Louis Vuitton's new scents trigger wanderlust

Photo courtesy Louis Vuitton

 After a long absence, fragrance is back at Louis Vuitton. Seven new scents capture the essence of travel that is in the DNA of the luxury brand.

Once upon a time, like every other major luxury brand, Louis Vuitton had its own line of fragrances, introduced in 1925. The last launch came in 1946, after the end of World War II.

Now, after a 70-year absence, fragrance is back in the big way with the launch of a seven-scent collection created by renowned third-generation Grasse perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud.

The beautiful scents are made from all-natural ingredients using CO2 extraction to maintain the fragile essence of plants and flowers used.

The names of the fragrances tell a story of a journey through life and travels in keeping with the brand's roots in creating sturdy, stackable and waterproof trunks for travelers.

Nadine Kam photos
Ceramic keys, above and below, make it easy to smell the individual fragrances before selecting a few to try on.

The excursion starts with Rose Des Vents, evoking a field of roses in Belletrud’s home of Grasse, France, leading to Turbulences, with the scent of tuberoses, to stir excitement about the road ahead. Dans La Peau possesses an infusion of leather reflecting LV’s association with travel luggage. Apogee’s lily of the valley scent represents the pinnacle of travel, while the warm vanilla scent of Contre Moi (“Close to Me”) is one to snuggle up with when missing home. Matiere Noire (“Dark Matter”) blends dark wood and white narcissus and jasmine to create an air of mystery, and Mille Feux (“Thousand Lights”) is and ode to a starlit sky or Aurora Borealis, the light that contributes to the magic of travel.

The fragrances are presented in elegant apothecary-style bottles designed by Apple watch designer Mark Newson to reflect the heritage brand, combined with contemporary magnetic cap and illusion spray stem.

To mark the introduction, the Louis Vuitton Waikiki store recently presented an open house allowing shoppers to sample the new fragrances through a smart display including ceramic keys that allowed all to easily take in the individual scents before deciding which they wanted to try on their skin.

A display near the entrance at the Waikiki Louis Vuitton store.

Work on the fragrances began four years ago, and it was well worth the wait. All the fragrances are so great I wanted to try them all. Although unisex, a couple scents, such as Dans Le Peau and Matiere Noire struck me as more masculine. In the store, I was drawn mostly to the florals, but now I have taken to wearing Mille Feux most of the time, taken by the spark of the thousand lights of fireworks. The candy-like fragrance includes an infusion of raspberry, with osmanthus, iris and saffron.

Each 100 milliliter bottle is $240; 200 milliliter bottles are $350. Refills are available at $150 and $300, respectively. A mini set of all seven scents in 10 millileter sizes is $290. And a travel set of four 7.5 milliliter pocket atomizers is $240. Available at Louis Vuitton Waikiki and Ala Moana Center.
___________

Photo courtesy Louis Vuitton
A display of Gump's perfume bottles through Oct. 18 reflects a shared luxury heritage that continues on the Waikiki site that was home to the Gump Building from 1928, and Louis Vuitton today.

Coinciding with the introduction and tied in with the local roots of the Gump Building that now houses the Louis Vuitton store, LV is also presenting a mini display of four Hawaiian carved wood perfume vessels created by Fritz Abplanalp in the mid-1930s. That's when Alice Spalding Bowen, a gallery manager at Gump's—Honolulu's original luxury store—had the idea of creating fragrances unique to Hawaii, for affluent steamship travelers.

Abplanalp used ohia, monkeypod, milo and hau woods to create the floral cases that housed vials of Pikake, Plumeria and Fern Lei fragrances. The bottles will be on display through Oct. 18, on loan from the Honolulu Museum of Art.

Nadine Kam photo
Also displayed is "Lei in a Bottle: Collecting Hawaiian Perfume Bottles," a book by Gwen and Evan Olins, tells the story of Hawaiian perfume bottles from the 1930s through '60s, including the Gump's story.

——————
Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her fashion coverage is in print on Saturdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.

'A' is for Avel and advocacy at Avel Bacudio fashion show

Nadine Kam photos
Models in neoprene swimwear line up before the start of Avel Bacudio's fashion show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Resort.

"Triple Threat Advocacy" is not the frilly sort of name we expect from a fashion show, but designer Avel Bacudio's heart was in the right place as he staged a showing of swimwear, couture and Fall 2017 ready-to-wear designs in support of the Northern Luzon School for the Visually Impaired.

The nonprofit organization in his home country of the Philippines provides board, lodging, educational services and livelihood training and equal opportunities for visually impaired students to promote independence and meaningful lives. The school relies mostly on donations for support.

Designer Avel Bacudio shows one of his gowns before the start of his fashion show.

The event presented by Magnum Model and Talent Productions and sponsored by Philippine Airlines, took place Sept. 11 in the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Resort's Coral Ballroom. Audience members were treated to intimate peformances by recording artist Billy Crawford and Philippines Prince of R&B and Jay R Sillona, who both posed for selfies with fans in the midst of performances.


Video link

Among the models and opening the show was 2012 Miss Universe 1st Runner-Up Janine Mari Tugonon. She is in the running to become one of the Top 12 of 2017 Nu Muses. To vote for her, visit numus.es/janine. Anyone is welcome to cast one vote per day through 5 p.m. PST, Sept. 17.

Kekoa Lyons wears one of Bacudio's minimalist neoprene sweaters, sales of which will help support visually impaired children in the Philippines. Adult sizes run $75, children's sweaters run $55 at aveldesigns.com.

The close of his show brought out keiki and adult models in neoprene, digital-print sweaters emblazoned with "A"s and other letters of the alphabet, the "A" representing both Avel and advocacy for the visually impaired students.

The charity is close to his heart because of his own brush with blindness a decade ago when he suffered from retinal detachment that could have ended his career.

Bacudio was raised in Bicol, in Southern Luzon, better known for being home to one of the smallest freshwater fish in the world, the dwarf pygmy goby, than fashion. He rose to present his work on international stages after being chosen to participate in a student fashion competition in Paris. Bacudio earned the title of "Asia's Most Influential Designer during Mercedes-Benz Stylo Asia Fashion Week 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, beating 24 other designers from 11 countries throughout Asia. Shoe designer Jimmy Choo is one of his champions, and is working to bring Bacudio's work to the attention of fashion enthusiasts in the West.

Nordstrom Rack opens in Waikiki

Nordstrom Rack photos
A new Nordstrom Rack will open its doors at 9 a.m. Sept. 1.

It's a crazy time with President Obama in town causing tie-ups in traffic, the specter of hurricanes and mercury retrograde in effect, but Hawaii people love a grand opening and they keep coming.

Following openings of the International Market Place and its dozens of shops and restaurants, a new Nordstrom Rack will open its doors at neighboring Waikiki Trade Center at 9 a.m. Sept. 1.

Festivities begin at 8 a.m. with music, coffee and breakfast treats. There will also be a raffle giveaway of 30 $100 gift cards, plus, one lucky winner will score a $1,000 shopping spree through the retailers "Rule the Rack" sweepstakes, with drawing taking place at 8:25 a.m.

If lines outside the new Foodland Farms Ala Moana Center this morning are an indication, people won't be able to stay away.

A peek at the new store's interior.

Dior hosts Winter 2016 preview

Nadine Kam photos
This dress was one of several modeled by Daniella Abe during a preview trunk show of Dior's Winter 2016 ready-to-wear collection. Styles are slated to begin arriving in stores next month.

I love the romance evident in fall's designs, and Dior delivers on the handworked, vintage-y vibe of the season. The boutique at T Galleria hosted a preview of its Winter 2016 collection on Aug. 15.

On view were ready-to-wear dresses in plush velvets and soft knits, with many pieces embellished with beads and paillettes in an ornate style I associate with 1950s Chinese brocades.

Also on the floor are early 1900s and menswear-inspired shoes, fabulous eyewear that shoppers just couldn't put down, and combat boots with bling that have people stomping their way all over Paris.

Footwear also was cued by the past, with high-vamp lace-up styles and color cues from menswear. But stiletto heels are purely femme.

Carrying over from summer, a limited number of Dior X Rihanna collaboration sunglasses are available at the boutique now, at about $840.

Here's a video link with Rihanna in the sunglasses: dior.com

A bodice of velvet florals softens winter's black eveningwear.

Beauty trends at Macy's

 Nadine Kam photos
Joy Ramos, left, was the mannequin for the day as nine beauty brands worked their magic on her bare skin, from a foundation of skin care, to brows, lashes and full color look, during Macy's Ala Moana's inaugural Beauty Trend Show. Here, she's in the chair with representatives from Lancome.

Macy's hosted it's first Beauty Trend Event July 16 at the Ala Moana Center store, highlighted by something I haven't seen done here before, a start-to-finish makeover, from skin care to color, featuring several beauty brands.

It had to be hard to determine who would do what. Typically, each brand would perform a makeover using all of its own products, but that's not realistic.

I think even the most loyal customers pick and choose the best from each product line, and very few match their skin care to their choice of color brands.

Among skincare products highlighted were:
Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Cleansing Gel
SKII Facial Treatment Essence
Clarins Double Serum
Chanl Le Blanc Intensive Spot Treatment and Hydra Flash Balm
Shisedo Ibuki Beauty Sleeping Mask and Ibuki Quick Fix Mist
Origins Plantscription line

Color products featured:
Lancome Le Base Pro and Le Lipstick in "Clear"
Estée Lauder Nude Cushion Stick Double Wear Foundation
Benefit Browvo and Kabrow brow tamers
M.A.C Dazzle Eyes shadow
Urban Decay Vice Lips and makeup setting spray
Bobbi Brown Sunset Pink Collection

I stopped by the Benefit Brow Bar after the show, where nine brow-perfecting products are the most offered by any other brand on the beauty floor.

Beauty spot: Tata Harper shows natural beauty can be effective

Nadine Kam photos
Tata Harper was in town to host a skin-care master class featuring her all-natural line of beauty products.

Beauty expert Tata Harper has been in Hawaii celebrating her birthday, and made a trip to Neiman Marcus July 30 to host a skin-care master class, utilizing the all-natural products handmade on her Vermont farm.

I was running a bit late that morning, but still managed to put a face on, only to find we were starting the session with a good face cleansing. We began with Tata Harper's Nourishing Oil Cleanser, that went on silky smooth and washed off easily with a damp sponge, taking my makeup job with it. To familiarize ourselves with the products, we were also able to try her exfoliating Regenerating Cleanser, detox-oriented Purifying Cleanser, and for sensitive skin and rosacea, Refreshing Cleanser.

There's an idea that's hard to shake, that "natural" cannot be as effective as industrialized ingredients. One of my friends once said that in the war against wrinkles, "Give me chemicals." But in my experience, Tata Harper's products are much more effective than most brands I've tried, that take a more traditional approach to creating skincare products.

A display highlighted the fresh fruit, botanicals and herbs that go into Tata Harper Skincare.

I've interviewed Harper many times, and her origin story is that she began questioning the many household and beauty chemicals we use every day after her father-in-law became sick from cancer. What she learned horrified her, because many of the ingredients used in beauty products are also used in automotive and industrial products. "How can that be beautifying?" she asks, and started studying and learning, changing her family's lifestyle in the process, so that her father-in-law became a cancer survivor.

In speaking to industry chemists, she also learned that, for marketing purposes, most beauty products utilize only one or two active ingredients, whether hyularonic acid or vitamin C. Beyond that ingredient that sells the product, the rest is filler.

Trio of designers take stage at 47th Hui Makaala fashion show

Nadine Kam photos
Kaypee Soh presented the finale collection during the Hui Makaala 47th annual fashion show.

The Okinawan scholarship organization, Hui Makaala, presented its 47th fashion show July 24 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, featuring Dolkii, Boutique Sharon, and Kaypee Soh.

First to present was Dolkii, created by sisters Shaiyanne Dar and Yasmin Dar Fasi. What started as Shaiyanne's blog in 2013, turned into an online boutique last year, and this season, the sisters created their first original designs, a dress and harem pant-inspired romper that reflect the casual, chic, boho essence of Dolkii.

Next up were designs from Joe Jeong's Boutique Sharon, reflecting the colorful mixed cultural heritage of Hawaii through fashion by Harari, local designer Anne Namba, Hawaiian artists and Italian clothiers.

Miss Hawaii 2016 Allison Chu walked the runway for all three segments. Here, she's pictured in an ensemble from Boutique Sharon. She also proved to be a quick-change artist, singing in between segments and rushing backstage to get into garments to open the shows.


Video link


Video link


Video link

Kaypee Soh presented the finale show inspired by Hawaii's rainbows and flora. Soh, who grew up in Malaysia, attended school in London, and started his career as a graphic designer. After moving to Hawaii in 2004, he found a niche in interiors, but his love of textiles and prints led to a natural evolution from wardrobing the home to outfitting the body. This spring-summer collection marks his first full collection, yet anyone seeing his work for the first time would think he's been working in fashion for years.

A day ahead of the show, I worried that pending tropical storm Darby might cause its cancellation. The day was humid, but the downpour in Honolulu waited until the evening. A good thing because this is the organization's major fund-raiser for scholarships, that in 2016 will go to:

* Stephanie Adaniya: Iolani School to Brown University; Biology
* Reese Asato: Iolani School to University of Purdue; Mechanical Engineering
* Dane Itomura: Punahou School to UC San Diego; Biology
* Kassie Odo: Pearl City High to Oregon State; Bio-engineering
* Shayna Pak: McKinley High to University of Hawaii at Manoa; Music
* Copeland Talkington: Kamaile Academy to UHM; Computer Science
* Marisa Tsuhako: Waiakea High to UHM; Master of Education
* Summer Tsukenjo: Sacred Hearts Academy to Kapiolani Community College; Education
* Jolyn Yoneshige: Castle High to Hawaii Pacific University; Education

Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients and all who worked hard to make sure the show when on in spite of the uncertain weather.

Allison Chu in one of Dolkii's original romper designs.

A stylized "rainbow" by Kaypee Soh.

——————
Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her fashion coverage is in print on Saturdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.