More of Hawaii in print

Hawaii made a strong showing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, but we're also represented in other publications.

Lucky magazine's February issue includes a feature on Oahu as a "Shopper's Paradise." Featured are a number of downtown boutiques—Fighting Eel, Owens & Co., Community, and Barrio Vintage—plus the fashionable Collins & 8th on Pensacola, Rebecca Beach at the Kahala Hotel, and Aloha Rag on Kapiolani Boulevard, plus So'Mace Lifestyle, and venturing beyond Honolulu to Olive and Muumuu Heaven in Kailua, and Guava Shop in Haleiwa.

Some of the downtown boutiques missing were Roberta Oaks, and La Muse, where I picked up this nifty Joomi Lim spike bracelet.

And Vanity Fair's March issue includes a photo of former Hawaii resident, actor Jason Momoa, in a photo retrospective of "Bruce Weber's Adventures in Hollywood." Beautiful black and whites demonstrate why Bruce Weber is Bruce Weber.

Beauty spot: Orogold a Waikiki hit

Nadine Kam photos
A display inside the new Orogold store at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

Ten months after opening its first outpost in the Outrigger Reef Hotel in Waikiki, Orogold has opened its second boutique, this time at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, celebrating with a grand opening that took place Feb. 15. And come April, the company will be opening at a location on Front Street in Lahaina, Maui.

That's pretty fast, but understandable in a place where excessive sun and the need for skincare go hand in hand, and there are countless tourists willing to try something new. In this case, creams and serums infused with 24K gold, and expectedly pricey.

Gold has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are said improve circulation and speed up healing, though its skincare benefits are inconclusive. Any skin improvement is more likely to come from the various cream and serum formulations. For a little more information on gold as skincare, check out this article from Truth in Aging: http://www.truthinaging.com/ingredient-spotlight/gold-is-it-worthy-of-a-new-standard-in-skincare

The gold orb is the Vitamin C Mask from Orogold's 24K Vitamin C line formulated with vitamins C, E and A, as well as tangerine fruit extract and flecks of gold.

A 24K gold mask.

The room is done up in gleaming, polished white.

The copper-colored containers are from the 24K DMAE line.

Also represented here are masks from the 24K Brightening (silver tone), 24K Collagen & Caviar (lime) and 24K Oil Control (blue) product lines.

One of two demonstration rooms.

Some of the products that can be sample in the treatment room.

Ferrero Rocher candies served during the store's grand opening mimicked the shape and color of some of the cosmetic containers.

NM Beauty Event celebrates spring season

Neiman Marcus photo

The Beauty Event is back, starting Feb. 21 and continuing through March 3 at Neiman Marcus. During the event, sample new skin treatments and fragrances, and enjoy makeovers utilizing the latest colors and products.

Those who spend $125 or more on cosmetics or fragrances during this event, in stores or onlin, will receive a bright-colored spring tote filled with beauty samples, at one per customer, while supplies last.

Those with a NM or Bergdorf Goodman credit card can enjoy double InCircle points online through the 21st, at 11:59 p.m. CT, and in stores through the 21st. The bonus points may not be combined with other InCircle point offers and points cannot be earned on prior purchases, sales tax, shipping or gift packaging.

Search for next 'Prom Style Star' is on

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Hey teens, your best prom tip could make you the next Prom Style Star.

Beauty expert Cassandra Bankson has teamed up with Davids Bridal in the search that will lead to 10 winners of an "Ultimate Prom Package," and one grand prize winner of $10,000.

The Ultimate Prom Package comprises a prom dress and accessories from David's Bridal, a tuxedo rental for your date from Men's Wearhouse, a $250 Visa gift card good for use toward hair, nails and makeup, and your video featured at DavidsProm.com.

The contest involves making a prom tip video and uploading it to YouTube, completing the submission form and then copying and pasting the URL of the video at www.DavidsProm.com where you can also find more details about the contest.

Your video could be about anything from beauty to planning the perfect prom night. Some ideas:
How to feel confident at prom
Favorite prom hairstyles
Essential beauty products for prom
Sources for prom inspirations (i.e. celebrities, style experts, magazines, websites, videos)

The video should be less than 5 minutes long, include David's Bridal in the title and a link to http://www.davidsprom.com in the description.

March 3 is the deadline and the grand prize winner will be revealed on April 29.

A look back at SI swimsuit issue's humble beginnings

Alex Cayley photo
Ariel Meredith was photographed for Sports Illustrated 2013 Swimsuit Issue's online edition, in Seville, Spain, in a swimsuit by Sarah Bolz of Maui's Kai ulu Swimwear.

In today's paper, I wrote a brief story about Maui-based Letarte Swimwear's history with the Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue, going back 13 years.

Another Hawaii company that made it into the issue was Maui Girl, and the online version also featured swimsuits from another Maui-based company, Kai ulu Swimwear.

The annual issue has grown into a $1 billion enterprise according to Business Insider, but the issue had humble roots.

Our sports editor, Paul Arnett, happened to have purchased the original 1964 Swimsuit Issue for $10 in the 1990s. (Original price: .25 cents). I saw one site listing its value today as $175, though of course that's dependent on availability and one's desire to own it.

It's pretty rare that a sports and fashion writer have a meeting of minds. Most times, he's making fun of me because I never know the names of the Superbowl teams, except when I can't help but pick it up through osmosis. Generally, I try to avoid all talk of football and pretend to know nothing of the game, though I went to every game of my high school alma mater, and followed the UH team when I was there, as well.

I was much more enthusiastic when he brought in the original swimsuit issue. Sports Illustrated was born in 1954, and the "Swimsuit Issue" started 10 years later, on Jan. 20, 1964. It was really just a six-page fashion spread, with a few water-oriented stories on snorkel and dive spots, but the cover—of Babette March in a white bikini—was definitely not your typical Sports Illustrated cover.

The look was also more girl next door, vs. the bombshell look look of today's models. It was all quite tame and wholesome.

According to Business Insider, the supplement was started by then-editor Andre Laguerre to increase readership during the winter lull between popular sports seasons. With a hit on their hands, Jule Campbell was chosen as SI's first swimsuit editor, taking the helm from 1965 to 1996.

Since becoming a stand-alone issue in 1997, the magazine has become "one of Time Inc.’s biggest revenue drivers over the years, bringing in more than $1 billion," according to Forbes.

The empire encompasses online editions, videos, calendars, and a swimwear website, SwimDaily.com

In contrast to the original swimsuit spread, which fits in its entirety here: (The magazine is now in ab archival cover, and I don't think Paul would let me handle it again.)

Living in a virtual world ... byebye material girls

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As part of New York Fashion Week, SiriusXM hosted "Town Hall with Kenneth Cole,” with SiriusXM Fashion Insiders host Fern Mallis, who was instrumental in starting NYFW, interviewing Cole about his return to the runway and the importance of social media.

The most interesting part of the brief interview was when he said, “What’s interesting now is that we don’t consume the product by buying it in the stores. I mean, one percent do, maybe. 100 percent view it [and] consume it, by shooting it, by posting it, by pinning it, by blogging it, by tweeting it, by retweeting it, and today it is being consumed everywhere in these unique and interesting ways. And they define themselves by it … there’s Pinterest, Instagram and all of these social platforms.”

I've been doing this for at least a decade. If I can't possess an item I find beautiful, I'd save a photo of it as a reminder. Before, I would have to save the images in folders on my computer desktop, but now Pinterest makes it easy to collect photos and create storyboards. For retailers, it's a great marketing and advertising tool as the public spreads word of their love and affection for a brand.

But in the long-term, I wonder what happens to the retail business model when everyone does make consumption virtual. The economy is questionable, unemployment is still high. It's conceivable that the cash-strapped won't need to make purchases if they can enjoy items vicariously via Pinterest. It can be unexpectedly satisfying, because let's face it, even if we buy coveted items, chances are we tire of it in three months or even before the credit card bill arrives.

If so, retailers might one day find themselves in the same boat as the record, book and newspaper industry, trying to stay afloat in a world where increasingly, life is being led online.

Or maybe it really is the 1 percent that props up the industry, and it's just the 99 percent of us who have to use our imaginations. It sort of works in the way it really couldn't for food and housing.

You can view his show here:


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NYFW 2013 fall-winter previews come to a close

Here are scenes from the final official day of New York Fashion Week's fall-winter 2013 previews, as reflected on Twitter: http://storify.com/fashiontribe/nyfw-the-fall-winter-2013-finale

NYFW: Day 7 roundup

Day 7 views of New York Fashion Week, via Twitter: http://storify.com/fashiontribe/nyfw-fall-winter-2013-day-7

Valentine's Day heart braid for girls

SoCozy.com photo

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, you can dress up your little one and show the world how you feel about love with this heart braid design by children's hair expert Cozy Friedman, as featured in "Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls' Hair."

What you’ll need: Wide-tooth comb, fine-tooth comb, decorative hair clip, ponytail holders

1. Starting with damp hair (either towel-dried or misted), use a wide-tooth comb to detangle. Then, using a fine-tooth comb, part the hair down the middle of the head. Clip one side up right above the ear.

2. On the other side of the part, use the fine comb to gather a thin section of hair from the crown. This section should measure about 2 inches from the hairline to the top of the head.

3. Divide this section into three, and begin a French braid starting at the crown and curving toward the temple, then toward the back of the head, like the top lobe of a heart. You will be lifting hair into the braid only from this side of the part. Leave no loose hair in front of the ears.

4. When you reach the center part at the back of the head, secure the braid with a ponytail holder. If hair is very long, end the braid about mid-ear; the ends will hang down the back.

5. Unclip the hair on the other side of the part and repeat the process. Secure with a ponytail holder.

6. Join the ends of the braids together in the center of head and secure with ponytail holder. Finish with a decorative clip.


There's a lot of braiding being shown on the New York runways for adults as well. Here are images from the Rodarte show:

John Frieda photos

Added Feb. 13:

From the Badgley Mischka Fall/Winter 2013 Collection preview:
Hair by Peter Gray for Moroccanoil

Photos by David Webber for Moroccanoil

NWFW Fall-Winter 2013: Day 6

Here are scenes from New York Fashion Week's Fall-Winter 2013 previews on my Storify page, as spotted on Twitter: http://storify.com/fashiontribe/nyfw-2-12-images

It's sunny backstage at Tory Burch.

Letarte scores second SI Swimsuit cover

For the second time in the 13 years Letarte Swimwear has been included in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the Maui company has scored a cover. The brand created by Lisa Letarte Cabrinha and Michele Letarte Ross, and designed by Lisa, last made the cover in 2005. The 2013 edition of the swimsuit issue hits newsstands tomorrow, although you can view the images now at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013_swimsuit/

Two's also a charm for model Kate Upton, who's been the cover girl for two years in a row. Last year, she appeared on the cover in a swimsuit by Maui-based Suit Yourself Bikinis by Kathleen Bruening.

This year, she appears in Letarte's sporty mesh side tie bikini bottom, sans top, but with a fur-trimmed parka in the unlikeliest of swimsuit venues, Antarctica.

It makes sense for Letarte, considering the sisters conduct their business cross-country. While Michele skis in Vermont every weekend, Lisa is surfing the Maui waves that inspire the line.

The suit Upton is wearing is part of a surf/kite capsule. The swimsuit issue always delivers a bump in sales for the local swimwear and jewelry companies included in the fashion spreads. Pre-orders for the $180 bikini are being taken at http://letarteswimwear.com/ The matching top is a white mesh slide triangle style that ties at the neck and back.

Beauty spot: Wu's fall look from the NYFW runway

Here's a peek at one of fall's makeup looks, as shown on the Jason Wu runway:

Sean Combs presents Instagram fashion show

Sean John photo

Sean Combs launched his latest men's collection with an Instagram Fashion Show, with images released beginning 10 a.m. this morning, Feb. 8. Viewers will be invited to check out images from the latest collection at http://instagram.com/iamdiddy, with pieces only available at Macy’s.

The multi-media star claims the Instagram fashion presentation is the first in social media history. Although I'm sure smaller showcases have taken place—there have been many an Instagram art show for instance—he may very well be the most high-profile personality to make use of the service in such a timely way.

I think it's a great idea for a small company with no budget, but a bigger company can't discount the electricity and energy that comes from a physical display, even if it's just a walk-around presentation.

NYFW Day 2 via Storify

Here's a look at Day 2 of New York Fashion Week as viewed by the Twitterverse, on my Storify page: http://storify.com/fashiontribe/nyfw-fall-winter-2013-day-2

Harry Winston bracelet benefits Rehab Hospital

Harry Wintson photo
Sales of the new limited edition Harry Winston Hope Collection bracelet will benefit the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific Foundation.

Harry Winston, Inc., has selected Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific Foundation to be a recipient of the new limited-edition Harry Winston Hope Collection bracelet, which was developed to support leading charitable organizations throughout the United States.

The limited edition bracelet features a sleek white gold and engraved mother-of-pearl design set with a delicate Winston diamond at the center. Twenty-five of the bracelets, retailing for $2,500, are available at the Harry Winston retail salon at Ala Moana Center, beginning today, Feb. 8. Only 200 bracelets are available nationwide.

The charitable program launched two years ago, and Harry Winston, Inc. will donate 100 percent of the retail price from each bracelet sold in Honolulu to Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific Foundation, chosen because of its history of providing acute care medical rehabilitation for patients recovering from a wide range of injuries.

Beauty Spot: Touch in Sol for Hilo Hattie

Touch In Sol photos
Touch In Sol lip tints are $12.99 at Hilo Hattie. Keep in mind kama'aina get a 10 percent discount off that price, and the first 100 who make a purchase from the line on Saturday—at Hilo Hattie's Ala Moana Center or Nimitz location—will receive a free gift.

Locally owned Hilo Hattie and Touch In Sol Cosmetics will launch their collaboration cosmetic line on Feb. 9, in time for Valentine’s Day shopping.

Touch In Sol is an Asia-based international cosmetics company with products sold in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. It entered the United States market last year, launching in New York, and now, Hawaii.

The first 100 shoppers to make a purchase from the line on Saturday, from the Ala Moana Center store or flagship Hilo Hattie store at 700 N. Nimitz Hwy., will receive a free gift with purchase. Kama'aina will also receive a 10 percent discount.

The two companies will launch the new products through its Gift of Giving program, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Hawaii Domestic Violence Action Center. Forty participants in the Hawaii Domestic Violence Action Center will receive cosmetics from Touch In Sol as well Hilo Hattie, as a way of helping victims of domestic violence get back on their feet.

The nonprofit Domestic Violence Action Center provides a comprehensive array of services for victims of domestic violence, including legal representation and advocacy for victims, civil and criminal court outreach, education about dating violence, professional training, public awareness, community mobilization, employer training, advocacy for teen victims, and technical assistance to the public and private sector.

Watch for a presentation on KHON's "Wake up 2Day" at 6:15 a.m. Feb. 13, and on KGMB's Hawaii News Now Sunrise at 8:10 a.m. on Valentine's Day.

Touch In Sol's My Star in the Sky BB cream has a touch of shimmer for those who want a subtle glow. I've used regular foundation, with just a touch of this BB cream over my cheekbone as a highlighter.

Touch In Sol "I'll Get You" lip stain and gloss duo in "Red Ohia," $12.99.

Touch In Sol lip stain and gloss duo in "Pink Plumeria," $12.99.

Touch In Sol lip stain and gloss duo in "Peach Hibiscus," $12.99.

Touch In Sol lipglosses are $15.99 each at Hilo Hattie.

Beauty Spot: Skin so happy in Kailua

Nadine Kam photos
A cake celebrates the opening of SkinHappy MediSpa in Kailua.

Julie Kenner was afraid she's throw a party and no one would come. But her worries were over nothing. In one of the sun capitals of the world, the grand opening of her SkinHappy MediSpa in Kailua not only drew a crowd, but guests from the beach town lined up to make appointments for corrective Botox treatments, facials, spray tans, and more, during the event that took place Feb. 5.

Guests enjoyed pupus, champagne, a sampling of products carried by the medispa—including Neocutis, NIA24 (a niacin-powered skin therapy line) and Environ— and had an opportunity to win one of nine facials valued at $140 each.

The new business is the medical spa extension of Kenner Dermatology Center, located in Castle Medical Center. The clinic is owned by Kenner, M.D., Ph.D., FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and diplomat of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Due to the demand for skin cancer treatments at the Kenner Dermatology Center, Kenner said she was running out of space and wanted to look into establishing a focused skin cancer center, while taking the aesthetic branch of services closer to communities where its needed.

The new SkinHappy MediSpa now shares space with Kai Boutique, next to the Kailua Post Office. The MediSpa is in a loft space upstairs from the boutique. SkinHappy is a medically-focused MediSpa using a variety of facial treatments and skin products to primarily treat two of the most common skin complaints in adolescents and adults: acne and facial pigmentation.

She's done all this in spite of being a mom juggling 9-month-old twins. When I asked her how she's managing the multitasking, she said, "As a woma, we just do stuff."

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SkinHappy MediSpa is at 319 Hahani St., and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Parking is available in front and back of the building. Call 263-3222 or visit www.skinhappymedispa.com

Dr. Julie Kenner with her twins, Marcella Renee, left, and Abby Rose.

While waiting for an appointment, clients can browse the racks at Kai boutique for clothing, accessories and small housewares.

The treatment room at SkinHappy MediSpa.

'Lines in Time' fiber arts exhibition in Kakaako

Nadine Kam photos
One of the works by Marques Hanalei Marzan on view at ii gallery in Kakaako.

"Lines in Time," a solo"exhibition of fiber arts by Marques Hanalei Marzan will have its grand opening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today, Feb. 7, at the intimate ii gallery at 687 Auahi St., also home to the renovated R/D and Morning Glass Coffee.

Marzan studied traditional Hawaiian fiber art for years under such notable kupuna as Elizabeth Lee, Gladys Kukana Grace and Pat Bacon, and this exhibition shows the evolution of his work as he incorporates traditional weaving, twining and netting techniques to create works with a contemporary focus.

The show will continue 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, through March 6.

While there, check out R/D's array of art and fashion books. In addition to photo books about photography, Kate Moss and Grace Coddington's memoir, Sarah Honda point out one of the best sellers for the innovation center, the Magma Sketchbook suited for designers, graphic artists and illustrators. The $15.95 book has plenty of blank pages to fill with ideas, and some practical tools, as you'll see below. It would make a great gift for an aspiring designer you know:

The Magma Sketchbook is being snatched up by many an aspiring designer. Among its features:

In addition to note pages, there are line drawings to help the artistically challenged render their designs.

And in case you can't decipher all the symbols in a clothing care label, a handy-dandy guide tells all.

Scenes from NYFW: Day 1

New York Fashion Week has begun. Check out some of the images culled from Twitter at my Storify page: http://sfy.co/cDuR

A group of more than 30 designers and fashion personalities are participating in title sponsor Mercedes-Benz's Fashion Plates initiative this season to benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

Each created a custom license plate to showcase their fashion forward thinking within the lobby of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center from February 7-14, 2013.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Plates initiative reveals insight into key personalities within the fashion community. The list includes designers Anna Sui, Badgley Mischka, Betsey Johnson, Carmen Marc Valvo and Jenny Packham. Mara Hoffman acknowledged Hawaii on her license plate.

Says Hoffman: "I love the idea of working with other designers to create an installation that shows our unique personalities in a collaborative way. ALL IS1 is to remind us that we are all waves on the same ocean."

Mercedes-Benz Facebook Fans can participate in a Mercedes-Benz Fashion Plate Scramble. Fashion plates will be posted to www.facebook.com/MercedesBenzUSA with the original word sequence scrambled with clues to whose plate it is. The first 100 winners to identify the plate correctly will receive the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Plate CAR2URE featured on the SLS AMG Black Series.

Designer Mara Hoffman's license plate.

Relaxology at Moana Lani Spa and Boutique

Nadine Kam photos
Moana Lani Spa specialists treated guests to hand massages using Rice Force skin care products at a grand opening party for the Moana Lani Boutique.

After my last spa experience, I was thrilled to counteract the stress by retreating to the Moana Lani Spa at the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, which was hosting a grand opening party for The Moana Lani Boutique on Jan. 31.

First stop on the tour was the ground-floor Moana Lani Boutique, in the resort's Ewa-side Tower Wing, where lights were dimmed so guests could enjoy a sampling of the spa's Relaxology foot treatment, which had the therapists tilting us back on zero-gravity chairs, then pampering our feet with hot towels and a bit of aromatherapy.

Those on the go, who want to rest their feet for a few minutes, can now enjoy the Relaxology foot treatment for 15 minutes ($30) or 25 minutes ($50), or full European Reflexology Treatment is now available for 25 minutes ($55) and 55 minutes ($120). It's a great no-fuss treatment because if you're in a hurry, there's no need to remove or stow clothes, etc.

The ground floor location also makes it easy to shop for spa products without heading to the second-story spa up the escalators. Some of the spa brands carried are Dayna Decker, Kashwere, Tasha & Co., and Kauai-based Malie.

Upstairs, Travis Kono, director of spa, had a few surprises waiting, including hand massages showcasing Dayna Decker aromatherapy lotions, Rice Force skincare, and the creation of personalized Salt of the Earth salt and sugar scrubs. As an added surprise, the president and CEO of Rice Force was there, so I got the chance to thank him for coming up with a beautiful product that works for me.
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For more information, visit www.moanalanispa.com/services/boutique.htm or call 237-2535.

A few minutes of foot "Relaxology" set the event on the perfect footing in the Moana Lani Boutique. Guests could take the weight off their feet in zero-gravity chairs.

The boutique's overhead lights were shut off and the lighting was via candlelight to create a serene experience.

Moana Surfrider Director of Operations Cynthia Chow, and Noritaka Numata, president and CEO of Rice Force, prepare to crack open the celebratory sake barrel.

Director of Spa Travis Kono, Chow and Numata show the Rice Force products, shown below, recently introduced to the Moana Lani Spa.

Rice Force photo

Salt of the Earth custom blend scrubs and lotions will be available to those who get a manicure or pedicure at the spa. Here, a salt and sugar scrub is blended with a choice of scents such as champagne/strawberries or rosemary/mint, with displays echoing the scents, below.

Guests were offered pupu from the Beach Bar. Loved, loved, loved this chawanmushi with lobster, in which I could actually taste the lobster. So savory, creamy and delicious.

Scallop with ginger and edamame puree.

Inside a couples suite with whirlpool bath.

More treats to eat: A Thai beef salad.

Coffee mousse covered bite-size pieces of chocolate cake.

Almond tofu with fresh fruit.