Images by John Hook
Travis Flazer and Mark Pei met on a haunted tour in Honolulu about eight years ago, and the beginnings of their obsession with what Travis calls “everything vintage, odd and weird” began. The product of this obsession, Hound & Quail, is a quaint shop specializing in what Flazer says is “vintage with a side of curio-creepy home furnishings” and is laden with vintage treasures from all over Hawai‘i and abroad, all of which seem to have their own unique stories.
Amongst the many desirable trinkets, there are vintage pictures decorating the walls, brass keys filling small nooks, and oddities from all walks of life making the experience of visiting Hound & Quail unexpectedly lengthy, as new gems seem to spring out from hiding at every glance. Some things the duo have spent time saving from the “graveyard,” really just the Hound & Quail warehouse, and others have simply been shined up to display their true beauty.
Many of the items in their shop are sourced from shopping escapades abroad. As a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, Pei shops as much as possible on his layovers and has culled merchandise from places like Tokyo and Amsterdam. They also fill their shop by visiting various estate sales around the island.
”The cool thing about having a shop like this,” says Flazer “is that people catch wind of us and our style, and we actually get calls from people telling us they have something they think we might be interested in. We end up getting a lot of our merchandise that way.” For both Pei and Flazer, the most rewarding aspect of their work is discovering connections between people and the pieces they come to acquire: tales of vintage suitcases inspiring photographers with retro style; curious assortments of brass keys and antique cameras becoming the stylistic theme of a young couple’s new apartment; long talks with grandmothers and grandfathers who simply come in to reminisce and find trinkets reminding them of fond memories and times long ago.
“The labor of love that it takes to run Hound & Quail, especially as such a part time hobby can be stressful,” says Flazer, who also works as Punahou School’s theater director. “But the people and stories we come across make the experience a rewarding one and something we are definitely trying to grow.”
Although the storefront has limited hours, it has gained a large and dedicated following, which compels the owners to keep their stock at ever changing and fresh. The quaint curiosity shop is an experience all its own and one that continues to refresh and inspire the vintage lifestyle in Hawai‘i.
Hound & Quail’s main shop is located at 1400 Kapiolani Blvd, open Mondays 5–8 p.m. and by appointment. The Hound & Quail pop-up shop is located at Fishcake Gallery, 307 Kamani St. For more information, visit houndandquail.com.