Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai pullover shirt

Sig Zane Designs

This aloha shirt is by Sig Zane Designs, a company founded by Sig Zane and wife Nalani Kanaka'ole, in 1985 in Hilo on Hawai'i Island. The company seeks to share 'the values of the Hawaiian people through art, by honoring the plants of the islands, and providing a unique experience that is enhanced by teaching the symbolism of the Hawaiian name of the plant, and giving insight to other aspects of our lifestyle that will build upon the experience: all to express gratitude, appreciation, and compassion for allowing a life in this island environment along with the hosts of this culture.'

Steeped in hula culture

As well as running a clothing company based on indigenous values, the couple are committed cultural practitioners.  Their lives and designs are steeped in Hawai'i's rich hula culture. Nalani Kanaka'ole is the daughter of the chanter and kuma hula (teacher) Edith Kanaka'ole (1913-1979), who was awarded the status of 'Living Treasure of Hawaii' in 1979. Nalani and her sister Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele continue to run their mother's hula school, Halau 'O Kekuhi. It was Edith Kanaka'ole who encouraged her daughter and son-in-law, who also danced hula, to set up Sig Zane Designs in order to share their culture through dress and print.

Inspired by song

This shirt is named after a hula song about the plants of the sea composed by Edith Kanaka'ole in the 1970s.  Sig Zane recalls:

'Aunty Edith Kanaka'ole penned this mele during one of her trips to the Temple in La'ie. The smell of the līpoa seaweed on the beaches was a memorable aspect of the drive from Kāne'ohe to La'ie. The love of limu and its many characteristics is an important part of life on an island. Elements of a life spent near the ocean show up in this design that depicts the līpoa, ocean currents, kūpe'e, and the eyes of a fishnet.

'One of her most well-known compositions, Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai was first performed by the men of Hālau O Kekuhi at the Merrie Monarch Festival in 1977. They wore lei limu kala and took first place! This design applauds and celebrates hula in this 50th anniversary year of the festival and recognizes this famous composition of Aunty Edith Kanaka'ole.'

The seaweed pattern for this shirt was cut by Luka Kanaka'ole, Sig Zane's father-in-law, in vinyl block. Vinyl blocks were commonly used to decorate hula costumes in the 1970s when Ka uluwehi o ke kai was composed.

A shirt for Merrie Monarch

This shirt was produced for the 50th anniversary of Merrie Monarch, a festival featuring an internationally acclaimed hula competition which takes place annually at the Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium in Hilo. The event plays a major part in the lives of Sig Zane and Nalani Kanaka'ole.

The pattern has been printed in a range of colours, and used for dresses, shorts, shirts and costumes for Merrie Monarch.

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 a 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. Sig Zane selected the shirt for Te Papa.

Te Papa’s co-collecting programmes are guided by the principle of mana taonga – the sharing authority with stakeholder communities.