Passion for Polynesian Tattoos Develops into High Growth Business
NĀ KOA sales increased over 1100% in two years
MILILANI, Hawaii, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The NĀ KOA® line of leather goods with authentic Polynesian tattoo art (www.nakoa.com) started as a labor of love. Over the course of two years, small business owner Andrea Butter fleshed out her ideas for bringing the ancient art of Polynesian tattoo to leather goods as a side project to running her company. "Sometimes it felt like I had a day job and a night job without knowing if any of my vision could come to life," Butter says.
The product line launched in 2015 with a small collection of men's bifold wallets and card holders. By the time Butter closed the books on 2017, NĀ KOA sales had grown by 1120% in just two years. "We could have sold much more, but this isn't about making a quick buck," says Butter. "We choose the stores that can sell the line carefully. Polynesian tattoos are just too important, culturally and historically, and should not be appropriated for purely monetary gain."
Award-winning tattoo artists with Hawaiian, Maori, Marquesan, Tahitian, and Samoan backgrounds and training create original designs for NĀ KOA. This select group includes Eugene Ta'ase, Hano Fernandez, Katerina Mauri Moko, Kuaika Quenga, Samson Harp, Teva Lowy, Tricia Allen, and Xavier Saint Amand. Upcoming products will carry art by Sulu'ape Pili Mo'o, Akiu "Q" Sale, Meghan Jones, and Wills Kaai.
Each design combines motifs and images that create meanings and tell a story. The art gets placed on leather using a proprietary process that makes the art completely durable yet preserves the characteristic touch of genuine, quality leather.
About NĀ KOA
The NĀ KOA product line was launched in 2015 as a labor of love by Patch of Shade, Inc owner Andrea Butter after several years of research.
Today you can choose from 24 different authentic Polynesian tattoo designs on men's and women's wallets and cuff bracelets, with more products and tattoo designs in the pipeline.
NĀ KOA products can be found at www.nakoa.com and across Hawaii in stores that offer Hawaiian and Pacific cultural products, including the Pacifica shop at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Honolulu. NĀ KOA products will also be for sale at the Hawaii Arts and Crafts fair during Merrie Monarch week.
Contact Information
Andrea Butter
Tel: 808-757-9027
Email: [email protected]
www.nakoa.com
www.facebook.com/Nakoaleather
www.instagram.com/nakoaleather
SOURCE NA KOA
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