It’s fitting this feature about Ahlo’s Apparel falls on a Friday.
“Every Friday is Aloha Friday, right? It’s been a cultural thing in Hawaiʻi for years,” said the brand’s owners Shane and Corry Ahlo, who are from ‘Ewa Beach.
Today also marks the release of its newest product – the Lauaʻe Fern long sleeve shirts and hoodies. Customers who caught the drop on Instagram last week, should be expecting their order this weekend, Corry told Aloha State Daily.
Ahlo’s Apparel started as an idea in 2019 to create breathable, highly visible clothing (commonly used in construction) combined with the Aloha shirt (collared with fun and bright Hawaiʻi inspired designs), the husband-wife duo explained. By 2022, they introduced their HI-Vis Aloha polo shirt, trademarking “Working with Aloha.”
Now, their customers are also all over the world, Shane noted.
“Working on the job sites, we were using safety vests over our Hawaiian shirts and it was uncomfortable. It was too hot,” Shane said. “We pretty much took two products and combined it into one. People liked it, and it just kept growing from there. Since it was a new product on the market, it was a risk to pursue it.”
He added, the secret to their success so far has been consistency and hard work.
"And I think of our local culture: Aloha Friday, and wanting to look good, feel good and work good,” Corry said. “Hopefully, we can continue to grow across the nation. There's a lot of local people that move out of state and when they see our product, they are so happy to have a little piece of home that represents Hawaiʻi.”
From design to manufacturing, the process can take between two to three months, the Ahlo’s said. They aim to “keep it as local as possible” by purchasing from local vendors, although sourcing overseas helps keep costs down.
The brand's Hi-Vis Aloha shirts range in price from $40 to $60 and cotton tees are sold for $20.
In 2025, the couple looks forward to more collaborations, introducing new items and expanding their team. Other goals include opening store hours at their studio in Waipahu, selling products in local stores and vlogging.
Shane and Corry said what they enjoy most is seeing confidence in the women and men who wear the brand and the smile it puts on kids’ faces. “We're proud of making our idea into a brand that has so much meaning behind it. That keeps us motivated and wanting to do more to give back.”
Currently, Shane and Corry both work full-time in construction, while running the business and raising four kids – two boys and two girls ages 13, 12, 5 and 3.
"The benefit of bringing family and business together is that we both work for a family business to start with. So, it's like we're almost keeping the tradition of making our own little family business and getting our kids involved,” Shane said. “We’re teaching them how to work hard and what it takes to survive – not only in the world – but in Hawaiʻi, with the cost of living.
“I want to be remembered as an original brand that came up with something so unique and inspires others to go for their dreams of owning a business in Hawaiʻi.”
Ahlo’s Apparel started with one rack of clothes in the corner of their home. As it grew to take over the entire house, Shane would sell shirts at his son’s football practice.
“It’s a continuous, around the clock job because we constantly have ideas or customers on our minds,” he said.
The pair met in high school on the bus; he was one grade older and played football at Saint Louis School, while she attended Sacred Hearts Academy. Shane said he asked her out on the bus, too, 18 years ago, and come May, they will celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary.
“Family and faith are very important to us. At home, we focus on each other,” Shane said. “We always gotta give glory to God, without him none of this would have been possible.”
For more information about Ahlo's Apparel, go to: ahlosapparel.com, or check them out on Instagram:
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
