Nothing says Vacation quite like an Aloha Shirt and in the history of the Aloha Shirt, there has been no more innovative merchandiser, nor better self-promoter than Keoni of Hawaii.
Journalist. Painter. Home designer. Textile artist. In just the first chapter of his amazing life, John “Keoni” Meigs was all of these things. He began his career designing aloha shirts while living in Honolulu prior to World War II. Between 1938 and 1951, Meigs created as many as three hundred different textile designs, many of which are now recognized as classics. In his prints Meigs tried to depict, in his words, “what’s really Hawaiian without being pedestrian.”
After a delicious lunch, Karen and I headed to the William D. Cannon Art Gallery to 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 in an industry that has left an indelible mark on fashion in the United States and the world.
What I find incredible is that Keoni (John in Hawaiian) kept scrapbooks of all is sketches, paintings and then the finished product. How very, very cool.
This shirt was the most distinct from all the others. It is called the Matson Menu Print. With rich tones and gradients, this pattern is derived from a series of paintings by Eugene Savage which were reproduced on the Matson Cruise Line's menus. In 1950, Keoni- known for his inventiveness and technical prowess- was hired by Mallinson Printing Company to translate Savage's highly detailed, wildly colorful paintings into a repeating pattern. A truly daunting task, the resulting print was a nine-color tour de force that earned the Mallinson Company great acclaim (and some awesome fashions).
This is Part 1 of a series from this amazing exhibit due to the fact that we will be going again and I'll be sharing even more.
"Be the Aloha you wish to see in the world."
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3 comments:
Did I tell you Stephen and family sailed on a Matson ship in the 50's when returning from Hawaii to bay area? His mom once showed me menus she'd kept from that cruise.
Nice!
Thanks for sharing! I feel bummed I was in Honolulu last week and didn't know about the show.
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