Front row, left to right: Kaulua’e by Kenneth Aloha Victor, Kaulana Na Pua men’s long-sleeved Aloha shirt, 2020, polyester cotton blend fabric. Private collection (L.2023-15-02); ‘Iolani Fashion, Hapa Jac, circa 1968, cotton. Gift of Linda Arthur Bradley, 2023 (2023-04-07); Alfred Shaheen, Holoku, 1960s, cotton. Gift of Linda Arthur Bradley, 2023 (2023-04-06); Back row left to right: Kamehameha Garment Company, Aloha shirt, 1960s, cotton. Gift of Linda Arthur Bradley, 2023 (2023-04-08); Waltah Clarke’s, Chinese Mu’umu’u, 1969-70, acrylic. Gift of Linda Arthur Bradley, 2023 (2023-04-10). Photo courtesy of Honolulu Museum of Art.
By Karla K. Albertson
HONOLULU — This may be the perfect year to journey across the Pacific, where “Fashioning Aloha,” a textile exhibition at the Honolulu Museum of Art will be on view through September 1. There, visitors will discover that aloha wear — in all its colorful variations — is far more than the bright “Hawaiian shirt” your uncle always wore to picnics.
With more than 50 garments on view, the show employs a series of presentations to explore the origin of individual designs as they developed from the 1930s to the present day. While some caught the eye of visitors from abroad — great mementoes of that trip — others were fashioned for Hawaiians to wear in daily life or times of celebration.
Bringing the exhibition together was the museum’s own curator of textiles and historic arts of Hawai’i, Tory Laitila. A man with a wide range of interests — well worth checking into online — he organized this show and talked with Antiques and the Arts Weekly about its inspiration.
Hawaii and its art appeared on the pages of this publication’s April 28, 2023, issue as part of the National Portrait Gallery’s show “1898: US Imperial Visions & Revisions.” In September 2023, the textile curator joined the symposium in Washington in September where he spoke about the Hawaiian coat-of-arms quilt in the exhibition.
Taking a Mother’s Day photo with everyone in Aloha wear is an annual tradition for Hi’inani Richardson’s family. Back row, left to right: Jamescy in Manuheali’i, Punahele in Fighting Eel, Skye in Manaola, Kehani in Manaola, Jordan in a Target Aloha shirt, Mia in Waiwaolani, Shauna in ‘Iolani Inc., Kylie in Manaola, Kehulali in Wehi’s Boutique, Hi’inani in Elsie Krassas, Aimi in Old Navy. Front row, left to right: Ha’ena in Paradise Now, I’ilena in Paradise Now, Maila in Manuheali’i, Baby Lehia in Coco Moon, Maitea in RJC. Kihei, Maui, 2023. Image courtesy Hi’inani Richardson.
For “Fashioning Aloha,” Laitila ventured into an entirely different branch of textiles altogether. When studying art history at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, his work with Professor Linda Arthur Bradley on clothing led him to focus on historic costume. She went on to form an important collection of aloha wear, and Laitila became curator at the museum four years ago.
“Our mission is to show Hawaii to the world as well as bringing the world to Hawaii,” he pointed out. “So, we acquired part of her collection last year — and created an exhibit! It’s only been about a year lead time for this exhibit — it’s been very short.
“With my textile and art history background, we focused on iconography — the symbolism of visual messages. I like to be very aware of aloha wear, and the symbolism of the prints. Some are very simple to accommodate the dress codes of the mid Twentieth Century. But the very early ones in the 1940s-50s — with increased tourism — are like a wearable postcard or a souvenir. They remind me of those maps that have little vignettes of locations. Those early aloha shirts were like a souvenir that you could wear.”
Kahala woman’s tunic top, late 1950s, 100 percent cotton poplin, with zipper in back. Courtesy of Kahala Sportswear. L.2023-16-04. Photo courtesy Honolulu Museum of Art.
The foremost question is what are the influences that designers use to “fashion aloha.”
The curator resumed, “I like to like define the term ‘aloha shirt’ as representing aloha and made in or for the Hawaiian market.” On the other hand, too many shirts displaying generic tropical elements — flowers, birds, palm trees — are categorized as “Hawaiian” but really are not from Hawaii or its circle of influences.
To sort these “ingredients” out, there are nine thematic sections — some geographical, some cultural — which were mixed together in the islands to produce true aloha: flowers, Polynesian bark cloth, location, Asian motifs, Tahitian pareu or wraparound skirts, Hawaiian quilts, music, hula and the Hawaiian Kingdom. Garments on display are paired with sources of inspiration to make that visual connection.
In the early days of the 1930s, tailors and dressmakers in Honolulu used imported fabrics, silks from China or cottons from England. “As time goes on, motifs change, and you have the Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the 1970s,” pointed out Laitila. “You have native Hawaiian designers that are designing fabrics as well as the garments. They stuck to primarily the dresses — the holoku and mu’umu’u — and the aloha shirt for men and came up with designs that are more meaningful or symbolic.”
Roberta Oaks garment tag. Courtesy Honolulu Museum of Art.
Visual examples and illustrations will help visitors sort out proper names for various costume forms. Many of the garments bear the labels of their local makers, such as “Watumull’s, Honolulu, made in Hawaii” or “Roberta Oaks, Original Print Collection, Made in Hawaii” accompanied by a tiny couple riding the waves on a surf board. Owning one is definite proof that you had been to the islands.
The curator added, “There will also be works from our permanent collection alongside the garments with similar motifs. We will have artwork and a Hawaiian quilt that reflect motifs on aloha wear.” One oil painting, “Kolomona: Hawaiian Troubadour,” 1898, by Hubert Vos (American, 1855-1935) catches a glimpse of a singer in period costume with his instrument.
“We invited the public to submit photos of their families in aloha wear which runs from the 1930s up until today. So, there will be a slideshow of people in their own aloha wear. Some of these are historic photos of family members, or current photos as they range from the 1930s to the present. They aren’t specifically wearing garments in the exhibition, but some of the designers in the exhibition are represented in the photos. In addition, we have historic footage of aloha wear from tourism publications to fashion shows to interviews with designers.”
Luarka Nova Stewart Magoon cutting up with her friend Marsha Thornton. Magoon was a gifted seamstress and her friend a fashionista. Dresses possibly handmade, possibly from Carol & Mary by Kahala. Laupahoehoe Ranch, Hawai’i, 1968. Image courtesy David Dinsmore, grandson of Luarka Nova Stewart Magoon.
“I really want it to be a fun and nostalgic show,” Laitila concluded. “Above all, I hope people will get excited about something that — maybe — is in their closet at home. There is kind of a revival for aloha wear, especially for women’s dresses. And I hope that visitors and residents alike will take a little more time and ask: ‘When I buy this dress or shirt, what does it say? Or what do I want it to say?’”
Although the exhibition does not have a dedicated catalog, the curator has planned three special presentations during its course. In the first on April 19, Laitila will converse with “Contemporary Designers on Fashioning Aloha.” Nake’u Awai, Kenneth “Aloha” Victor and Roberta Oaks, all of whose works appear in the show, will discuss their island inspiration and how it influences their work.
On June 8, Andy Reilly, professor of fashion design and merchandising at the University of Hawai’i, talks about his research into the appeal of aloha shirts to various groups of men from native born to newcomers.
Later in the summer on August 9, Linda Arthur Bradley, PhD, a scholar and author on this special subject, will address the evolution of Hawaiian textiles and aloha wear. She has taught at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and Washington State University, and the collection she donated to the museum in 2023 is featured in the exhibition.
The Honolulu Museum of Art is at 900 South Beretania Street. For further information, www.honolulumuseum.org or 808-532-8700.
