Things I've Just Learned About:

[moon_custafer]

http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/alfred.shaheen.fabric.to.fashionRead more... )

Comments

[palain_7]

Kind of like the Scotch "inventing" plaid tartan stuff to sell to the tourists.

[moon_custafer]

I also looked up some vintage examples of his garments online - they now go for huge sums; but what struck me was that on the labels he called himself "The Master Printer;" not "fashion designer," not "tailor," but printmaker. Apparently being able to print his own fabrics made all the difference (before he set up his factory, all modern garment-makers* in Hawaii had to import their cloth from elsewhere, and they had little choice in what they could get.). I don't know where the undyed cloth itself came from, though.

* As opposed to traditional Hawaiian clothes, which I believe are bark-cloth.