Alfred Shaheen created this exquisite bird of paradise vertical border design. As was common in the 1940s and 50s, manufacturers would “private label” for their more prestigious accounts. A retailer, like Watumull’s or Surf n Sand, would order shirts and request that all the shirts have their label sewn in the shirt, giving them more exclusivity with the garments. This was practiced with retailers in Hawai‘i and across the Mainland.
Shaheen took pride in unusual and original art and created a series of vertical borders with tropical flowers that were well balanced on the garments and stunning to wear.
