GLAM! sale is on at Blaisdell

Nadine Kam photos
Models walk the runway in upcycled designs by Charmaine Claire Viernes, right, during the 2016 Goodwill Goes GLAM! Doll Me Up fashion show that took place July 21 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

With Thursday's "Doll Me Up" fashion show produced by Kini Zamora, featuring upcycled designs by seven child and seven adult designers, the "Goodwill Goes GLAM!" sale is on.

Fans of thrifting can shop brand-name fashions and goods, both new and gently used at bargain prices under one roof at the colossal pop-up shop at the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, 777 Ward Ave., through Sunday.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 22 and 23, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 24. Park free at McKinley High School. Tickets to the GLAM! sale are $4. Check facebook.com/goodwillhawaii for any weather updates due to the pending tropical storm Darby.

New additions to the event this year include a Hawaiian Telcom Entertainment Lounge equipped with TVs, a laptop/computer station and complimentary Wi-Fi access for shoppers.


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No7 beauty products are being featured at the GLAM Spot featuring products from London-based Boots Alliance, available at Walgreen's Keeaumoku.

Boots Retail USA will also be hosting free beauty workshops and demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on GLAM! sale days, featuring its No7 cosmetics and skincare products. The workshops will include a No7 "Match Made Foundation" service covering color-matching foundations, foundation tips and demonstrations; No7 "Sun Kissed Complexion" workshop offering tips on how to achieve radiant skin; and No7 "All About the Eyes" workshop on how to keep your eyes looking youthful with No7 eye products.

The schedule is as follows:

July 22 and 23
Noon: No7 Match Made Foundation Service
1 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion
2 p.m.: No7 Match Made Foundation Service
3 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion

July 24
Noon: No7 All About the Eyes
1 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion
2 p.m.: No7 All About the Eyes
3 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion

Kierra Akima, 11, won $300 for her sleek black cocktail dress created from fabric sourced from Goodwill garments.

During last night's fashion show, seven child designers, ages 10 to 12, and seven adult designers took on the task of creating new fashion by upcycling threads sourced from Goodwill stores.

The child designers, who had prior training from Sewciety Hawaii sewing school, were Kierra Akima, Keala Baclayon, Keanuenue Desoto, Ella Laird, Aubrey Lock, Skye Nagata and Kelly Oshita. The adults, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Honolulu Community College fashion programs, were Matt Batulayan, Krystal Ann Cabo, Mitch Johns, Von Kaanaana, Charmaine Claire Viernes, Edmar Villa and Kaycee Yoshioka.

They had been selected at the beginning of the year to participate in the mentorship program led by Hawaii's "Project Runway" designer Kini Zamora, and the little ones did such an amazing job that during the runway show, guests probably didn't know they were seeing designs by pre-teens. They got their head start in sewing classes with Uakea Egami from Sewciety Hawaii.

Kaycee Yoshioka was the adult winner of $1,200 for her three-piece collection.

During my interview with Kini prior to the show, I mentioned that I had been sewing at that age, but now that I reflect back on my experience, I was only sewing shifts, jumpers, skirts and wrap dresses at 10 and 11. I was about four years away from any thoughts about evening wear, because my only evening needs were for prom.

I told him I was clearly not destined for a designing career because I didn't care about the process, only getting to wear the finished item. And, unlike many people who grow up to be designers, I never watched a Miss America pageant thinking, "I'm going to grow up and design gowns." It just didn't register.

I ran into a fellow journalist at the event and, because the little girls had talked—during film segments in between the fashion showcases— about what they wanted to be when they grew up (veterinarians and horseback riders dominated), we put the question to each other, and it turned out we both wanted to be journalists—a straight track.

Recent Honolulu Community College Fashion Technology graduate Matt Batulayan was inspired by Hopi kachina in coming up with his looks.

But like these young designers, there was an animal element involved that got me hooked. My parents subscribed to the Star-Bulletin and for some reason, when I was growing up, the newspaper was constantly running stories about the zoo. Human interest stories about the elephant's love interest, newborns, etc., and I kept a scrapbook of all the zoo happenings, which fueled my interest in the paper. Coz what child cares about politics?

The Goodwill Goes GLAM! event presented by Bank of Hawaii Foundation is now in its 5th year of raising awareness about Goodwill Hawaii’s mission to assist people having difficulty finding employment, offering them the services and tools they need to become self-sufficient. More than $280,000 was raised during last year's event, making it possible for Goodwill Hawaii to assist more than 11,000 individuals.

Guests entering the venue were greeted by models styled in Goodwill pieces.

VIP guests enjoyed a dinner presented by Jon Matsubara, culinary director of Forty Carrots at Bloomingdales Ala Moana Center. The main course was butter-poached beef tenderloin topped with thick-cut Nueske bacon and Hamakua mushrooms, served with creamed Ewa corn and sauce bordelaise.

Dessert during the meal focused on locally sourced ingredients was hibiscus sorbetto served over a slice of Frankie's Nursery honey cream pineapple, with a spearmint accent.

More photos are at TGIF: staradvertiser.com/tgif/tgif-photos/goodwill-goes-glam-july-21

Or watch rebroadcasts on 'Olelo Channel 53 as follows:
6 p.m. Aug. 21
8 a.m. Aug. 22
5 p.m. Aug. 23
4 p.m. Aug. 28  

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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.

Goodwill Kaimuki shows new look

Nadine Kam photos
Models Bella Williams, left, and Kristylove, graced the windows of the Kaimuki Goodwill store during its grand reopening celebration.

Goodwill Kaimuki unveiled its new look March 31 after a makeover that is part of a rebranding campaign Goodwill Hawaii began in 2015.

Goodwill Hawaii worked with 50|50, a local creative agency, that incorporated elements like aloha shirts and other iconic Hawaii imagery into window displays, and introduced a brighter color palette. The new designs will also eventually be incorporated into all of Goodwill Hawaii’s program locations, donation centers, and stores on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.

Those shopping will find premium merchandise in a window at the front of the store, where manikin displays by Amanda Stevens and Rene Rodriguez often started fights for the pieces when they came off the manikins the first Sunday of the month. Now people simply cue up the morning after in hope of snagging one of the coveted pieces.

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation was credited for providing much of the funding for the makeover.

To celebrate the store's new look, special offers, discounts and prize giveaways will be available to shoppers who visit the Kaimuki location through April 3.

Pastor Ron Arnold from Kaimuki Christian Church made the opening remarks at the unveiling, reminding everyone of Goodwill's history, started in 1902 by Boston Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister who turned out to be what we call today a social innovator.

Guests were treated to plenty of pupu and a performance by the Goodwill Signing Stars, comprising participants from the Hoolana Program for Adults with Disabilities.

He collected used items from the wealthy, repairing them for use by the less fortunate, then training those in need to mend and repair, resulting, Arnold said, with "not a hand-out, but a hand up."

With community support, Goodwill continues to help people who have barriers to employment. In addition to reclaiming and restoring goods, he said, "Men were reclaimed and restored as well."

It's an important message today as we contend with growing homeless populations and numbers of people in crisis.

From July 2014 through June 2015, Goodwill Hawaii assisted more than 11,000 people statewide with job training and placement programs.
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The Kaimuki Goodwill store and donation center is at 3638 Waialae Ave. Visit www.higoodwill.org for more information.

The store's fresh new look.

Special finds have a place in a window at the front of the store. I snagged this sequin skirt for about $16.

Even the windows got a makeover.

Manikins in the window are styled by Amanda Stevens and Rene Rodriguez. The display ties into the recent Pink Tie Ball, a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer nonprofit.

GLAM! cams capture models POV from runway

Nadine Kam photos
Models wait to go on stage behind-the-scenes of the Goodwill Goes GLAM fundraiser fashion show, featuring garments pulled from Goodwill stores all across Oahu. Featured looks were auctioned after the show.

BY NADINE KAM

It was a crazy experiment, but onlookers at Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s annual Goodwill Goes GLAM! fundraiser fashion show were likely none the wiser as six models came down the runway oufitted, not only in garments from Goodwill stores, but mini HD point-of-view cameras thanks to FlyWire Cameras.

I’ve always wanted to send cameras down the runway, but there are a lot of logistics involved, like will the model remember to turn the camera on? Will it even work? Who collects the cameras and footage after the show?

Luckily, Flywire’s Jacob Isaac-Lowry and Sarah Alessi were on hand to greenlight the models, adding one more “accessory” to go along with Therese Wahl’s styling.

The video cameras were small enough to send down the runway attached to purses, belts, dresses and lapels without attracting attention.

Finally!

As a writer/videographer/blogger, I’m very interested in technology as applicable to daily work/lifestyle, and I’ve experimented with other POV cameras and Google Glass, but Glass was too fussy, and I feel like GoPro size technology is just too big and awkward for street use. Yes it’s fine for extreme outdoor athletes who don’t mind looking like geeks with helmet cams, but I would feel pretty self-conscious about that.

Stylist Therese Wahl had her hands full making sure 40 models were ready to go.

The resulting video captures the show from my hand-held camera in the audience, as well as the models’ point of view as they walk down the runway, which looks much longer from their perspective.

It was all for the show produced by Kini Zamora, themed “A Day in the Life of a Royal.”
The event that took place July 16 was the kick-off for a three days of Goodwill shopping, featuring more than 40,000 pieces pulled from Goodwill stores, to raise funds for Goodwill’s nonprofit job training and job readiness programs.

Zamora’s storyline focused on a day in the life of a princess and her prince, with eight segments that broke down into themes such as “World Traveler,” “Party Like its 1999,” “Boho Garden Party,” “Belle of the Ball” and “Wedding Bliss.”

Makeup was done by Motives Hawaii, and hair by Paul Brown Salons.

The show was emceed by Hawaii News Now’s Grace Lee and Steve Uyehara. In keeping with the evening’s theme, Uyehara got a surprise and the rest of us a laugh, when Lee presented him with a sparkling tiara to wear. It was a fun evening!


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Goodwill Industries of Hawaii President/CEO Laura Smith with Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Also attending was Gov. David Ige, whose wife Dawn Ige served as honorary chair of the event.

 

In addition to Goodwill shopping on the opening night of the event, fashion show producer Kini Zamora offered a pop-up shop featuring his KZ Hawaii designs.

 

Models in various stages of dress.

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

Closet Swap marks six years of many happy exchanges

Nadine Kam photos
Contestants in a zany reuse fashion show line up for photos during Fashionista's Market's 6th annual Closet Swap. I give them all a lot of credit for theatrically parading across the stage!

Fashionista's Market 6th annual Closet Swap took place Oct. 21 at the Japanese Cultural Center Manoa Grand Ballroom, starting with the perfect breakfast of scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausage, rice, fresh fruit and champagne from Barefoot Bubbly, fun and games, a reuse fashion show, and finally, the mad dash for clothing donated by participants.

It was all for a good cause as funds raised will benefit the Leeward Domestic Abuse Shelter, and Amanda Stevens, from Goodwill Industries of Hawai'i was waiting in the wings to whisk anything that wasn't picked up by guests away to Goodwill, to raise funds for its vocational and community programs.

Before or after sitting down to breakfast, women could also shop for handcrafted accessories from ccdoodle's Christy Chung, as well as check out make-and-take stations manned by Cassandra Rull and Holly Boulay, who were showing guests how to transform unwanted threads into more desirable clothing and accessories.

By now, Closet Swap frequenters know a little of what to expect in the recycled fashion show, which comprises one item from the swap plus a whole lot of newspaper and tape, so having mastered the art of poufs and pleats, costumes have a lot more details to them. The only thing the women don't know is the theme, and this year it was Disney.

Apparently, everybody loves a beautiful princess. We saw a lot more of those than wicked queens. There were also Little Mermaids and Tinkerbells, and on the seamier side, a drunken pirate of the Caribbean and not only drunk but pregnant Tinkerbell (Kelley Porter), who managed to win the competition, along with a cute 5-year-old Minnie Mouse (Ayla Prather).

For the team effort involved in getting them papered up, their tables won 5 minutes early entry to the swap, a fun way to trade your trash for others' treasures.

I was able to grab a few chunky sweaters no one in Hawaii could possibly want, but that would come in handy during my trip to the chilly East Coast. Unfortunately, my flight Sunday was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, but I will still try to get out later in the week. In the meantime, I have a half dozen blog posts to catch up on, so I will try to get them done so I don't have to catch up in airports.


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And the winners were Ayla Prather, 5, as Minnie Mouse, and Kelley Porter as a drunk, pregnant Tinkerbell. For the team's effort in dressing them, their tables were granted 5 minutes early access to the swap racks and tables.

In quite the coincidence, was able to find this Minnie Mouse wallet during the swap.

Fashionista's Market's Alyssa Fung, right, staged the event with lots of help from Anita Clemente and Aly Case.

ccdoodle's Christy Chung showed her handmade creations.

Holly Boulay showed how to stitch up bow ties that could be worn any number of ways. I sewed a blue plaid tie with fabric from a scrap heap on the side with some help from Christy as well.

Putting wings on another Tinkerbell.

Putting the finishing touches on the Little Mermaid.

This Little Mermaid costume picked up dozens of scales before it was completed. You can check it out in the video at top of page.

After the swap, women returned to their tables to try on and trade some more. There were a lot of garments flying through the air as they tossed them to friends who might make better use of their finds.

Tiffany Tanaka, left, and Olena Heu were among the swappers.