KAPAA — For Del and Sheena Tuazon, their motto of “roots run deep” is more than just a catchy phrase. It’s a way of life, and they hope it will resonate with Kauaians. The couple recently opened Deep Kauai, a
KAPAA — For Del and Sheena Tuazon, their motto of “roots run deep” is more than just a catchy phrase. It’s a way of life, and they hope it will resonate with Kauaians.
The couple recently opened Deep Kauai, a clothing and retail store in Kapaa.
“Basically, it is about being proud of where you come from,” Sheena said. “It is about being deeply rooted here. You know, being born and raised here, we both moved away after high school. But when you are gone for so long, you realize there really is no place like home. The concept just kind of took off from that.”
The husband-and-wife team started the brand three years ago. They showcased their items at local craft fairs and carnivals, which led to the bigger venture and the storefront along the Kuhio Highway.
“We started with mostly T-shirts and hats,” Sheena said. “We do stickers and then branched into duffle bags and backpacks. Most of the apparel is our own, but we do have some other local brands, like the (bodyboards).”
Although Deep Kauai carries a majority of its own items, Sheena hopes the store can branch out and carry other local brands.
Del and Sheena said they wanted to create a storefront as unique as their brand — inside the store, there is a Deep Kauai branded couch, plus shirt racks with surfboards and walls lined with wood — all designed by Del.
“When we decided to do the store, we knew it was an expensive undertaking,” Sheena said. “So (Del) built everything in the store. He reused products like pallets, which is kind of the theme of the store, but I think it makes it more personalized because we made everything. He definitely has all this stuff in his head.”
Sheena believes the effort and time spent on brand recognition before the opening will definitely help with the success of Deep Kauai.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from or where you live. If you got pride, your roots run deed. And so do ours,” states the Deep Kauai website.
Deep Kauai is open Tuesday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store is at 4-1489 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa between Kountry Kitchen and Art Cafe Hemingway.
Contact Deep Kauai at 482-1623 or at DeepKauai.com.
