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IOLANI SPORTSWEAR
As the staple of Hawaiian clothing, aloha shirts are a must-have.
As inherent as aloha shirts are to Hawai‘i’s culture, so is Iolani Sportswear to the history of aloha shirts. Started in 1953 by the Kawakami family, the company soon strayed from the traditional Kabe crepe shirts, instead opting for solid fabrics and lighter weith material. Now run by the second generation (Lloyd Kawakami and his wife, Carla) and the third generation (Nick Kawakami), Iolani has both traditional and contemporary aloha wear for men, women, children and hula dancers. Faced with a crossroads after the passing of the first Iolani generation just a couple of years ago, the remaining Kawakamis decided to expand the company and build a retail store right on the factory grounds near Ala Moana.
