Ippolita drops in for a visit

Ippolita photos
Modern rock candy bangles.

Ippolita is one of my favorite jewelry lines, with an arty, sculptural quality in pieces both subtle and bold to suit varying moods and ensembles. Because of their statement quality, I've used them often in photo shoots.

Designer Ippolita herself will be in town for a trunk show of her Spring 2011 collection, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 2 at Neiman Marcus.

Modern Femininity is theme of the collection, with pretty pastel palettes, fun and edgy stone cuts, in settings of 18K gold, 925 sterling silver and Ippolita rosé. Bangles, earrings, statement pendants, rings and link chains are easy to wear in singles and multiples.

Just before boarding a plane from New York to Phoenix, Ariz., before hopping over for her first stay in Hawaii, Ippolita answered the few questions I was able to dash off via email:

Henry Leutwyler photo of Ippolita

Q: What is the inspiration for your latest collection?
A: Modern Femininity is the theme of my spring collection and to me this means feeling comfortable in your own skin no matter what lifestyle you lead. Each of the collections I've designed has easy, wearable pieces designed to make you feel more beautiful, more comfortable, more sexy, more you.

Q: Who is the Ippolita woman?
A: She is every woman! The versatility of my collections really give the line a universal, multi-generational appeal. I love fashion and this is evident in the pieces I design, yet the silhouettes are timeless and effortlessly wearable. This is the jewelry you reach for everyday — for every occasion — dress up, dress down — day or night — it really goes with everything.

Q: What was the first piece you designed that inspired you to make jewelry design your focus?
A: An 18K gold squiggle bangle — which is actually still in the line and a popular style.

Q: What are you hoping to be inspired by here?
A: The legendary sand and surf, the gorgeous colors, materials — the beautiful people, the diverse culture — I am sure I will find it all endlessly inspiring.

Ippolita's Wonderland aqua bangles.

New life for old tee

Nadine Kam photos
Michelle Douglas of Meg by Design hosted an Etsy community crafting event, teaching students how to reconstruct their old tees. Here, she helped one student to put two of her old tees together. She's wearing one of her own creations, available in the Hifi Pop-up Incubator on the lower level of Ala Moana Center, near Old Navy.



Already, two weeks seems like too-short a time period for the Hawaii Fashion Incubator to be in operation. There are a lot of classes and workshops on the calendar I want to try, but there are just so many things going on all around town, there's work and just not enough time to get to them all.

It would be different if the space were permanent (there are possibilities in the works), and we could count on recurring workshops and classes.

So it was that Michelle Douglas of Meg by Design, was presenting just one class on T-shirt reconstruction and I couldn't miss it. It coincided with the after party for Lovelessizm, so in a way, I was there for both, as curious party-goers peeked into the back room to see what was going on and stopped by to say hi and see what I was working on.

Why I had to do this is kind of a long story, starting with this large men's T-shirt I bought at Savers a couple of years ago. It had an image of a cat in sunglasses lounging on a beach. The T-shirt was old and faded, and the plasticized image was cracked, but it just appealed to me and I thought I could turn it into a casual camisole top with a plain top bodice and the image on the lower half.

I like the eco-friendly idea of reworking something shapeless, old and unwanted into something someone might actually want to wear. Then, like many leisure projects and good intentions, it went nowhere for lack of time and motivation.

Michelle helped Aryana Chang turn her T-shirt into a lightweight sweater jacket, below.

Every now and then, I'd spot the shirt and just recently was going to add it to a bag destined for Goodwill, but then stopped short of putting it in.

On Sunday I had talked to Tiare Thomas about vision boarding, and I think the image is one I might include on a vision board. In thinking about it, I figured I want to be the cat lounging on the beach without a care in the world! Tiare had talked about balance and as much as my work is play in that I'm doing things I like, I have very little down time and wonder what it might be like to actually take a vacation without working.

For the class, I also brought in a size XXL long sleeve jersey shirt I bought from Savers for fabric, but again, never reworked, so I used it as a dress on chilly days, knotting the front into a rosette. I thought it could be the back of the camisole if necessary.

Next thing I knew, Michelle had popped the shirt onto a manikin, and tying it every which way, and whatever she did looked amazing. When I said the two pieces didn't have to go together, she just said, "You've got yourself a dress," an amazing halter-style dress. Nobody there could believe what she'd created from such an ugly basic piece.

When it came to reworking the T-shirt, instead of using the whole cat image on the skirt portion as I had planned, she said it would be more interesting to use in the bodice, and would be even more interesting if I used half of the cat on the front, and the other half on the back, and it turned out really cute.

You can see Michelle's reconstructed wedding gowns and bridal collections during her Meg by Design launch party and fashion show at the Hifi Pop-up Incubator, 7 to 9 p.m. March 25.

In the meantime, you can also check out her items at Hifi or in her Etsy shop.

Cora Cardwell created this piece in class.

Here I am cutting fabric while there was a party going on in the background. Behind me are racks of Lovelessizm designs, back from the Centerstage fashion show. I'm not easily distracted when writing, but I found it really hard to sew with loud music.

Once a T-shirt: The almost finished top. Just gotta trim the loose threads, and the seam will be turned down for a tiny ruffle effect.

Japan Fashion Week cancelled

With all the destruction suffered in Japan, it's no surprise that it was Japan Fashion Week, that was to take place this week and next, was cancelled. Story in Crain's New York Business.com

It's all very sad with no immediate end in sight due to the nuclear power plant threats and continual shifting of the tectonic plates in that region. A number of local fundraising efforts are underway and will be listed in the paper as they arise.

Crazy Shirts offers tsunami-relief T-shirts

Crazy Shirts photos
A portion of sales of "Tsunami Watch 2011" T-shirts will benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support relief efforts.

Over years of close calls and uniquely Hawaii events, Crazy Shirts has become the master in the quick turnaround. In the aftermath of yesterday's earthquake in Japan and the tsunami that followed, the Hawaii-based company has created exclusive “Tsunami Watch 2011” T-shirt designs, available soon in Crazy Shirts retail locations and at www.CrazyShirts.com. A portion of proceeds from sales will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support its relief efforts.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami,” said Mark Hollander, chief executive officer and president of Crazy Shirts, in a press release. “Hawaii has endured its fair share of natural disasters over the years, so we know what it takes to recover and rebuild. We hope that our contributions will help make a difference in the rebuilding process for those effected by this event.”

The men’s T-shirt design features images of both Japan and Hawaii and the magnitude of the earthquake on the front, while the back includes a graphic of Hawaiian Island chain with “Tsunami Watch” and the date of the event.

The women’s shirt features the Hawaiian Island image on the front and on the back, a small back shoulder hit that reads “Japan-Hawaii March 11, 2011 Support.”

The men’s design is available in classic white or heather brown crew neck T-shirts and the women’s in watermelon baby-rib T-shirt. Both retail for $27.

Crazy for 'Sacs'

K

Nadine Kam photos
From left are Junior League of Honolulu's Jennifer Dotson, Marcie Uehara Herring and Lisa Haeringer. They are, respectively, president-elect elect, president, and president-elect of the organization that annually stages the "Sacs in the City" event, this year themed "Rodeo Drive in Paradise."

The Junior League of Honolulu hosted its annual "Sacs in the City" fundraising fashion show/luncheon on March 5, which never fails to bring out claws in woman who are otherwise seem so calm and collect.

The battle is for designer handbags and other silent auction items, which often has tiny women trying to body block would-be snipers from swooping in at the auction's end.

I always try to go late, so I don't have time for temptation, but that never really works. You just sort of stroll casually by until something calls to you. The one that did this time was a cute little "vintage" Shanghai Tang silk-embroidered purse, below. I try not to do little and cute anymore because there's never a time that I go out without lugging a video camera, regular camera, cell phone, etc., etc. But hey, it was for a good cause, so I bid on it, then other people I knew put more bids on it, and one of the original bidders came back for two more rounds of bidding, and I'm just not into the fight.

One of the people who bid on the purse and won it was Susan Todani, Director, Special Projects for Kamehameha Schools Endowment Group. She kept asking me, "Are you sure I can't get it in the store anymore?" after bidding went over its listed retail value. I said "Yeah," but that's not to say they're not going to come up with something similar soon. They always have new designs with their signature brocade and jewel touches. She's lucky I didn't scratch out her eyeballs. (Just kidding Susan!)

Harry Winston's salon director James Schaefer always manages to surround himself with beauty. From left are Ashley Wang, KHON's Kathy Muneno and Trini Kaopuiki, and Dan Yuan. Kathy and Trini, along with their KHON colleague Tammy Mori, also modeled in the Tory Burch fashion show that was part of the event, while stationmate Olena Heu served as emcee.

The day's other highlight was a Tory Burch fashion show, and a Tory Burch popup shop of purses, footwear and accessories was set up in a corner of the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Tapa Ballroom to accommodate women who saw something they liked on stage. I believe a lot of women went home with Tory Burch flip flops, a dressier upgrade from our rubber slippers. Tory Burch also offers tumbled leather and patent slipper-style sandals, at about $115 and $225, respectively.

At the end of the afternoon, I was waiting to find out whether I'd won on my other bid, on a green Anteprima Stella wirebag. One of the JLH volunteers came to our table, but the paperwork was for Noreen Kam, who was just leaving. So that was a surprise to her. We figured out that the person who checked us in at the door, probably overlooked that there were two N. Kams at the same table and had given me Noreen's bidding number. But it all worked out since we know each other and have run into this problem before with errant emails. People also confuse me with Nathan Kam and I have received some email directed to him over the years.

Kathy Muneno on the runway. Click here to view the fashion show.

The Butik marks 4th anniversary in style

Nadine Kam photos
The Butik partners Lan Chung, left, and Landy Cheung celebrate the 4th anniversary of their creation.

The Butik marked its fourth anniversary March 5 with the help of local designers who prayed for sun as they set up booths in the courtyard outside the 1067 Kapiolani Boulevard boutique. Luckily, though the skies were threatening, rain didn’t mar the event.

Their actual anniversary passed last fall, but that’s always such a busy time of year they postponed the celebration until spring, when it’s much more relaxed.

On hand for the mini fair were Lovelessizm, Ki-ele, Organik, Florencia Arias, Sas n Sol, and more. Butik fans received a 20 percent discount on in-store purchases, and vendors were offering discounts as well. Ki-ele’s Marylea Conrad was making way for her new collections by offering a clearance sale.

Kayo Master was there with her Mi Cielo applique T-shirt designs and equally adorable iPhone cases. I found it hard to resist the Cookie Monster. It was a good time for her to meet up with one of the Star-Advertiser American Girl winners to deliver her prize. We started the contest in early January to coincide with the release of the first Hawaiian American Doll ever, Kanani Akina. Young girls were to color an illustration we provided. Older girls were to design and draw an outfit.

We had only planned to have two winners in two age groups, but the work was so good, we expanded to four winners, announced Jan. 27, and Kayo, who helped us to judge, created her own “Thank You for Being Different” prize to present to 11-year-old ‘Aulani Oka. She was the only one to dress Kanani in a shave ice costume and it’s both our belief that originality should be rewarded.

‘Aulani was given her choice of one of Kayo’s T-shirts, but again, she had to be different, and wanted one of the San-X Mamegoma seal which Kayo created especially for her. (It’s another seal, the Hawaiian monk seal that figures prominently in Kanani’s life.)

For shoppers that day, the event was a great opportunity to meet the people who create their favorite designs.

Congrats Lan and Landy!

Kayo Master with ‘Aulani Oka and the T-shirt she won. Below, she tries on the Mamegoma design and also shown is the costume drawing that earned her the prize.

Kayo’s creations include adorable onesies and iPhone cases with various popular culture themes, from “Star Wars,” to “Smurfs,” “Mr. T” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

Wandering through the area without a clue as to what was going on, but looking stylish anyway, was Kuan Jung Lai and friendss Dick Page and Sarah Kunkel.

Florencia Arias was among the several vendors participating in the anniversary event.

Richie Miao was there with his Lovelessizm men’s collection with the promise of a women’s collection arriving soon. Initially, it was to have been designed by Andy South, but now Richie is helping Andy to produce his own line, while Kara Matsunaga, right, helps him with Lovelessizm’s women’s designs. Helping them with sales at The Butik event was Joy Furushima.

Hawaii Red Magazine’s Malie Moran, right, with Anne Tomita, artistic director for the 45th Annual University of Hawaii at Manoa Senior Fashion Show, “Paradox,” coming up May 1. There will be other events leading up to the show, beginning with the HIFI Pop-Up Resource Center March 21 to 25 at Ala Moana Center’s lower level, between Old Navy and Sam Goody.

Andy South previews Fall 2011 South collection

Nadine Kam photos
Designer Andy South poses with his model after the informal preview of his South by Andy South Fall 2011 ready-to-wear collection at Neiman Marcus.


Andy South offered a preview of his Fall 2011 South by Andy South ready-to-wear collection at Neiman Marcus on March 3, coinciding with the store's Spring "Fashion Rules" event.

There was a fashion show featuring the florals, whites and neutral colors of the season, followed by Andy sharing the stage with NM Honolulu's merchandise manager for contemporary sportswear, Lucy Chelini. It's difficult for any designer, much less one coming out with a first-time produced collection, to get into such a major retail store. It's generally not done, and even moreso in this tight economy. For good reason.

First, retailers don't want to take a risk on unknowns. Luckily, Andy is well-known in this town and the extended "Project Runway" community.

Second, as much as a buyer believes in a designer's talent, production is a whole other story. It's costly and there's a lot that can go wrong between the sample and finished stages, so it says a lot that Andy's got his foot in the door based on the strength of his designs, work ethic, and impression that he wouldn't settle for factory work that doesn't meet his high standards.

Neiman Marcus Honolulu's merchandise manager for contemporary sportswear, Lucy Chelini, welcomed Andy South to the stage to talk about his new collection. Click here to watch the video.

Andy was able to talk about his brand and vision, while teasing attendees with the promise of a couture line to come. One thing I didn't mention in my print interview with Andy is that he also designed his line with men in mind. Men have been inquiring about his clothing for themselves, but rather than stretch himself too thin at this point, he created some pieces to be unisex.

There's a lot of versatility in the collection overall, making it easy to add a couple of pieces to any type of wardrobe. Many pieces are drapey, making them easy to wear, and of course, there are the form-fitting, show-stopper dresses as well, for the risk-taking "South" girl who enjoys making a grand entrance.

From the response after the show, with people swarming the racks to feel and eye the samples up close, it looks like it'll be a hit come fall, when it's in the Honolulu Neiman.

The collection will have it's World Debut on Ala Moana's Centerstage on March 24 during the center's Spring Shop A Le'a event. I don't know what he's planning, but I'm sure it'll be signature Andy, who always aims to surprise. People who were there may recall he made a grand entrance on stilts in opening the Honolulu Community College Fashion Show when helping the Class of 2009.

On a side note, the launch of the Empty Bowl Hawaii 2011 Project also took place at NM that night. Check out my other blog Take A Bite for a visit with the artists and find out more about the big event March 18. No art lover or foodie will want to miss it!

Reise Kochi, who's helping Andy with his collection, posed with Lacy Matsumoto and Tiare Thomas.

Andy with fellow designers Matt Bruening, center, and Richie Miao.

Brie Thalman was among the Andy fans who rushed to the racks to check out his collection samples after the show.

Lacey Lien tries on one of the collection's signature pieces, a leather structured chain vest. Fashion show guests could enter a drawing to win the vest.

Many of Andy's pieces were draped with lightweight chains and silk fringe. Nicole Fox, who showed up after a workout and en route to hula practice, had the right vibe with her own chain-embellished tote.

Fans were happy for the opportunity to be photographed with Andy and his models Kate Schuette and Justine Godfrey.

Dior artists take bow in place of Galliano

About 40 Christian Dior artisans took the final bow at today’s runway show in Paris in a display of democratic unity in light of John Galliano’s dismissal from the house of Dior after a video emerged of the designer making anti-Semitic remarks surfaced three days ago.

At the time, people wondered if Galliano would be fired. On the one hand, he is immensely talented and has the over-the-top sort of image and personality that makes headlines, making his dismissal something of a setback for the company. On the other hand, bigotry and hatred of any sort cannot be tolerated at a company that touts beauty and elegance at all levels, including thought.

While the rest of the world seems to be going backward instead of forward, the arts—and I consider high fashion to be an art form—are usually tasked with moving humankind forward through ideas, emotions, fairness and open-mindedness.

It’s very unfortunate, but sets an example that we all should be working toward a better, tolerant and fairer society. When I read the newspaper, I see mostly hatred in its pages, but there are still pockets of goodness that should be nurtured. And just because everyone else seems to be spewing bile, doesn’t mean we have to add to that pool. Individually, we can rise above it and hopefully inspire others to let go of the fears that lead to such hatred.

Andy South to preview fall 2011 collection

South by Andy South photo

Get a sneak peek at the new South by Andy South Fall 2010 collection when Neiman Marcus presents its free "Fashion Rules" event from 6 to 9 p.m. March 3.

The best of spring's collections will be presented at 6:30 p.m., followed by an informal presentation by South at 7 p.m. Full details will be in tomorrow's printed edition, but this brief item is for those who need to plan a day ahead.

Empty Bowl Honolulu 2011 photos

It'll be a big night at the store, with the fashion shows following the opening reception and launch for Empty Bowls Honolulu's Signature Bowl Exhibition and Silent Auction.

The silent auction will feature a collection of 20 bowl-inspired works of art by some of Hawaii's top artists, including Yvonne Cheng, Ron Kent and Esther Shimazu. Proceeds will help the organization fight hunger in Hawaii. The silent auction will end March 14.

The highlight of the Empty Bowl Hawaii 2011 Project is a 6:30 p.m. March 18 event during which bowls made by dozens of local artists will be filled with soup from some of Hawaii's best restaurants, and served up with bread, at a cost of a minimum $20 donation to benefit Hawaii Meals on Wheels and River of Life mission.

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Neiman Marcus photo

The Beauty Event continues through Sunday. The tote full of samples also comes in black and pink.

Other in-store happenings March 3:

Julie Wong appearance and trunk show: Receive a gift from with a purchase of $1,000 from her line, in Designer Jewelry, Level One

The Beauty Event: Spend $100 or more in Cosmetics or Fragrances and receive an NM exclusive totebag filled with deluxe samples. Plus, receive additional gifts with qualifying purchases from participating lines. In Cosmetics, Level One, through Sunday.

Tom Ford Sunglasses trunk show: View a special collection of sunglasses from Tom Ford in Fashion Accessories, Level One

Gennaro Borriello trunk show: View a collection of fine jewelry and cameos from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., in Precious Jewels Salon, Level One

Spring 2011 Gown trunk show: View a collection of the season’s best gowns through informal modeling from 6 to 9 p.m., in Dress Collections, Level Two.

Gift with purchase offers: Available from Diane von Furstenburg, Tory Burch, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Eileen Fisher, and Le Mystere intimate apparel.

Retailers adapt to brave mobile world

Two years ago, I downloaded a scanner app popular with shoppers in Asia, where they could scan barcodes to get extra information about products, offers and discounts.

It wasn't very useful because American retailers were slow to adapt to the mobile world, but it looks like they're finally catching up, bringing more information to the consumers where it matters, on the selling floor.

I was shopping for a printer/scanner/copier at Best Buy and found it somewhat useful to scan a code leading to reviews of various printers. I say "somewhat" because it's hard to know how many of those reviews are corporate plants, but nevertheless, I was happy with the HP I bought.

Macy's has adopted the mobile mindset in a big way, introducing its Macy's Backstage Pass campaign with QR codes that can be scanned with your phone by downloading any QR reader app, to unveil several videos featuring their celebrity designers and fashion authorities offering tips on the spot. One of the first short video has designer Rachel Roy talking about mixing and matching spring's prints.

Other videos feature makeup artist Bobbi Brown, Sean Combs, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Greg Norman for Tasso Elba, and Irena Shabayeva for I.N.C. In a few weeks, there will be more videos featuring Martha Stewart and Madonna for Material Girl.

If you're pure old school, don't worry, you won't be left behind (yet). You can also view the videos online at www.macys.com/findyourmagic.

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One of the most amazing examples of QR codes I've seen was commissioned by the New York Times Magazine for its 10th annual "Year in Ideas" issue. They created the code with colored balloons. So amazing! You can watch the video by scanning the code above (it leads to several issue-related videos, some that may not make sense without having read the magazine), or clicking here:

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M.A.C Cosmetics

In another example of using mobile geo-based apps, M.A.C is tapping into Foursquare's audience for the launch of its Wonder Woman Collection of bright, vivid-color eyeshadows, pigments, lip and nail color, plus accessories. The introduction runs noon to 7 p.m. March 4 to 6 at the Ala Moana store.

Shoppers can check in with Foursquare to see if Wonder Woman has left any special stickers. A select number of stickers will reveal a special gift of a limited edition M.A.C Pow! ring.