Stocking up at Catherine's Closet

Julie Lawson photo
Catherine’s Closet owner Catherine Fong, left, with Alyssa Fung, who purchased a boho top and coverup, perfect for spring and summer.

There’s only a couple of weeks remaining before Catherine’s Closet closes its doors, so I was in there Saturday picking up a few pieces.

Owner Catherine Fong has been known for her collection of vintage hats, as well as her private label Panama hats that sold at Barney’s Japan. I was able to pick up one of the last she’s been holding on to.

I tried on a lot of hats and people in the store kept commenting I look like such a lady, maybe because I was in a ladylike dress en route to the Junior League of Honolulu’s “Luxe” event at the Sheraton Waikiki. Which was so funny, because I’m so not ladylike in demeanor.

Nadine Kam photos
Catherine’s is the place to stock up on hats for any mood and ensemble. These are the three I picked up. The center Montecristi fedora was a hit for Catherine at Barney’s Tokyo.


In fact, that was a joke when I traveled to Shanghai two years ago and as always, headed to tailor central. The women who make tweed jackets kept trying to sell me on formal styles, and my friends who were translating, were like, “No, she likes punk rock, heavy metal,” and “She’s no lady.”

I was so happy with the end result, one black jacket with chopped off three-quarter sleeves, fringe at the hems (before fringe mania hit last year) and shiny spangles. Another navy dress and cropped jacket with metal chain trim all around (adding that trim cost just about as much as jacket).

My late husband did like me to dress in 1940s to ’50s styles because they hugged and flattered women’s bodies. And you’ll find such designs here. Catherine’s has pieces dating from the 1920s through the present.

Although she was scheduled to close at the end of the month. She may offer one last hurrah on First Friday, April 3, before the store closes to make way for a Reyn’s Rack expansion.
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Catherine’s Closet is at 125 Merchant St., open 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, and by appointment Saturdays through Thursdays. Call 386-2746.

Bethany Shelley shows off her vintage style at Catherine’s. She’s a fan of 1950s style and says clothing from that era simply fits her better. Below, a detail of her skirt featuring imagery of Venice. She says she has a closet full of peasant and circle skirts.

Catherine hams it up in a Lai Fong coat with vintage cigarette holder.

A yellow party dress is among the vintage finds.

A non-wearable but colorful showpiece from downtown Honolulu’s Lai Fong, and below, the label from the long-standing Nuuanu Avenue store.

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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.

Last hurrah before Catherine's Closet closes doors

Nadine Kam photos
Angela McGuire shows her retro Hawaii style at Catherine’s Closet. She’s originally from Florida and now lives in Montana, but recently in town for a visit.

The downtown vintage boutique Catherine’s Closet will be closing its doors at the end of this month, and to thank customers for their patronage over the years, owner Catherine Fong will be hosting a benefit shopping day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, during which 20 percent of sales will go to breast cancer research.

There will be music and prizes throughout the day, and Fong will be bringing out fabulous pieces from her private collection, which I can’t wait to see.

In addition to clothing from past eras, the shop has been known for stocking the largest array of vintage hats, headpieces and fascinators on Oahu.

Don’t worry, when the doors close it won’t be a forever goodbye. You will still be able to catch Catherine singing around town, at Medici’s and special events, and after a resting period, she’ll be introducing an online boutique. Though it’s not the same as dropping in and talking story with the personable collector.

I met her in 2007, when her boutique was in Manoa. She opened her downtown boutique in 2010, and among her patrons were New York darlings Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.
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Catherine’s Closet is at 125 Merchant St. Call (808) 386-2746.

Catherine’s Closet is known for owner Catherine Fong’s collection of vintage hats.

Speaking of head toppers, this little crown could be yours for $54.

Accessories befitting a woman’s vanity circa 1950s and ’60s.

Catherine’s already carries a lot of nice vintage pieces but she’ll be busting out her private stash on Saturday.

A selection of earrings, and below, necklaces.

One of the unique items up for grabs is a 19th century bar that was originally in a Chinatown shop and stored away for decades before its owners decided to part with their furnishings.

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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.

Borsalino at MAX&Co.

Nadine Kam photos
A photo of me taken in the Photo Ops Hawaii photo booth that was part of the MAX&Co. Il Mio Cappello (My Hat) event introducing its collaboration with Borsalino. I'm wearing Borsalino's Milano hat.

MAX&Co. hosted an event Oct. 7 to introduce its collaboration with hatmakers Borsalino. The handmade hats, created with Max & Co.'s Fall/Winter 2011 collection in mind, are available in four styles that guests were able to try on while sitting for photos in Photo Ops Hawaii's photo booth.

When my inner stylist noticed the Milano hat I was wearing didn't quite mesh with my Hawaii garb, I donned one of the fur-collared jackets off the rack. A little while later, the store got its directive to make sure that everyone photographed with a hat is also wearing one of MAX&Co.'s coats. Makes perfect sense.

It was fun to play dress up. I love hats and these worked well for all who attended, including those who were shy at first, believing they don't have "hat heads."

The styles are:

Roma: The classic boho felt hat with a maxi brim. It's unlined and can be folded up and fastened with a leather strap for traveling; $385.

Siena: A narrow brim felt hat with grosgrain band. Unlined and can be folded up for travel; $370.

Milano: Wide-brimmed felt hat. Also unlined and can be folded up for travel, and available in red and black; $370.

Torino: Small-brimmed hat available in two wool patterns, with nappa band and striped cotton lining; $295.

Production of each hat takes some seven weeks of labor, involving more than 50 processes.

Although the company's golden age of hat production was from the 1920s through '40s, when everyone wore hats (and dressed up in general), the company achieved cult status with a new audience when its men's fedoras were featured in the 1970 gangster film "Borsalino," starring Alain Delon and Jean Paul Belmondo, and the film's 1974 sequel "Borsalino & Co."

Alain Delon wears a Borsalino fedora in the 1974 film "Borsalino & Co."

Chastity Malapit wears MAX&Co.'s Roma hat.

The Roma has appeared in editorial from Harper's Bazaar China, above left, to Vanity Fair, right, and Italy's Grazia magazine.

Manca Sustarsic, left, and Young-sil Yang pair Borsalino Torino wool hats with MAX&Co. trenches. The Torino proved popular that evening because for Hawaii, it's the least conspicuous to wear.

Sunday morning confessional

Nadine Kam photos
Kristian Lei with a glittering Buddha that was a gift for party hosts Eric Chander, left, and Takeo.

Like every reporter, I started in news before gravitating to music because musicians are just cuter than politicians. What I learned was how little control the young musicians, at the time, had over their lives. They would wake up and be told where to go, who to talk to and when, so they never had to worry about logistics and could focus on their craft.

I don’t know if I could live that way because I like structure and knowing what I’m doing from one day to the next. But a lot of times I don’t know what I’m getting myself into either. I get these nebulous calls that end with, “Come  OK?” And, being mostly agreeable, I go, “OK,” without knowing much about said event. For one thing, people who call reporters assume we might be on deadline, so they try to spit out details in 30 seconds.

So when 2Couture designer Takeo called last week, I got the sketchiest outline: Noon. Sunday. Tea at 1024. Kristian Lei. Dress. Wear a hat.

Yesterday morning, I wasn’t sure how to dress or if I really heard instructions to wear a hat. I was looking at my Miss Catwings green animal spot and skull hat. Too much? I had nothing to wear with it, so I just stuck on a headband. Then I was sad when I got there because everyone was wearing a fabulous hat, and there are so few hat-wearing occasions in town that when such an event happens you don’t let it go to waste!

The event had many occasions rolled into one. It was mainly a homecoming for Kristian Lei, who’s been in Hong Kong performing in “The Lion King.”

It was also an introduction of Miss Hawaii USA Angela Byrd and MissTeen Hawaii USA Courtney Coleman, and belated birthday party for Desiree Mitsunaga, and just a way for Takeo and fellow designer Eric Chandler to celebrate the new year with the women who inspire them.

There were informal contests for best dressed, best hat, best shoes and best overall look, and love-life confessions that we all vowed would not leave that room (oh, that rascally Eric!) … Though I don’t know, Pamela Young taped all! You can see her news segment here: http://www.kitv.com/video/26421504/detail.html

Blossom Tyau, left, with Pamela Young, who won the Best Hat competition of the day. Blossom surprised Pamela with some photos out of her past, when she was a Cathay Capers dancer, below.

 

You know it must have been a little out of hand when Pamela Young ends up on floored by Iwalani Tseu's love-life confession.

Miss Hawaii USA Angela Byrd and Miss Hawaii Teen USA Courtney Coleman.

Esther Nakamura lights a candle for birthday girl Desiree Mitsunaga, with Takeo.

Tea at 1024 owner Michele Henry with Angela, being photographed by Kristian Lei.