Shaheen Hawaiian dress in blue

This Shaheen dress was owned by Leonie Koenitz, who was one of the first fashion models trained in Singapore at Joan Booty and Ruth Warner's Mannequin Training and Charm School, which opened in 1956. Alfred Shaheen, who founded Shaheen, was an American textile and garment designer associated with colourful prints inspired by Hawaiian flora and fauna as well as Polynesian and Asian cultures. Fabrics used in Shaheen garments were also innovative, such as the use of metallic dyes and engineered print to create striking and colourful designs. Elvis Presley famously wore an Alfred Shaheen shirt in the movie Blue Hawaii (1961).