Art of the Aloha Shirt: Keoni of Hawaii, 1938–51

A Program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance with The Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.

 

Virtual Tours

Click the photos for 360 tours of the exhibition, Art of the Aloha Shirt.

Interior view of the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. In the distance you can see Aloha shirts and paintings on the walls.

 
 
Interior view of the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. In the distance you can see Aloha shirts and paintings on the walls.
   
Interior view of the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. In the distance you can see Aloha shirts and paintings on the walls.
   
Interior view of the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. In the distance you can see Aloha shirts and paintings on the walls.

 
 
 

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Title wall of the exhibition in the Stark Galleries; Wall reads "Art of the Aloha Shirt: Keoni of Hawaii, 1938-51; black bench below the title wall; framed painting of a blue and white Hibiscus Hawaiian shirt print
Framed blue and white Hibiscus Hawaiian shirt print
Framed print of butterflies in yellow, green, and red/black on a blue background
Aloha shirt featuring blue, yellow, and green/black butterflies on a red background. The word "butterflies" is written several times across the shirt in a cursive, white font
Original drawings on tracing paper showing dancing hula girls
Framed newspaper clippings of John Meigs and an old advertisement for Sears featuring illustrations of women and girls in Aloha themed dresses and tops
Framed newspaper clippings of an old advertisement for Sears featuring illustrations of women and girls in Aloha themed dresses and tops
Aloha shirt with abstract blue and yellow designs on a white background
An Aloha shirt with white and blue abstract images on a yellow background
Original drawings on tracing paper showing a woman and a boat anchor, barrels of goods, a man in a straw hat, a hut with a sign that says "Trader Joe's", and a ship
Original fabric sample showing a woman and a boat anchor, barrels of goods, a man in a straw hat, a hut with a sign that says "Trader Joe's", and a ship
Aloha shirt with black background showing a woman and a boat anchor, barrels of goods, a man in a straw hat, a hut with a sign that says "Trader Joe's", and a ship
Aloha shirt with black background showing a woman and a boat anchor, barrels of goods, a man in a straw hat, a hut with a sign that says "Trader Joe's", and a ship
Framed design of palm trees and hibiscus flowers on a red background
Framed print of Aloha design; Hawaiian people and palm trees on a vibrant yellow background
Closeup of framed print of Aloha design; Hawaiian people and palm trees on a vibrant yellow background
Aloha shirt featuring Hawaiian people in a landscape setting; bright colors
Closeup of Aloha shirt featuring Hawaiian people in a landscape setting; bright colors
Framed newspaper clippings of an article titled Women's World with pictures of women in Aloha themed dresses
Framed newspaper clippings of an article titled Women's World with pictures of women in Aloha themed dresses
Fabric swatches of sea patterns in backgrounds of red, green, and blue
Aloha shirt featuring green, red, and yello seaweed and sea creatures on a bright blue background
Framed print of blue volcanoes, white flowers, and green palm trees on a red background

 

About

Explore the history, artistry, and production of Hawaii’s enduring fashion statement, the Aloha shirt. This exhibition of sixty objects, including original textile artwork, production sketches and swatches, advertisements, and vintage shirts tells the story of an early innovator, John “Keoni” Meigs, in an industry that has left an indelible mark on fashion in the United States and the world.

Although many claim authorship, the exact origin of the Aloha shirt remains uncertain. The patterns of Polynesian tapa cloth, the colorful and bold floral designs of Tahitian pareau, and the sheer Japanese fabric used for making kimonos are often cited as some of the early stylistic influences of the shirt. Sometime in the late 1920s to the early 1930s, when Hawaii’s economy began to shift from an agricultural to a service-oriented economy and tourists started flying to Hawaii in ever-increasing numbers, the emphasis of the island clothing industry shifted from the production of work clothes to sports and casualwear. Combining the young islander’s love for colorful clothing with the tourist’s desire to bring home keepsakes of their holidays on the islands, the Aloha shirt enjoyed massive popularity, particularly after the conclusion of the second World War.

In the history of the Aloha Shirt, there has been no more innovative merchandiser nor better self-promoter than “Keoni of Hawaii.” John “Keoni” Meigs (“Keoni” is Hawaiian for John) was a self-taught painter whose talent became known to the early shirt manufacturers in Honolulu. In 1938, he created his first designs, concentrating on Polynesian tapa patterns inspired by the originals he had studied at the local Bishop Museum.

One of the most innovative Island fabric artists, Keoni is credited with creating as many as three hundred Aloha shirt designs. In Meigs’ words, “In a sense, Aloha shirts put Hawaii on the map. The first thing people did when they arrived was make a beeline for a department store to buy one. A lot of kooky things were designed, but I always tried to be a purist when it came to using motifs from Hawaiian sources.”

Art of the Aloha Shirt is curated by Dale Hope, a Hawaiian native and second generation veteran of the garment industry who authored the definitive book on the subject, The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands, in 2000. Much of the work draws from the collection of Dan Eskenazi, which offers viewers the opportunity to see Aloha shirts from a designer’s perspective, as well as excellent vintage examples of the finished product.