BTBJ: Social media edition

Nadine Kam photos
At the entrance to the American Heart Association's 14th annual "Black Tie & Blue Jeans" fundraiser, a group of BFFs was one of many posing for a 7-second video that would be converted into a flip book to have and hold.

I thought I had a 6 a.m. flight home from New York July 16, so rather than risk going to bed and not waking up, I decided to stay up ’til 3 to go to the airport. At just about 3, I double-checked my flight time and found it was actually 7, but that just meant I could watch another movie in the hotel room before leaving at 4. Why oh why did I pick “Beastly?” I had to cut it off in the middle to leave, but no biggie. It’s a throwaway kind of film.

So, after having been awake 26 hours and making the 11-hour journey home (it’s not so painful when you opt for first class, where the seats recline and Delta proffers eye masks, comfy socks and other pleasant amenities), I managed to get back to work the same day, hauling my tired self to The Waikiki EDITION, where the American Heart Association was hosting its 14th annual “Black Tie & Blue Jeans” event.

Shopping New York

Nadine Kam photos
All Saints Spitalfields Allegra dress, $650. Too froufrou for my stature, but my b.f. wanted me to try it on. I obliged but it was so heavy I had a hard time taking it off. I wanted to cry.

NEW YORK—After visiting the McQueen show at the Met, I was in the mood for Brit fashion and chanced upon All Saints Spitalfields in SoHo, at 512 Broadway, a new favorite store. What got my attention was the store’s window display, with eye-catching antique sewing machines stacked floor to ceiling for an industrial look, echoed throughout the store.

The London-based company started with menswear and has branched out to womenswear with a Gothic sensibility. There was a lot I liked about the collections which ran the gamut from deconstructed parachute styles to tailored pieces with intricate details and construction. When I later wore a Jezabel skirt out, a person who understands construction had to get her hands on it for a closer look, asking if she could see it because, “It intrigues me.” I’m afraid she would have had to take it home to figure it out, and that wasn’t going to happen.

So much better than Topshop. I also didn’t find anything at Zara and H&M this time around.

In All Saints menswear department, antique sewing machines lined the walls behind a display of belts.

Odd Molly camisole and mini lookbook that comes with each piece.

Meanwhile, at Century 21, I found this really cute and quirky Swedish brand I liked, called Odd Molly, with romantic, vintage, homespun touches from smocking to embroidered button holes and finishes, to cowgirl fringe. I loved how each of their silk slip dresses came with its own lace storage envelope with ribbon ties.

Window shopping

Nadine Kam photos
In the window at Bergdorf Goodman, NYC.

Even if you can’t afford to shop, store windows on the Upper East Side and SoHo can provide hours of entertainment. Maybe there could be more artist collaborations in Honolulu.

Two more Bergdorf windows, below with the streetscape reflected through the glass.

The artist is credited at the base of a window.

In the window at Aritzia, SoHo.

Summer dressing, NY style

NEW YORK—Twenty years ago, inspired by Bill Cunningham's work in the New York Times, I started doing a monthly HI Style street fashion photo feature in the Star-Bulletin.

That lasted all of three months. I got bored. Here, there just wasn't the variety of looks that abound on New York streets.

A new generation is a lot more fashion conscious now, but even so, there's still a universality to dressing here, which might be labeled "mall casual," with very little variation. As much as I started out wanting to document street fashion on this blog, the focus has been on social events, where people tend to make more of an effort to dress up.

You'd think summer casual is limiting to begin with, but there is so much more variety on New York streets. Their casual is a lot more studied and polished. Here's what I saw on Prince Street in a span of 15 minutes. It makes it a lot more fun to be a fashion voyeur:

Hawaii in Brooklyn

Nadine Kam photos
Home furnishings, clothing, jewelry and food fill the Brooklyn Flea.

Visited Brooklyn Flea on a very hot July 9, when, even with sunscreen I managed to get something I don't usually get in Hawaii, sunburned—all those rays bouncing off concrete and asphalt!

It is quite a great market if you live there and can lug home interesting pieces of furniture and household goods. A lot of the clothing tends to be overpriced by Hawaii standards because that's what this market will bear.

I mentionef before that this is a year for a Hawaiian renaissance in fashion, and I'm seeing bits of Hawaii wherever I go. There were dozens of aloha shirts selling for about $22 to $25 at Brooklyn Flea, and a University of Hawaii shirt selling for $45.

A Cooke Street shirt was one of many offered by a vendor at Brooklyn Flea.

The flea market takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday at Fort Greene, through Nov. 19. There's also a Williamsburg location, same hours Sundays at the East River Waterfront, which continues through Nov. 20. Food is a big part of the events and in late May was spun off into its own event, the Williamsburg Smorgasburg, every Saturday at the East River Waterfront.

There is another Artists & Fleas Market that takes place 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, which, now that I'm looking at the map at 70 7th St., was only about two blocks away from the Williamsburg location. But on that hot day, I could barely read a map and didn't feel compelled to walk around any more in the heat.

Brady & Kowalski offeres only vintage "writing machines" a k a typewriters, at Brooklyn Flea.

Guy on a street corner in Williamsburg.

Yesterday, I visited Opening Ceremony where Reyn Spooner shirts are selling for $130 to $150 (long sleeve), and aloha print shirt dresses are $275. They did some cute styling, pairing a yellow floral skirt with a navy-and-white French-style striped sailor shirt.

Opening Ceremony photos

At a SoHo boutique called Nypull, which carries garments and accessories from 150 up-and-coming designers around the world, I spotted several dresses by Roberta Oaks.