New Hawaiian dress shirts honor beatified Catholic priest

Published: 2004-08-25

HONOLULU (CNS) -- It may be a fashion first -- the image of a beatified Catholic priest as the primary motif of an upscale commercial Hawaiian dress shirt. The Blessed Damien de Veuster aloha shirt was designed by well-known Honolulu artist Dietrich Varez for local shirt-maker Reyn Spooner.The multicolored reverse-print shirt is being sold in three color themes -- red, navy and black -- at Reyn Spooner stores, Macy's, the Navy Exchange at Pearl Harbor and the Bishop Museum. About 1,500 shirts have been made. "I do feel that this is an unusual shirt," Varez said. "Not too many times do people tackle religious subjects in shirts. I think this is kind of a first in that way and I am proud to be doing that." Varez created the original artwork as linoleum block prints on handmade rice paper. Known for many years for his depictions of Hawaiian culture, beauty, myths and legends, Varez also has used Father Damien -- the Belgian-born Sacred Hearts missionary priest who served Hansen's disease patients on Molokai more than a century ago -- as a subject for more than 10 years.

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