh collection, in collaboration with @elc.designs, supports Kūlaniākea, a Hawaiian immersion early learning program committed to raising the next generation of ʻōiwi leaders. Other collaborations have benefited student designers from Molokaʻi High School; Kona nonprofit Kupa ʻĀina o Keauhou, which aims to protect natural resources, community spaces, and sacred historical places; The Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation, which aims to support, empower, educate, unify and facilitate LGBT organizations and individuals across the state.
“As I started to home in on Iwi’s purpose, people connect to the designs and seeing themselves in it, right? The nails are such a powerful way of self-expression. So, being able to choose a design that feels truly yourself, it’s huge,” Willing said. “What I started to realize was that I could share what felt like me and some people might relate to that. But the more I could share other people’s perspectives and identities; the more people would be able to find belonging in these designs. … We’ve shared a lot of unconventional stories that you wouldn’t think would be through nails.”
Willing is the brand’s sole employee, though, she has brought on part-time workers to help with fulfillment previously, she said, adding, “I wanted to create more job opportunities but then it became difficult to afford it, especially with the surge in tariffs. I had to pare down. I’m looking to bring back a team eventually.”
She is also the primary designer, which she does by hand working with simple block shapes.
When asked what advice she’d give to other Hawai’i small business owners, she said, “Give in to the delusion.”
“I’ve had to think big and believe this is totally going to work and just commit. … You have to be in it 100%. It’s never going to be easy,” Willing said. “It’s a crazy steep learning curve owning a business. I didn’t expect it to evolve and probably would have done things differently if I knew more from the beginning. But it has taught me to give myself a little more grace, to be flexible and resilient. Understanding the importance of a vision, or something you’re working toward, is what keeps me going.”
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
