The Art of Lei Making

Learn about the history of lei making with this episode of The Great Big Story with Common Ground's very own Meleana Estes.

Meleana Estes, Common Ground's Creative Director, is a fresh voice in modern Hawaiian entertaining and fashion, an enthusiastic celebrator of Hawaiian culture and the spirit of Aloha.

At the core of Meleana's work is her flower artistry, realized through lei- making, botanical table scapes and decor. Meleana learned from her Tutu who was well known throughout Hawaii for her intricate and stunning leis and for the warmth with which she shared them. Meleana continues this legacy, now contributing her work to photo shoots and fashion shows, in addition to teaching the art of lei- making through signature workshops. The infectious aloha with which Hawaiian’s share lei and hospitality inspires all of Meleana’s teaching and creations.

Great Big Story is a global media company devoted to cinematic storytelling. Headquartered in New York, with a bureau in London, our studios create and distribute micro docs and short films, as well as series for digital, social, TV and theatrical release. Since our launch in late 2015, our producers have traveled to more than 100 countries to discover the untold, the overlooked and the flat-out amazing.