Brand

Pōhai Studios is an indigenous, woman-owned, and Hawaiʻi-based art and design brand creating intentional products that feature native and endangered species of Hawaiʻi. Through limited-run apparel, accessories, stationery, and home goods, the brand serves as a visual archive that honors native Hawaiian species at risk of extinction and preserving their stories through art.

Founded and operated by Katia Pōhaikealoha Worley, Pōhai Studios is informed by Indigenous knowledge and her practice as a multimedia artist. As a Hawaiian, Marshallese, and Creek artist, Katia grounds each design in place, highlighting the biology, cultural significance, and moʻolelo of the species represented. Each product invites customers to learn, reflect, and remember.

Pōhai Studios meets a growing demand for culturally grounded, values-based products that offer an alternative to mass-produced merchandise. By combining education, culture, and intentional design, the brand fills a critical gap in the market, creating designs and products that are both beautiful and intentional.

MISSION

Pōhai Studios is the brand that archives Hawaiʻi’s native species through intentional, culturally grounded design, honoring, educating, and ensuring their stories are kept alive.

VISION

To ensure Hawaiʻi’s native species are remembered, valued, and protected for generations.

VALUES

Kuleana: We honor our responsibility and privilege to lead with aloha, uphold our culture, and intentionally share knowledge through our work.

Aloha ʻĀina: Pōhai Studios is rooted in aloha ʻāina. Our work honors Native species, places, and ancestral knowledge, reminding us that our wellbeing is not separate from the land. As Uncle Emmet Aluli said, “Ola ka ʻāina, ola ke kānaka, ola ka lāhui”, the health of the land is the health of the people is the health of the nation.

Integrity: We aim to build trust and intentional relationships with the land and our people, and to ensure we are doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

Intentionality: We design with purpose. Every piece is created to honor ʻāina, share stories, and inspire deeper connection.