Hilo Hattie sold

Hilo Hattie, one of the largest retailers of Hawaiian fashions, souvenirs and gifts, has reportedly been sold to a California-based owner of a chain of hair salons.

San Diego-based FS Hawaii, Inc., which owns 18 Fantastic Sams hair salons on Oahu, reportedly purchased the 45-year-old privately owned company for an undisclosed amount.

Founder Jim Romig, owner of Pomare Ltd., dba Hilo Hattie, did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the sale.

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Romig started the business in 1963 on Kauai as Kaluna Hawaii Sportswear and began manufacturing aloha shirts and other Hawaiian-themed apparel on Oahu two years later. The company was renamed Hilo Hattie in 1979, after the death of the original Hilo Hattie, entertainer Clarissa Haili.

The company today has seven stores on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island and two in Southern California. Hilo Hattie also is planning to open a new 20,000 square-foot flagship store at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki.