Kahikina De Silva’s lei hulu manu (feather lei) draws inspiration from historical exemplars held in Honolulu’s Bishop Museum, which would have been prized adornments worn by the ali‘i (chiefs and nobility). These precious objects were traditionally made from rare, coloured feathers – yellow and red were particularly sought after – strung together in a laborious and delicate process. For this lei, which took a month to complete, de Silva used pre-dyed goose feathers, bound with thread to ten strands of wool at the object’s core.