Ikaika Kalua
Senior Correspondent
As Senior Correspondent for Lifestyle Lore, Ikaika Kalua documents the stories of makers and their materials across the globe, focusing on artisans, craft, travel, and place. His writing explores Indigenous craft techniques, sustainable travel, and maritime traditions, capturing the cultural heartbeat and ancestral knowledge embedded in every handmade object. Through a deep focus on oral history and natural building materials, he offers readers a thoughtful guide to the timeless artistry that enriches modern life. His immersive approach seeks to capture not just the 'how' of a craft, but the 'why'—celebrating the wisdom that shapes our world.
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Latest Articles

Artisans Leverage 2026 Global Festivals to Sell Traditional Crafts Worldwide
In Nowy Tomyśl, Poland, representatives from 66 countries gather for the World Wicker and Weaving Festival, a vibrant showcase of local craft traditions rapidly expanding their global reach.
Sep 7, 2026 · 2 min read

Coziest Fall Getaways for Your Autumn Trip
This autumn, a favorable exchange rate makes Japan a surprisingly accessible fall getaway, offering everything from Tokyo's bustling streets to the serene beauty of Yakushima Island.
Sep 5, 2026 · 5 min read

Japan Hotels Lead Luxury Experiential Travel Trends in 2026
In Kyoto, 5-star accommodations now command an average of 1,100 euros per night, ushering in a new era of ultra-premium travel pricing in Japan.
Sep 4, 2026 · 3 min read

Global Initiatives Champion Traditional Craftsmanship, 2026
For the first time ever, a Romanian-made watch, 'Genesis', will compete in the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2026.
Sep 2, 2026 · 2 min read

Saudi artisans bring traditional crafts to Venice Biennial
In Venice, three Saudi artisans will unveil works ranging from intricately carved Najdi doors to contemporary metalwork.
Aug 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Ethical craft initiatives empower women artisans 2026
After Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville in 2024, Etsy awarded a $100,000 Community Resilience Grant to the city’s River Arts District, a lifeline for its more than 750 artists.
Aug 29, 2026 · 3 min read

Ancient Indian crafts boom, proving global resurgence beyond 2026
In 2023, the London Lace Club introduced a growing number of young people, mostly under 30, to bobbin lacemaking, a craft often seen as antiquated.
Aug 25, 2026 · 3 min read

AI drives luxury travel destination growth at ITB Americas
At ITB Americas, a leading luxury travel consortium revealed that AI-powered platforms are now booking 30% of bespoke itineraries to previously obscure destinations—a figure up from virtually zero two
Aug 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Minister Oram Launches 2026 Tribes Art Fest to Boost Craftsmanship
In Jammu & Kashmir, handicraft exports soared to ₹817.
Aug 19, 2026 · 3 min read

What is the Arts and Crafts Movement's influence on home design?
Despite its reputation as a nostalgic rejection of industrialization, the Arts and Crafts Movement actually advocated for using machines to relieve tedious tasks, not to replace human joy in labor.
Aug 11, 2026 · 3 min read

Jammu Kashmir artisans win National Handloom Awards for traditional crafts
Artisans Manzoor Ahmad Hajam and Fayaz Ahmad Wani from Jammu and Kashmir stood before President Droupadi Murmu, accepting the National Handloom Award for their exquisite Chanddar Kani Shawls, reported
Aug 10, 2026 · 2 min read

EPCH Pavilion Showcases Indian Craftsmanship at Hospitality Expo 2026
A single artisan collective from Jodhpur recently secured a $5 million contract to furnish a new luxury hotel in Paris, signaling the burgeoning global demand that the EPCH Pavilion at IIHE 2026 aims
Aug 6, 2026 · 2 min read

India's ODOP Initiative: Global Market for Artisans
Exports from Uttar Pradesh have more than doubled, increasing from ₹86,000 crore in 2017-18 to ₹1.
Aug 5, 2026 · 4 min read

Worlds Within Cloth exhibition opens August 5, 2026, at National Crafts Museum
At New Delhi's National Crafts Museum, the 'Worlds Within Cloth: New Orders of Woven Making' exhibition will unveil handloom works that explore social, historical, and cultural contexts.
Aug 3, 2026 · 2 min read

Artisan communities adapt to challenges as global recognition grows
In Britain, the art of making scuttle baskets has not been practiced since about the 1950s, a quiet disappearance that echoes across many traditional crafts.
Jul 31, 2026 · 4 min read

FIFA World Cup 2026 boosts tourism revenue, not volume
Tournament-wide occupancy across the 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup settled at 61.
Jul 18, 2026 · 4 min read

11 Affordable Unique Travel Destinations for Summer/Fall 2026
Bookings for the Czech Republic are up 149% and Kyrgyzstan is up 135% for summer 2026, according to Sacramento Bee .
Jul 4, 2026 · 6 min read

South Florida Opens New Artist Opportunities and Grants for 2026
A South Florida filmmaker stands to receive $50,000, mentorship, and equipment access through Oolite Arts' Cinematic Residency, a powerful commitment to nurturing local talent, according to Artburst M
Jun 28, 2026 · 2 min read

NASA's Webb telescope captures 223-megapixel image of Cigar galaxy
The James Webb Space Telescope spent nearly three days observing a single galaxy, Messier 82, to capture a 223-megapixel image.
Jun 27, 2026 · 2 min read

VH Award Announces 2026 Open Call for Media Artists
In the first half of 2026, media artists worldwide will vie for a share of over $30,000 in production grants from the 7th VH AWARD, a crucial boost for their careers.
Jun 27, 2026 · 3 min read