About Us

Aloha! 

iHala.com sells one-of-a kind, custom woven lau hala products.  Lau hala is a remarkable plant that grows in the Pacific islands and the islands of Hawaii.  We are a loving gathering of local Hawaiians who are committed to perpetuating and preserving a legacy started by Bill Keoua Neslen’s elders.

Bill grew up on the Big Island of Hawai’i.  He comes from a long line of prominent lau hala weavers*.  At a young age, his grandmother taught him how to gather and prepare the native lau hala leaves for weaving.  She also tried to teach him to weave, but it wasn’t until his thirties that he began to finally feel his ancestors (the Hawaiian word - kūpuna) channeling and transferring their knowledge and skills to him.

Although it is a long and arduous process to prepare the leaves for weaving, the final products are true works of art with a pleasing earthy feel.  We invite you to experience these timeless bits of history for yourself.

My name is Bill, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to iHala.com

*  Were it not from the generosity and wisdom of his family, the Grace & Gaspar family, his teachers or kumu: his Aunty Gladys Grace, Aunty Gwen Kamisugi, Aunty Lorna Pacheco and Pōhaku Kaho’ohanohano, or most of all Lillian Alepoki Grace Nelsen, his loving grandmother’s guidance - this ancient art form would continue to dwindle.