Hula's Bar & Lei Stand

Recognized worldwide as a fixture on the Waikiki scene, Hula's is known more importantly as a cultural icon and a welcome refuge for Hawaii's gay community.

"The vision of Hula's was to have a place reminiscent of the old Waikiki that was really for everybody," says Law, who is also the president and founder of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation. "I always wanted to have a place where gays and non-gays could have fun. It's primarily known as a gay club, but it always was, and still is, a very mixed place. We've had everyone from Elton John to Claire Boothe Luce, Dorothy Lamour, Dolly Parton and anyone who was in town come through. It was always a place to be seen and to see who was in town."

AS ONE OF the first clubs in Hawaii to feature live DJs, Hula's has also been something of a trendsetter over the decades.

"Hula's was truly the first disco in Waikiki," attests Law, who had once been commissioned by legendary New York nightspot Studio 54 to create an elaborate Hawaiian-themed Christmas party for them during Studio 54's heyday. "The latest fashion was always at Hula's, so as the fashion changed, so did Hula's. It was always a reflection of the cutting edge of what was going on in that culture. We had a lot of New York connections, so a lot of times, when something was breaking in New York, we would break it in Honolulu at the same time."