Photography by John Hook
Styled by Carrie Shuler
Makeup by Royal Silver, Timeless Classic Beauty
Guided by forager Jennifer Meleana Hee
Modeled by Ku‘ulei Arruda, Niche Models and Talent, and Brett McElroy
In featured image, on Ku‘ulei: NV Jeans shorts from Jean’s Warehouse, Blu Pepper long-sleeve shirt from Cinnamon Girl, Acapulco Gold cap from Prototype, all available at Pearlridge Center; basket, stylist’s own. On Brett: Aloha Sunday tee from Aloha Sunday Supply Co. Kailua; TCSS bucket hat from Roberta Oaks; Tapa Threads shorts from Sears, Pearlridge Center.
Hawai‘i’s mountainous regions are filled with a bounty of edible plants—you just have to know what to look for. This undisclosed location is full of hō‘io, or fiddlehead fern, and apple bananas. Other foragible items you can find in the islands include the large-leaved monstera plant, whose fruit looks like a cob but tastes like a mash-up of pineapple and banana; gotu kola, a wide, heart-shaped herb; Koster’s Curse, an invasive shrub with tasty berries; and māmaki, whose leaves can be used for medicinal tea. Once you develop an eye for foraging, expect your fast-paced hiking to become slow-paced gathering.
Foraging tip: Do not forage without learning about edible plants from someone who knows what they’re doing. If you’re not completely certain of a plant’s identification, do not consume it.
On Brett: Levi’s cargo pants and Roebuck & Co. long-sleeve shirt from Sears, Acapulco Gold cap from Prototype, all available at Pearlridge Center. On Ku‘ulei: Blu Pepper long-sleeve shirt from Cinnamon Girl, Acapulco Gold cap from Prototype, all available at Pearlridge Center; TCSS bucket hat from Roberta Oaks; jeans, stylist’s own; OluKai boots, olukai.com.
Foraging tip: Do not forage in someone’s backyard. If there is overhanging fruit from someone’s yard, ask before picking, and perhaps return with something you’ve concocted, or offer another foraged good a trade.
On Ku‘ulei: Blue Pepper long-sleeve shirt from Cinnamon Girl, Acapulco Gold cap from Prototype, both available at Pearlridge Center; basket, stylist’s own.
Foraging tip: Do not hoard all the goodies! Leave the majority for others to enjoy, and for nature to repopulate with.
On Brett: Levi’s jeans and Roebuck & Co. flannel shirt from Sears, both available at Pearlridge Center; necklace, Roberta Oaks; OluKai sandals, olukai.com. On Ku‘ulei: Ci Sono button-up shirt from Jeans Warehouse, Boho Bandeau headscarf from Cinnamon Girl, both available at Pearlridge Center; compass necklace from Roberta Oaks.
See more images from this photo shoot in the free digital Apocalypse issue for iPad. Download it via the iTunes store today.
This story is part of our Apocalypse Issue.