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JaleneKANANI: An International Brand with Native Hawaiian Roots

JaleneKANANI, Inc., a woman owned, Native Hawaiian corporation, unveils the JaleneKANANI Collection to a global audience. Through an exclusive international licensing agreement with Duralee Contract, JaleneKANANI designs are now available in commercial quality fabrics to Hospitality and Commercial clients worldwide.

Sharing the Aloha Spirit and Hawaiian culture has always been second nature to owner and namesake, Jalene Kanani Bell. At the age of 5, she started dancing Hula professionally in the Don Ho show, the first of many engagements that would take her through the islands, across the US and overseas to share her history and culture through song and dance. It was through these unique travel opportunities Bell immersed herself in other host cultures and developed an appetite for connecting people, place and space.

Bell’s Oahu-based firm, in collaboration with top commercial interior design and architecture firms, create custom carpets, wall coverings, art, fabrics and glass for international hospitality brands such as Starwood, Hilton, Fairmont and Wyndham. Bell draws upon traditional Hawaiian and Pacific Rim concepts, traditions and values for her designs.

“Mixing graphic geometrics, subtle organics, tailored botanicals and interesting hues to balance the Ku and Hina, the Ying and Yang, the male and female, is always an objective for every design,” says Bell. Her designs, which are characterized by rich, saturated colors and bold graphic elements inspired by Pacific Rim indigenous cultures, are getting international attention.

The good news hasn’t stopped there. Bell participated on a team assembled by Honolulu architecture firm, InForm Design, that redesigned the Wyndham Vacations Resorts Royal Garden at Waikiki and recently won a top national award in the category “Refurbishment Interior Design or Architecture” from the American Resort Development Association at its 2012 National Convention.

“Jalene’s Hawaii-inspired carpet designs were a strong component of our redesign for the hotel,” says Ann Kutaka, president of architectural firm, InForm Design, which planned the Wyndham Vacations project. “Her designs had a clear connection to the Islands.”

The JaleneKANANI Collection was also featured this May at the trend-setting Hospitality Design Expo + Conference in Las Vegas.

The national recognition is heady stuff for Bell, a self-taught designer who is also a busy single mother of three girls. But Bell knows that the core of her success is the passion she has for her native Hawaiian culture, and the cultural traditions of the Pacific. Her success has strengthened Bell’s commitment to interpreting the culture and values of her ancestors in her designs.

“I love to travel, and when traveling, share my Hawaiian culture. JaleneKANANI is an extension of this passion,” says Bell.

About JaleneKANANI

Hawaii native Jalene Kanani Bell established JaleneKANANI Design Studio in 2009, mixing elements from traditional Pacific culture and art with contemporary features for a distinctive and organic aesthetic. With a holistic approach to commercial product, textile and surface design, Bell works with leading manufacturers to create unique patterns customized for corporate and consumer clients worldwide. Examples of the brand’s custom products include carpets and rugs, wall coverings, upholstery and case goods, and original artwork.

For more information, visit www.jalenekanani.net, like the company on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JaleneKANANI or follow JaleneKANANI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JaleneKANANI.

 

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