HFM: OUTFIT debuts

Nadine Kam photos
Sherry Holt, who launched Sunshine Hawaii in 1976, hasn't lost her passion for fashion and debuted a Spring 2014 collection at OUTFIT, the Hawai'i Fashion Month tradeshow that opened Oct. 2. She shows one of her vintage creations, while wearing one of her new pieces, designed with sleeves to cover bare arms with breathable mesh for Hawaii weather. 

Hawai'i Fashion Month continued its strong opening with the debut of OUTFIT, a buying, shopping, and networking experience bringing multiple facets of the local fashion industry together to promote Hawaii’s design talent.

Among highlights were a series of guest speakers (see next post featuring Wendy Nguyen of Wendy's Lookbook), and silk-dyeing workshop by visiting Japan textile artist Akihiko Izukura.

OUTFIT was housed Oct. 2 and 3 in a soon-to-be-developed industrial space at Ward Village, under TJ Maxx, and sponsored by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism toward making fashion in Hawaii a billion-dollar industry.

Among those showcased:

Marylea Conrad of ki-ele jewelry.

Graphic artist Lauren Roth, of Yellow Bird Bohemia, who shed her handpainted trucker hats and tote bags.

Models for Pull-In Underwear.

Hifi Pops Up at Surf Line Hawaii Ocean-Lifestyle store

Nadine Kam photos
Hifi member designers featured at popup boutique within Surf Line Hawaii Ocean-Lifestyle Store were introduced by Hifi co-founder Melissa May White, right.

Surf Line Hawaii/Jams World Hawaii and Hawaii Fashion Incubator (Hifi) hosted a launch party July 11 for their first store-within-a-store collaboration, Hifi Pops Up at Surf Line Hawaii Ocean-Lifestyle Store.

Fifteen Hifi member designers' merchandise is prominently displayed right at the front of the store, and I thought their jewelry, accessories and clothing for men, women and children meshed perfectly with Surf Line/Jams World and other lifestyle apparel, active wear and ocean gear.

The Hifi roster: 1979, Arkotec, the BASE Project, Ecolicious, JenStone Jewelry, Katrina Langford, Maui Thing, Mamanu Kids, Organik, Salty Girl Jewelry, Sasaki Bags, Soluna Designs, Stir Crazy, UMEE, and Vers Hawaii.

The pop-up continues through Aug. 11, and a strong response may lead to more collaborations in the future.

The Surf Line store is hard to miss at 411 Puuhale Road, across the street from OCCC. I was worried about the parking situation, but neighbor Electric Union graciously allowed guests to park on their property. The owner keeps birds, and I love birds, so I made a detour to meet his ringneck parakeet, a giant compared to the green ones flying around, and he was proud to announce his bird loves to eat chicken! So do my parrots!

Mamanu Kids apparel photographed against the backdrop of Surf Line's towering display of vintage motorcycles.

The Hifi Coop's decoupage floor is replicated at the popup.

Looks like carved wood, but it's not! The BASE Project bracelets are carved from recycled PVC.