item details
Overview
A celebration of ocean life
This aloha shirt features a large scale, stylized print of bug-eyed fish, seahorses, jellyfish and coral. The unique print, whichhas a 1950s sci-fi look, was created by an in-house designer at Kahala Sportswear. Unfortunately, the designer of the print is not known.
Popularised by Tarzan
This design was popularised by Johnny Weismüller, the Olympic swimmer who went on to star in the title role of 12 Tarzan films. Weismüller was photographed wearing the design when he presented a prize to Dawn Fraser, a rising Australian swimming star, at the 1957 Keo Nakama Invitational at Waikiki.
Made by Kahala Sportswear
The shirt is made by Kahala Sportswear, which was founded by Nat Norfleet Sr and George Brangier in Honolulu in 1936. The woven label reads: 'The Kahala / Made in Honolulu'.
Co-collecting in Hawai'i
This shirt was acquired by Te Papa during a co-collecting trip to Hawai'i in 2017 based around the aloha shirt, and associated designs. Te Papa worked with Noelle Kahanu, a cultural specialist from the University of Hawai‘i, to develop collection that reflects the ways in which Hawaiian culture has been historically represented, and misrepresented, through the aloha shirt, and the ways in which contemporary native Hawaiian designers are utilising the aloha shirt to communicate indigenous cultural values.
Te Papa’s co-collecting programmes are guided by the principle of mana taonga – the sharing authority with stakeholder communities.