Ewa Gentry
Ewa Gentry, HI · Business
KITV.com
hawaiinewsnow.com
LightWave Reports
Connie, 88, Still Works Six or Seven Days a Week at Her Vacuum Franchise: "I Don't Want to Be Idle"
In August 2022, KITV Island News reporter Diane Ako met Connie Asentista in Aiea, Hawaii. Asentista was 88, and she was still showing up at her vacuum franchise six or seven days a week. She had a simple reason for staying on the job. “I know what’s going on in the world,” she said. “I don’t want to be idle.” KITV’s article identified her as the owner of A’s Kirby Sales & Service, a Kirby vacuum shop at Harbor Court in Aiea. She bought the franchise in 1999. “My husband said, ‘This is hard work for you,’” she recalled. “I said, ‘Well, nothing like trying.’” Ako told viewers that she did try, and that she became an award-winning salesperson. At 88, the reporter said, Asentista still showed up six or seven days a week. The station’s article also said that came to at least 40 hours a week. Ako asked why she would want to be 88 and working so hard, and whether she should be hanging out with her kids and grandkids instead. “Oh, no,” Asentista said. Her son, Michael, told the station he saw a purpose in that schedule. “She’s here to make sure that I’m set and
KHON2
WWD
Camilla Opens First Hawaii Boutique at Ala Moana Center, Celebrating Island-Inspired Design
Camilla, the Australian luxury fashion brand, has opened a shop in Honolulu within the Ala Moana Center, the largest open-air shopping center in the world. These 2026 Advent Calendars Are Worth Your Money (And Offer More Than Hair Ties) The 1,000-square-foot shop, the first for Camilla on Hawaii, offers products tailored to the Hawaiian lifestyle and customer. The store has an 18-foot frontage. Ala Moana Center is home to such stores as Dior, Chanel, Hermès, Bloomingdale’s, Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, Moncler, Loewe, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Target. An evolution of the Hotel of Curiosity, Camilla’s retail design concept, the boutique translates the natural beauty, culture and creative spirit of the island through the brand’s signature lens of color, craftsmanship and storytelling. The interior of the Camilla store in Ala Moana in Honolulu. Courtesy of Camilla The shop features a one-of-a-kind hand-embroidered tapestry, and a bespoke cash desk, custom Camilla print surfboard and handcrafted design details throughout. “Each garment carries the patience and dedication of the artisans. Resort is where we began, and it is where we always return. There is a rhythm to a life lived on the water. It’s been at the heart of the brand since its Bondi inception, and