The Exotica of Milan Guanko Ringer Tee

Pay homage to mid-century tiki legend Milan Guanko with this ringer tee. A deep-cut essential for true exotica heads and Polynesian Pop purists.

Mello first tasted tiki as a kid at the legendary Kahiki Supper Club in Columbus, where Milan Guanko’s towering carvings set the stage for wonder. Years later in Tucson, his first date with his wife was at Kon Tiki, beneath those same Guanko tikis. From Kahiki to Kon Tiki, tiki has been the backdrop of his life all thanks to Milan Guanko — and it’s the spirit we celebrate with Mello Exotica.  From Wonder to Love, Mello Exotica thanks Milan Guanko 🌴🗿🍹

Milan Guanko was a Filipino-American tiki carver whose bold wooden idols became icons of mid-century Polynesian Pop. From the 1950s through the 1970s, his hand-carved figures adorned countless restaurants, motels, and backyard oases across the U.S., blending tropical fantasy with roadside Americana. Today, his surviving works—like those at Tucson’s Kon Tiki—stand as rare, authentic relics of exotica’s golden age and a lasting tribute to one of tiki culture’s most prolific artists.

Guanko carved out of Gray’s Nursery in Westminster, CA

• 100% combed ring-spun cotton
• Regular fit, Crew neck