Project Runway: Andy hits emotional bottom

Lifetime photos
Andy spends the day with his mom.

Tracking the progress of Hawaii’s Andy South:

Since Ivy Higa was sent home last week, our focus now is on Andy’s status. Episode 10 should have been fun and exciting, bringing back the opportunity for the designers to create their own computer illustration textiles—good marketing for HP. Except the whole episode, titled “There’s a Pattern Here,” turned out to be a big tear fest.

The garments they were to create could be anything, but the graphic was supposed to evoke something personal, and to get started, the designers’ computers were loaded with their childhood and family images. Just as they were missing their families, Tim Gunn prepared them for welcoming visitors, which some assumed would be new models who might hate their prints. Instead, each welcomed their mom, other family or loved one. That was just the start of the tear fest.

Of course who could work after that, so Tim sent them all out to enjoy the day with their loved ones.

They were back in the workroom the next day, but Andy couldn’t focus after the emotional experience of the previous day, and he wasn’t inspired by his own gray print of memory bubbles, although it was actually quite pretty, which you really can’t see in the picture, which makes it look sort of granny. “Seeing my mom took me way off my game,” he said to the camera. “Like, I’m kind of just done.”

Andy’s print comprised memory bubbles, but after an emotional day with his mom, his mind was more on family than the competition.

I don’t know if Hawaii is rubbing off on Tim after having had Andy and Ivy Higa on for the past nine episodes, but when it came to his critique of Valerie Mayen’s work, he said, “You don’t want too many construction details happening. I don’t want it to become like a pupu platter of different construction methods.”

Artists being sensitive to begin with, it turned out a lot of designers, like Andy, were not able to separate analytical ability from the emotions that triggered their designs, so the runway wasn’t all that impressive.

I think a lot of them also aren’t accustomed to working with prints, so turned out the most pedestrian designs. It figured that Mondo, who’s terrific at juxtaposing all kinds of prints, would be the winner.

He also revealed through his print that he is H.I.V. positive, a secret he’s kept for 10 years. More tears on the runway.

On the bottom were Valerie and Andy, but in the end, the judges decided that she had repeated herself and her overworked design was worse than his, even though they had deemed his short and top ensemble “unwearable.”

Andy explains his work on the runway.

Cinema Italiano's opening night

Nadine Kam photos
Model Anya Rozova and Amanda Stevens park themselves near a Ferrari.

It was all about Italy Sept. 23, grand opening night for the Italian Film Festival presented by Cinema Italiano in Hawaii, on the rooftop deck at Kahala Mall.

It was really crowded under the tents, which just demonstrates how the festival has grown in a few years.

Food and drink—some of it related to Italy—were provided by such restaurants and companies as Café Sistina, Che Pasta, Kevin Two Boots, Mediterraneo, Pua Ono Salades, Roberto Pizza Party, Sabrina’s, Town, Baci Bistro, The Big Wave Tomato Bar, Oeno Wine, La Gelateria, R. Fields, Waiwera, Whole Foods, and more, and pre-screening entertainment was provided by members of Hawaii Opera Theatre.

The fashionable showed up in black or slate grays in keeping with the Italian theme, and I spotted a few Dolce & Gabbanas and Pradas in the crowd.

Maseratis and Lamborghinis added to the ambience and provided a backdrop to many a photo. The DJ music was occasionally punctuated by the revving of engines by a few particularly obnoxious auto racer wannabes, leaving the rest of us more aghast than impressed. Dudes, save it for the dealerships!

I couldn’t stay for the film, the comedy “Basilicata Coast to Coast,” but heard it was sweet.

More photos of the event are at www.cinemaitalianoinhawaii.org

Lance Ishibashi, left, of Couture Jeweller at 909 Kapiolani spotted many of his clients in Italian designer Roberto Coin’s jewelry. He’s with stylists Allison Lee and Tyson Joines.

From left are Daniela Haynes, Monica Salmaso, Margaret Rufo and Selli Cito-Rodrigues.

Hawaii Jewelers Association winners named

Jason Dow’s Amulet.

The space limitation of print doesn’t exist online, so all the winning pieces from the Hawaii Jewelers Association’s 2010 Jewelry Design Competition are pictured here.

To recap the print story running Sept. 30, Jason Dow was named Designer of the Year during the competition’s awards ceremony Sept. 24.

Dow’s Amulet, a circular pendant featuring a suite of rainbow moonstones and diamonds in 14K rose gold, won the “Jewelry over $3,500” category and earned the most points in the competition to win him the Designer of the Year award. Dow’s Mandala ring won top honors in the “Jewelry under $3,500” challenge. The 18K gold ring was inspired by the drawings of Buddhist monks, used for contemplation. The palace-like design features a melee of diamonds on vertical supports, with a domed top and centerpiece diamond.

There were 28 designs submitted in the competition’s three categories. Here are the winners:

Jason Dow’s Mandala ring.

>> Jewelry under $3,500
First place: Mandala Ring by Jason Dow, Jason Dow, Inc.

Denny Wong’s Hawaiian Quilt earrings.

Second place: “Hawaiian Quilt” earrings by Denny Wong, Denny Wong Designs; 18K yellow and white gold with a patchwork of pink tourmaline, tanzanite, pink spinel and diamonds.

James Angel’s Dragon Sun ring.

Third place: “Dragon Sun” ring by James Angel of Royal Pacific Jewels; a carved dragon eating the sun motif man’s ring in sterling argentium silver accented with ruby eyes and diamond mouth.

Mabel Lau’s Freedom of Life pendant.

People’s Choice: “Freedom of Life” pendant by Mabel Lau of Excellent Gems; carved jadeite with a bubbly outline of diamonds that complement the carving of a fish blowing bubbles.

>> Jewelry over $3,500

First place: Amulet by Jason Dow, Jason Dow, Inc.

Second place: “Celebration” ring by Denny Wong, Denny Wong Designs; 18K yellow, white and pink gold set with seven large colorless baguette diamonds contrasted with six natural yellow diamonds.

James Angel’s Plumeria Haku pendant.

Third place: “Plumeria Haku” pendant by James Angel of Royal Pacific Jewels; plumeria flowers with diamond centers surrounding a black pearl in a 14K gold pendant.

People’s Choice: “Celebration” by Denny Wong

>> Hawaiian Theme Jewelry

First place: “Loihi” by Paul Trustman, Holiday Jewelers; a book-matched pair of picture black opals set in gold with diamonds depict Loihi, Hawaii’s sea mount volcano. It was inspired in part by thermal imagery of the birth of an island, like the image below, courtesy of Tom Wheeler.

Tom Wheeler’s Tropical Royalty ring.

Second place: “Tropical Royalty” by Tom Wheeler, Opal Fields; a boulder black opal ring set in 18K gold and diamonds with Victorian influences reminiscent of Hawaii’s royal era.

Brian Thomsen’s Queen’s Pond pendant.

Third place: “Queen’s Pond” by Brian Thomsen; an 18K gold and black opal pendant with a cascade of channel-set diamonds, inspired by Maui’s Queen’s Pond with its waterfalls and colorful reflections.

People’s Choice: “Royal Hawaiian” by Denny Wong; an 18K gold pendant holds a rough-cut amethyst depicting the shimmering ocean around the landmark Pink Palace, sculpted in pink gold with diamond windows, surrounded by gold palm trees.

Project Runway: Ivy out in Episode 9

Lifetime photos

Ivy Higa defends her creations on the runway.

Tracking the progress of Hawaii’s Ivy Higa and Andy South:

Episode 9’s challenge was the sort designers dream about, letting their imaginations run wild to create a high-fashion look suitable for a Paris runway, to be used in a L’Oreal advertorial in Marie Claire magazine. The only control factor was that the head-to-toe look take their inspiration from L’Oreal’s Studio Secret eyeshadow duos and their various finishes: bright, metallic, matte and crystal.

A win would also lead to a prize of $20,000, a fair cost of labor for a national or perhaps international ad campaign, not to mention all the press associated with the competition.

Naturally, the designers were excited, and Tim Gunn said, “Ivy, you look stricken.”

She said she wanted to cry because it’s been a struggle to simply live and work in New York, forgoing guaranteed income to fulfill her dream.

Of course I worried over her camera time, which I’ve said before, is not always a good thing.

She chose to go with the L’Oreal bright eyeshadows, the same as Mondo Guerra, who nearly always chooses to work with bright colors. Ivy has tended to work with pastels in the competition, so she thought choosing brights would show another aspect to her work. The electric blues she chose to work with were inspired by Hawaii’s ocean waves, reflected in strips of fabric. In his early critique, Tim worried she was working too literally.

The designers felt this would be a defining competition, that would reveal the breadth and limitations of their capabilities once and for all, and color the judges perceptions of them to the finish. The episode’s title is “Race to the Finish.”

Andy fits his model for a warrior’s helmet.

Of course there’s always a secondary aspect to these competitions, and a lot of the designers had been lulled into complacency after having been given two days for the initial challenge. Only Michael Costello seemed to anticipate a second challenge, so he created his couture gown as quickly as possible, which left him prepared to easily complete the second ready-to-wear look as a mainstream garment inspsired by their couture creations.

For Andy, who was at the bottom last week, and whose work had been deemed a “trainwreck,” the competition was about redemption and he chose L’Oreal’s metallic finish eyeshadows for the inspiration behind his woman warrior ensemble, with pleated fabric that looked like armore. I  thought he should have won. … Except, while all the other judges praised his work, Heidi Klum provided a dissenting voice, and as we’ve seen time and again on the show, what Heidi wants, Heidi gets.

While Andy ended up on the top, Ivy ended up in the bottom with Valerie Mayen, who could not complete her original design, and whose ready-to-wear dress had no design. It didn’t help that the second model assigned to Ivy was bigger than her alleged measurements (I’ve come across those on assignments, size 6s who claim they’re 2s or 4s!), so she had to let out the dress and on the runway it still looked too small.

I thought Ivy might pull through because she at least had a clear concept. But the question the judges considered was whether simpler is mo’ betta than overworking, overthinking a piece, and simple won. The funny thing is I’ve been trashing Valerie nearly every week, but she had a great showing (who knew?) during New York Fashion Week and for all I know, won the competition! Go figure! LOL!

As for the competition’s winner, it was Mondo the second week in a row, this time for his kaleidoscope inspired gown, which revealed another judging inconsistency. While they always attack dresses “pooping fabric,” Mondo got away with it on this one. His creation was colorful, but it seemed stiff and didn’t think it fit well in the bodice. I think what clinched his win was his ready-to-wear dress, which was simple in its silhouette but was detailed and eye-catching in its slimming chevron design.

Andy’s couture look, and ready-to-wear look, below.

Mondo’s winning couture look, and ready-to-wear look, below.

Valerie’s “pageant” gown and ill-fitting, throwaway ready-to-wear dress.

Prada: From runway to real way

Nadine Kam photos
Members of the American Heart Association’s fundraising Black Tie and Blue Jeans committee modeled pieces from Prada’s Fall/Winter 2010 collection in a runway to real way presentation at the Ala Moana Center boutique.

Prada hosted an intimate thank-you party on Aug. 30 for supporters and members of the American Heart Association’s fundraising Black Tie and Blue Jeans Committee. Prada was a major sponsor of the eventthat took place July 25 at Waialae Country Club.

Committee members were called upon to model pieces from Prada’s Fall/Winter 2010 collection, which revives and updates the minimalism of 1990s Prada. The collection was in turn influenced by a 1950s silhouette and such feminine details of bows, collars, ruching, lace and skirts, while menswear shared military to “Mad Men” influences.



Link for iPhone users.

The runway to real way presentation included accessories from past collections to demonstrate how such pieces are able to mesh with newer collections, the way most of us would use them. Given the price tag of luxury, of course we want our belongings to hold up over many seasons.

It’s nice that more retailers are adopting real way presentations, acknowledging few of us are model thin or tall—what is that, 1 percent of the population?—yet still appreciate and manage to pull off wearing these clothes.

Stuart Ing describes a dress worn by law partner Terri Ann Motosue.

Prada Area Manager Candace Konievic, center, with Margaret Jen Akinaka, left, and Kristen Ribilla, who served as director of special events for the BTBJ event at Waialae Country Club July 25.

Rodrigo Iasuda and Jackie Ho.

From left, Lesli Yano, Director, Youth Market, American Heart Association, with Joseph Reyes and Michele Ganiko.

Andy South on the runway

Getty Images
Andy South’s “Project Runway” finale collection Sept. 9 was admired by critics, although the New York Daily News questioned the headgear, calling his puzzling choice “a head-scratcher.”

Sorry, I have to be at the Italian Film Festival tonight, so not sure if I’ll be able to blog my weekly “Project Runway” recap tonight, so I leave you with this guest piece from one of Andy South’s Honolulu Community College instructors, Joy Nagaue, who I arranged to go in my place to view the “Project Runway” finale show Sept. 9.

What’s funny is that when I talked to her recently, she said she still insists on calling him by his full formal name, and always refers to him as Andrew. I’m kind of thinking along those lines as well. The deal with South is that it’s easy to pronounce, but as a point of identity and from a media perspective, there would be more interest in a person who’s a little more exotic than the next guy.

By Joy Nagaue

Visiting New York’s Fashion Week 2010 and being invited to “Project Runway’s” Finale Show at Lincoln Center was absolutely incredible.

Naturally, traveling from Hawaii, we were laden with lei for our student finalist, Andrew Southiphong, and “omiyage” of macadamia nuts and chocolates. However, “Project Runway’s” tight security throughout and after the show barred us from the backstage area and (teacher) Lillian Zane and I were unable to pass the goodies out to anyone.

We did enjoy the “Project Runway” show and were star struck by seeing judges Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and special guest Jessica Simpson seated across the runway from us. We were also able to see last
season’s Project Runway’s contestants and talk to Jay Sario, Honolulu Community College’s first contestant from last season.

Although this was the show’s finale, we were unable to deduce the three finalist from the other seven decoy designers. All 10 contestants showed a spring line of 10 garments. All of the contestants seemed visibly
nervous and emotional while introducing their line to approximately 1,000 guests and press people snapping the contestants’ every angle and recording every audible word.

The stage was simply the “Project Runway’s” backdrop you see on all the shows. There wasn’t any fluff, not even music between each contestant. There was a lot of silence between contestants and many contestants
took a very long time to appear, sometimes as long as 5 minutes. I could only assume that they or their models were not ready and queued up.

Being there in person was so different from watching it on TV. It is much more exciting and the applause was extra loud for favorite contestants. Everyone around us got excited to hear that we were Andrew’s teachers from Hawaii.

Gretchen’s line was earthy and almost American Indian inspired.  She used a lot of browns and neutrals. I felt that way seeing it … neutral.

Ivy used a lot of simple white outfits with yellow accents. She said that she was inspired by the Hawaii. It looked nice, but perhaps too simple for a contest based on creativity.

I liked the bright colors of Valerie’s collection, and Mondo’s was another outstanding line, definitely fresh and young. I especially liked his black-and-white plaid strapless dress with a bubble skirt. He accessorized his
garments well with hats.

Andy was last in the line-up. He appeared with his Mohawk haircut that went almost to his back waistline. He got very emotional while introducing his line with his mother, two sisters and brother sitting in the front row.  Andy spoke well and confidently, leading me to believe that he did well in the show.

His line was made mostly of gray silk with apple green accents. It was quite beautiful and well sewn. Some of the silk came from Laos and the rest was ordered from Kaimuki Dry Goods. His collection featured exciting cropped pants with side seam tucks and one shoulder tops.

The rest of the designers were a blur. Most of their spring lines were neutral colored and forgettable.

Andy on the runway during the finale of his show.

The first showing was private at 6 a.m., during which the judges whittled the final four down to just three. We attended the 9:30 a.m. show and its decoys, including Casanova and Michael D., the two
contestants who were cast “out” in the past two weeks.

Andrew called me that evening, when he finally got his cell phone back. The final results were revealed to him at 3 in the afternoon. Did he win? He couldn’t say, but I could feel his relief and his happiness to be out of the pressure cooker situation.

Throughout the season, Andrew did a great job of representing Honolulu Community College and the State of Hawaii. He remained humble throughout the show. I am so proud of him and of his work. I am confident that he did really well. Did he win? I hope he did … he really worked hard all of his young life and as a student.

We were finally able to see him early the next morning at his hotel as he got ready for an interview. That evening, he made an appearance at Piperlime” (accessories), but the line was so long we could not get into the store … unbelievable.

Andrew planned to stay on the mainland with his family for a few days, including traveling to Washington D.C., to be honored by the Laotian Embassy, since his mother is from there. He promises to return to HCC to talkto the semester’s new and returning students. Our classes are filled to capacity. More work for us,
but we love it.

Tim Rose 'Most Beautiful Man'

Yu Shing Ting photo
Tim Rose won this year’s Most Beautiful Man contest, presented by designers Takeo and Eric Chandler of 2Couture. Ladies, you should see his abs!

Tim Rose, a University of Hawaii student, was named the winner of Hawaii’s Most Beautiful Man contest, which took place Sept. 11 at the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall as part of the 8th annual Woman Expo.

I was one of the judges who had the difficult task of selecting the winners. Of course, it took more than a pretty face and build. Women also look for personality and a modicum of intelligence, whether in real life or on the runway.

Of course, I think I speak for all the judges when I say I would have appreciated fewer cougar jokes and its predatory implications (why can’t two people just love each other and call it that?), but when it was over, those left standing next to Rose were:

1st runnerup: Hoku Garza, who impressed with his fire dancer’s physique, talent and personality.

2nd runnerup: Zac Twogood, a professional model who used his charm to his advantage.

3rd runnerup: Karlos Olsen, an actor who knows how to bring a runway to life.

4th runnerup: Nick Duarte, a university student who used smarts to get ahead.

Judges were able to meet all the contestants before formal judging, for casual interviews. I asked one bodybuilder the secret to losing a few pounds in a hurry, and he suggested dropping simple carbs. Ironically, I couldn’t stay for the finale because I had to run over to Aloha Tower to judge the Rice Festival’s rice-ipe contest, which entailed ingesting simple carbs, and more!

2Couture photos
Eric Chandler interviews contestant Cameron Brooks Spangler.

Karlos Olsen shows his walk in an aloha shirt and denim.

The winners, in leis, from left, Hoku Garza, Tim Rose, Karlos Olsen, Nick Duarte and Zac Twogood.

Nadine Kam photos
Those who wandered through the expo had the chance to enjoy services such as $7 haircuts by downtown Honolulu’s Hawaii Institute of Hair Design.

There were also opportunities to receive complimentary massages from several practitioners, such as Healthcare and Sports Massage Therapy of Kaneohe, above, and the newly open Laka Spa at 320 Ward Ave.

Amos Kotomori launches men's collection

Nadine Kam photos
Honolulu Community College Fashion Technology students and recent graduates turned out in support of their former teacher and mentor Amos Kotomori. From left are JennaBea Galton, Christopher Ching, Amos, Reise Kochi, Jarene Barrett and Thomas Downes.

Amos Kotomori launched his collection of men’s contemporary giclée print shirts at Neiman Marcus on Saturday afternoon, welcoming dozens of friends—old and new—and well wishers. A second event will take place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24.

Amos has been a renaissance man in the art-design-production-education fields for three decades, and while he started out as a textile-turned-fashion designer in the 1980s, his path changed. You can read the print story here. Ironically, starting to teach the fashion show production class at Honolulu Community College, and being exposed to students’ enthusiasm and excitement in learning the biz, beginning two years ago, rekindled his own love of fashion and desire to reboot and reinvent.

He’s been working on his collection for a year-and-a-half, and those who came late to the event had to be content to place an order for shirts. His first shipment is already sold out. Hopefully, this bodes well for Amos’ shirts getting picked up by Neiman’s for national distribution. It’s not easy getting into the stores, and it speaks to the quality of his shirts that he was able to do so his first time out.

Mehrzad Solymani, shopping with his wife Heidi, tried on one of  Amos’ sample shirts, all that was left by 2 p.m. Men had to place orders for the next shipment.

It was a good time to study the shirts, with their intricate wrap-around designs, which lined up at every seam due to the method of printing on panels of cloth, an expensive process. I spoke to HCC instructors Joy Nagaue, Lillian Zane and Karen Hastings, who all showed up in support of Amos’ work, and they marveled at the construction and fabric, rich silk-cotton blends.

What I’m waiting for, though, is his first women’s collection, which he now says probably won’t be out until holiday 2011. That’s a very long wait, considering I saw the start of it, the fabrics and prints, at his home in May. That was during a party for 2010’s newly minted designers from HCC alumnus Jay Sario. Before the guest of honor arrived, Amos offered to show me his works-in-progress, including gorgeous silk chiffons that make you want to cocoon and drape yourself in them. Can’t wait til they’re street ready!

Model Brigitte Patton snaps a photo of Amos’s collection.

Amos with a slimmer Amy Hanaiali’i, who shared the secret of her quick weight loss, appetite-suppressing drops and a mere 500 calories a day, in other words, half of what most people normally eat for lunch!

Amos with Honolulu Community College Fashion Technology Program instructor Joy Nagaue, who just got back from watching former star pupil Andy South’s “Project Runway” collection on the runway at New York Fashion Week. She said she’d brought all kinds of omiyage and lei for Andy and his fellow designers and staffers at Lifetime, but designers were whisked away immediately after the show to avoid any contact with the general public due to the secrecy surrounding the show’s finale. She caught up with Andy later, who was responsible for distributing the goodies from Hawaii.

Amos greeted shoppers throughout the afternoon.

Cathy Raymond arranges the lei she took off of Amos to allow him breathing room. Otherwise, it was like graduation!