Haleʻiwa + Rift: A Love Letter to Oahu's North Shore

This June, we’re dropping two special collections that feel like home to me. The first is our newest floral print, Haleʻiwa: a layered mix of pinks, reds, maroons, and whites, blooming with deep florals and hidden ʻiwa birds for those who know where to look. Alongside it, we’re bringing back a Tai Swim staple: Rift, a dark, ribbed solid in deep blue, soft but strong, made for days you spend entirely in your suit.

This drop includes nine bikinis and a one-piece, across both collections:

• Haleʻiwa Print: 5 tops, 5 bottoms, and the Jordyn one-piece: featuring styles for every body, from skimpy silhouettes like Joelle + Devin to more coverage options like Donna.

• Rift Solid: Two bestselling sets in our ribbed fabric, no fuss, just timeless and ocean-ready.

But this drop isn’t just about bikinis. It’s a tribute to place.

Why Haleʻiwa?

I grew up on Kauaʻi’s North Shore. Before it became overrun with traffic and tourism, when it was still sleepy and magical. When we moved to Oʻahu, I found that magic again in Haleʻiwa. It reminded me of home: surf after school, building forts on the sandbanks when the tide went low, biking with friends, watching massive winter waves crash outside Haleʻiwa Harbor. It’s not where I’m from, but it’s where I felt rooted again.

This collection honors that feeling. It’s for the girls who drive out of town just to feel the salt in their hair and breathe a little deeper. For the ones who live in their bikinis all day because they made it to the North Shore and don’t plan on leaving till dark.

What Haleʻiwa Means

The word Haleʻiwa (pronounced hah-leh-EE-vah) translates roughly to “house of the ʻiwa bird.” The ʻiwa, or great frigatebird, is known for its grace, flight, and ability to soar without effort, a symbol of navigation and freedom. You’ll find little nods to this bird throughout the print, as a hidden “easter egg” for those who know where to look.

Haleʻiwa has long been a hub of surf culture, small local businesses, and aloha that still feels intact. It’s where we did our first Mālama Hawaiʻi Makers Market, and where the North Shore community first wrapped their arms around Tai Swim. The support from this side of the island has always felt deep—and this print is a mahalo for that.

From Hanalei to Hāʻena to Haleʻiwa

We’ve done tribute prints before: Hanalei in 2020, Hāʻena in 2023, Kaohao in 2024. Each one has been a quiet nod to where I’m from and what shaped me. This is no different, except maybe even more personal. Because even though I grew up in town, in the developed buzz of Kaimukī, the North Shore was where I felt most like myself. It still is.

We can’t wait to share this drop with you.
Haleʻiwa + Rift launches June 21.
This one’s for the escape, the salt, and the stillness that finds you the minute you step out of the car and onto the sand.

Mahalo Nui,
Tai Swim