MiSH MaSH finds home downtown

Nadine Kam photos
At MiSH MaSH, Nicole Franco, left, rings up a sale for vintage fan Devon Hughes, who had to rush back to Chaplain Lane where she had a booth at the Shop & Bop event.

Etown is no longer at 1164 Smith St., but vintage fans can still get their fashion fix now that that Nicole Franco has moved in, finding a permanent spot for her previously mobile MiSH MaSH vintage boutique.

The co-founder and producer of Art and Flea, which takes place every fourth Thursday at Fresh Cafe, has a really good eye that's obvious in the small space where every piece is a hand-picked gem.

Before dropping in on her opening night First Friday, Aug. 5., I had been at Pacific Gateway Center's Lemon Grass Cafe for its celebration of Andy South's accomplishments. While there, I ran into stylist Tiare Thomas, fresh from the recent launch of her new website, TiareThomas.com, and we walked over to MiSH MaSH with photographer Travis Okimoto.

They thought it would be safer for me to walk with them, but I had to laugh. I'm way tougher than I look, having grown up pushing my way onto the school bus with Waipahu boys three times my size, vacationed in New York in the early '80s when Times Square was still sleazy and Central Park muggings were a norm, and famously walking home solo from concerts (subways stopped running before they ended about 2 a.m.) in downtown Washington, D.C., when it was known as the murder capital of the nation. Throw in times I've caught rides with strangers while traveling solo in the Southwest, and there are times I now think I could have easily been killed. After that, downtown Honolulu is so NOT dangerous.

While we were at MiSH MaSH, I noticed there were a lot of men taking a look, and Nicole has plenty of vintage aloha shirts for them, as well as jackets, vests and ties for those who enjoy getting dressed.

It's amazing that in such a small space, she really has something for everyone, including jewelry and accessories, of course, but also some ceramic and glassware, toys, books, records, vintage cameras and radios, and more.

Tentative hours are noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m. Fridays, and Saturdays and Sundays by appointment by emailing mishmashshop@gmail.com. For more details, keep up with MishMashHawaii on Facebook.

Tiare Thomas tried on this hat but went home with a glamorous one-piece vintage swimsuit to add to her collection.

Among the items in the shop is a poster of Frank Sinatra's 1938 police mug shot, when he was charged with seduction and adultery by a woman who worried about her married status only after the fact. The complaint was dismissed less than a month later. There would be a lot of people in jail if those kinds of charges held up today! On the other hand, it would be a huge money maker for law enforcement in these times of need. These days, the city is kept afloat by the parking tickets I'm racking up.

Travis Okimoto admires the vintage cameras.

A selection of bow ties.

A shelf below a rack of aloha shirts houses glass and house wares.