About
Hawai‘i’s family store has been a tradition since 1914, specializing in the latest Hawaiian wear for the whole family, great T-shirts and accessories.
Watumull’s was founded by Jhamandas Watumull who is thought to have been the first Indian businessman in Hawaiʻi. Originally from India, Jhamandas came to Hawaii in 1914. There are two milestones which transformed the business and created the iconic Watumull’s legacy. The first occurred in 1935 when artist Elsie Das was commissioned to paint 15 Hawaiian floral designs. These designs were sent to Japan to be printed on raw silk and subsequently fashioned into aloha wear upon return to Honolulu. The popularity of these new designs created a fashion craze and skyrocketed the value of Watumull’s clothing. The prized Watumull’s aloha shirts of the 1940s are now collector’s items. The second milestone occurred in 1941 at the newly opened Leilani Gift Shop on Fort Street. Watumull’s used this new location to introduce matching family aloha wear. The highly desired Watumull’s prints were now available in coordinated family sets, shirts for the men and boys and muʻumuʻu (dresses) for the women and girls. Today, the Watumull’s at Ala Moana Center carry Made in Hawaii Hawaiian wear for the whole family.
