When a life-sized statue of Elvis Presley is unveiled in front of the Blaisdell Arena tomorrow, you'll see the iconic pop star in stage regalia, wearing his beaded and studded show jumpsuit and in a singing pose. But he won't be decked out in lei, which traditionally has been part of his "look" in the Islands.

"When you make sculpture, there are, alas, some technical limitations," said Ivan Schwartz, founder and director of Brooklyn-based StudioEIS, which was commissioned by cable channel TV Land to create the memorial.

The statue pays tribute to Presley's "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii" 1973 satellite concert from the site, and also coincides with the 30th anniversary of Presley's death on Aug. 16, 1977.

The texture of a lei does not translate well into bronze, said Schwartz.

"It would have had a disastrous effect in the process of constructing something in bronze, in a process where everything is done three times," said Schwartz, whose company has created scores of historical figures but never an Elvis until now.

A clay model is made, then molded and cast in wax, then set in bronze.

"The metal has to be thick enough to make it all work," he said.

Die-hard fans of The King, who may want to place a lei over Elvis' head, will have a hard time getting up that high: The statue, weighing 1,100 pounds, will rest on a pedestal 30 to 36 inches tall, and will stand nine feet tall, said Schwartz.

"I think it's a very close representation of the real man," said Schwartz. "It fits what we call popular memory — how people remember somebody."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.