Abercrombie pledges support for fashion

Nadine Kam photos
In addition to receiving $2,000 as winner of Island Edge's inaugural Design Star competition, Sina Thomsen received another $500 to donate to an organization of her choice, and she chose her alma mater, Honolulu Community College. She presented the check to her former instructor Joy Nagaue, and Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie pledged to match that donation.

Governor-elect Neil Abercrombie made a commitment to the fashion industry Nov. 12 at Island Edge, at the finale of the boutique's search for Hawaii's next design star.

"I can assure you that this administration, an Abercrombie administration, is going to be behind island fashion 100 percent," he said shortly before announcing Sina Thomsen as the winner of the competition.

You can hear his remarks in the video, but it was nice to hear Abercrombie pledge his support for the industry, a seeming no-brainer but seriously overlooked by past administrations. Fashion is a multi-million dollar industry but over the past few decades we have lost a lot of talent to Los Angeles and New York for lack of infrastructure to support such businesses. People who have been in the industry a long time often remind me that fashion was once the isles' largest industry. The downside to manufacturing here is that all the raw materials must be imported, adding to the cost of doing business in Hawaii, but if there is enough business, everyone benefits, and Abercrombie recognizes that.


iPhone video link

He added, "I fully intend to support, not just Island Edge, but anybody and everybody who's promoting island fashion, and the more that we can do and the more that I can do, I pledge to you, being able to see to it not only that we do our designing here, but that we do as much as possible as we can in support of manufacturing and sale, and seeing to it that by virtue that by the state supporting island designers, manufacturers and clothiers that we do our exports as well.

"We're going to take island fashion to new heights in terms of our exports we're not just going to be sending dollars out of the state, we're going to be bringing dollars into the state because fashion is going to be a centerpiece of our administration."

The finalists posed in front of their designs early in the evening. From left, Reise Kochi, Sina Thomsen and Randy Oribello.

Island Edge's competition started months ago, with submission of one design, photographs and sketches for collections. After narrowing the field to three designers, including HCC graduates Reise Kochi and Randy Oribello, the designs were displayed at Island Edge, and shoppers were allowed to cast their votes for their favorite design, leading to Thomsen's victory.

As the winner, Thomesen will have her hand-stamped halter dress manufactured under a label she gets to name, to be sold at Island Edge, along with prize money of $2,000 and a donation of $500 to the Honolulu Community College’s Fashion Technology Department.

Honorable mention menswear winner Randy Oribello, and honorable mention womenswear winner Reise Kochi each received $1,500.

Most importantly, it is nice to see a big business hold out a hand to young designers who have not received much support in the past. Island Edge is a retail concept by Pomare, Ltd., which does business as Hilo Hattie. The store is doing a great job in bringing young indie designers into the mainstream and hasn't been afraid of bringing in the unusual and quirky more often associated with street fairs and underground boutiques. That's refreshing because to any shopaholic, a lot of retail looks the same, and because images spread through multiple media channels are so repetitive, I think people want to see something different.

Among the unusual items carried at Island Edge, Cynthia Chee's purses fashioned from vinyl records and album covers.

Joleen Iwaniec models a Trina Turk dress carried at Island Edge along with apparel and accessories by such local designers as Roberta Oaks, 1979, and Sierra Dew. She posed for a photo with Pomaré CEO and President Donald Kang.

Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie with Andy South, one of the judges for the design competition, new First Lady Nancy Caraway, and Amos Kotomori, who was presenting a trunk show of his Bijoux Tamayo (Bling Tamayo) jewelry line, named after his mother. One of his pieces is shown below.

Amos Kotomori's jewelry line comprises beads, stones and findings from his travels around the world over many years.

Beauty Spot: Inside DFS Beauty World

Nadine Kam photos
The entrance to DFS Galleria Waikiki's newly transformed Beauty World.

This fall has been exceptionally busy, and well, sometimes things slip through the cracks. I wasn't able to make it to the grand reopening of DFS Galleria Waikiki's renovated Beauty World last month, but stopped by recently for a look, to find the place totally and gorgeously transformed with video display panels, and each brand well-representative by the design of its space, each one a boutique in itself.

It's easily the largest cosmetics department in Hawaii, at 19,000 square feet, carrying more than 55 brands, and one of its biggest selling points is that locals, as well as visitors, can shop excise tax free in Beauty World, as well as other first- and second-floor departments.

Brands exclusive to DFS in Hawaii are Paul & Joe, Anna Sui, and Helena Rubinstein. Here are is the rest of the complete brand listing:

Aramis, Bare Escentuals, Benefit, Bliss, Bobbi Brown, Bremenn Research/Basic Research, Burberry, Bvlgari, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Chloé, Clarins, Clinique, Coach, Davidoff, Diesel, Dior, DKNY, Dolce & Gabanna, Elizabeth Arden, Emilio Pucci, Estée Lauder, Girogio Armani, Givenchy, Go Smile, GoodSkin Labs, Gucci, Guerlain, Hermès, IKKO, Juice Beauty, Juicy Couture, Jurlique, Kenzo, Kiehl’s, Korres, La Mer, Lancôme, L’Occitane, M·A·C, Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci, Paul & Joe, Peter Thomas Roth, Polo/Ralph Lauren, Prada, Prevage, Salvatore Ferragamo, Strivectin, Tommy Hilfiger, Tweezerman, Versace, Viktor & Rolf, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Take a look next time you're in Waikiki. It's at 330 Royal Hawaiian Ave., fronting Kalakaua Avenue.

The Anna Sui section.

High gloss at the Chanel department.

Kiehl's is set up like a turn-of-the-20th-century apothecary.

An aquarium befits La Mer.

Video screens feature projections of the latest beauty products and runway looks from Dior, as well as several other brands.

Paul & Joe is one of the brands exclusive in Hawaii to DFS. The kitty lipstick is available for fall.

Chairs in the Clinique section reflect the colors of its liquid facial soaps and toners, below.

Rix a new venture for Ralston

Nadine Kam photos
The governor appears to be ready for his closeup in a shirt from Rix Island Wear. It makes sense that Hawaii's first man got the first shirt from Rick Ralston's newest venture.


Rix Island Wear quietly opened its doors at Ward Warehouse Nov. 5 with a morning blessing, with no less than newly elected Gov. Neil Abercrombie in attendance. Few boutiques can wrangle such an appearance but the "Rix" in this case happens to be Crazy Shirts founder Rick Ralston, a guy who's just as well known as the governor.

In fact, the two have been friends since Ralston got his start, airbrushing T-shirts and sweatshirts at Waikiki Beach in the 1960s. Abercrombie said that's where they met, and he ended up picking up a lot of Ralston's shirts because he liked the artwork and, "they were cheap, like $5."

How much would those original works of wearable art be worth now?

Coincidentally, just before opening, the company got a call from Herbert Awaya, of Manoa, who has owned one of Ralston's sweatshirts since 1962, with the image of a surfer. It was signed "Ricky 1962," and Awaya had the opportunity to present it to Ralston on Nov. 2. It'll be framed and put on display in the store, along with some other memorabilia.

Ralston retired in 2000, but now, at 69, apparently couldn't stay away from fashion. The new store marks a change of direction to a contemporary men's aloha shirt line.

The boutique is in the middle of the shopping center, mauka side, where Alliway used to be.

Rick Ralston with Rix Island Wear's director of operations Richelle Kim.

The longtime friends discuss prints and sizes that might work for the governor elect, who gets sworn in Dec. 6.

Inaugural designs from Rix Island Wear.

A few pieces of memorabilia are on display.

 
Rix designer Marcie Norton with one of her nieces.

Ed Hardy: Beyond the Tattoo

Nadine Kam photos
Don Ed Hardy and his wife Francesca, who shares his enthusiasm for arts of the East, including Japanese textiles.

While I was growing up in Waipahu, there was a tattoo shop on Waipahu Depot Road, and every time I passed by, I thought those designs would look great on a T-shirt. Those were the days before technology made it easier for artists to make a D.I.Y. fashion statement. After a while, the tattoo artist did create a couple of logo T-shirts, as did many shops, but nothing on the scale of Ed Hardy for Christian Audigier, a relatively recent phenomenon.

Although Hardy had been "tattooing" bodies since he was 11 years old, at first practicing on neighborhood kids with colored pencils, it took a long time for him to get to this place, first in 2002 when he partnered with a couple of T-shirt manufacturers. It really took off in 2003-04, when Hardy began his collaboration with the entrepreneur Christian Audigier.

These days, the Ed Hardy name is spelled out on many a T-shirt and trucker cap, and in addition to the line's presence in department stores, there are more than 80 Ed Hardy stores around the world. So when I interviewed Hardy for a story in advance of his fine art show, "Beyond Fashion: The Personal Art of Ed Hardy," at Robyn Buntin Gallery, I expected to be speaking to a consummate businessman. It was refreshing to find someone spiritual, humble and awed, surprised and grateful that his work has found a home on diverse canvases and milieus. It was something he would not have dreamed of when he was first introduced tattooing, when it was—to a mainstream audience—a taboo art form.

He credits Audigier's marketing skills with making his a household name, while he is quite content—in retirement—to work on his personal art.

Hardy with artist Ramsay, left, and gallery owner Robyn Buntin.

He's made many friends here over the years that he's divided his time between Honolulu and California. So a who's who of Honolulu's art world came out to show their support. They included Jodi Endicott, John Koga, Mary Mitsuda, Jason Teraoka, Franco Salmoiraghi, Lawrence Seward, Ramsay, Jay Jensen and 93-year-old Claude Horan, who wore a Santa Cruz T-shirt to show solidarity with Hardy, a fellow surfer.

Also represented were tattoo artist from several shops from Kailua to Waikiki. Ed greeted everyone warmly and seemed genuinely surprised by the turnout.

If you want to see the show, it's at 848 S. Beretania St. The Robyn Buntin Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.

While many mentioned seeing the article I had written in the paper, it's kind of funny what people pick out when reading. Lawrence greeted me with a, "So, you don't like like facial hair."

In the same issue, I'd made mention about November as being called Movember, with a movement to encourage men to grown their mustaches for a month, as symbol of support for men's prostate health, in the same way ribbons convey support for AIDs and breast cancer research and push for cures. So, I did say I wasn't a fan of facial hair but would overlook it for the sake of the cause.

Well, maybe I shouldn't have generalized because I have to admit Lawrence is one of those guys who looks quite dashing with facial hair, and he goes, "What if it were Johnny Depp?"

Yeah, yeah, there are always exceptions. But I was thinking more along the lines of Jason Lee in "My Name is Earl," and the kind of mustache on T-shirts and depicted on the Movember website are the 1970s porno-looking ones, and while it's an individual's prerogative to look like porno guy, I'm just not into that, but hey, some women are!

To each, his or her own, I say.

"Tiger in Waves" and "Red Tiger in Wind," two of Hardy's works at the entrance to the Robyn Buntin Gallery.

Mayumi Suzui and her son Skyler, of OC16's "Ultimate Japan," are big fans of Ed Hardy apparel.

Tattoo artists Megan Jones of 808 Tattoo, left, and Tania Arens. Arens said of Hardy's work, "He takes the tattoo imagery, mixes Japan and traditional American tattooing, and brings it to the level of fine art and expression in a beautiful way."

Some of Hardy's flash work, this sheet dated 1961, was also on display.

Arens, Jones, and Terri and Bernd Siedenburg, owner of the Ed Hardy store at the Hyatt Waikiki, listen to the artist talk about his work.

From left, the artists Mary Mitsuda and Claude Horan, and their spouses Suzie Horan and Jesse Christensen.

With a show at Robyn Buntin's exquisite gallery, it's easy to get sidetracked, as I was by these circa 1910 silver insects from Korea, by Takase Kozan. The set of 12 is on the market for $65,000.

A second look at Portland Fashion Week

Ed Kavishe/FashionWirePress.com for Portland Fashion Week photos
One of the designs from Seth Aaron Henderson's SolarWorld Collection, presented at Portland Fashion Week last month.


In all the excitement leading up to the conclusion of  the most recent "Project Runway," past PR'ers have also been hard at work. Season 7's Jay Sario, Seth Aaron Henderson and Jonathan Joseph Peters, for three, showed at Portland (Oregon) Fashion Week Oct. 9.

Don't be hating on Gretchen Jones. What's done is done, so just wish her well and keep your eyes open for what's next for all the designers. More importantly, in just eight seasons, "Project Runway" has already had two winners from Portland. Season 5 winner Leanne Marshall is now living and creating in Brooklyn, and still selling pieces—made with organic cotton, silk, hemp, bamboo—on her Leanimal Etsy site, for $258 to $1,695.

Leanimal.com
Some of Leanne Marshall's designs from Fall 2009.

It's incredible but doesn't surprised me. There's a youthful, creative vibe in the air in Portland that I've loved since my first trip there about 12 years ago. Rents were cheap so there were many vintage shops, boutiques and co-ops run by kids, and on my first trip I discovered a wonderful boutique Seaplane—since closed :(—that featured dozens of local designers. At that time, I stocked up on fabulous one-of-a-kind designer originals that were only selling for $25 to $65.

I returned almost every other year since then, and over that time, the rest of design scene grew up. Seaplane moved to a ritzy Northwest address and all of a sudden I was looking at designer pieces $260 and above. Good for the designers, but not as easy to scoop up.

As much as I love the polish of New York, I equally love Portland's indie spirit, and I find I need both cities to feel excited and inspired by American fashion. Designers in Portland aren't subject to as many critical eyes as New York designers, so they aren't afraid to experiment and step out of the confines of what is acceptable. Whereas hot weather in Hawaii tends to dictate a sameness with sundresses and T-shirts, Pacific Northwesters have so many more options to layer jackets and coats, so designers are also versed in making more formal, structured pieces.

I've wanted to go to Portland Fashion Week for a couple of years now, but haven't been able to make the time.

Whenever I mention PFW, people go, "Huh? Portland has a fashion week?"

Well, yeah. It's a progressive, eco-conscious city, so their events have largely been about sustainability. This year, Henderson's SolarWorld Collection was inspired by solar power-inspired materials. Here's a look at some of the pieces shown throughout PFW.





Ed Kavishe/FashionWirePress.com for Portland Fashion Week photos
Two more designs from Seth Aaron Henderson's SolarWorld Collection, presented at Portland Fashion Week.






Two designs by Jay Sario, and one in denim, below.

From the Suzabelle Spring/Summer 2011 collection.





Two designs from Goga by Gordana.

From the Amai Unmei Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

From the Amelia Toro Ethnic Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

Surf culture reinterpreted by 24 Karats Surf

Nadine Kam photos
LDH (Love+Dream+Happiness) Apparel/24 Karats Surf designer Manabu Kawatani, left, and 24 Karats Surf manager Megumi Suzuki greet visitors at the front of the new 24 Karats Surf store at 260 Beachwalk Ave., in Waikiki.


Surf culture is alive and well in Japan, and the wave has hit Hawaii with the opening of 24 Karats Surf, a Hawaiian-style clothing brand from LDH Apparel, designed by Manabu Kawatani, and inspired by one of Japan's hottest pop stars, Takahiro, of the group Exile.

A grand opening party took place Nov. 1, from 11:45 a.m., but fans from Japan were camped outside the store before it opened, long before shoppers were to be admitted at 1 p.m. Most were hoping for a glimpse of Takahiro, who wasn't slated to attend.

I didn't know much about the company before heading out, and I kept looking for a jewelry store on Waikiki Beach Walk before being redirected to Beachwalk Avenue around the corner. Ohhh! Pay attention now because the building it's in is in a flurry of construction, with the new Hard Rock Cafe and Wyland Cafe in the works.

In the meantime,  24 Karats Surf embraces nostalgia for 1970s Americana and Hawaii tropical and beach boy themes, with tanks (about $38), T-shirts (about $40), caps and accessories for men and women. There are also 24K-branded macadamia nut chocolates and coffee, ready for the holidays.

Exile has a 24 Karats urban/street brand in Japan, but the surf line is available only in Hawaii ... at least for now.

From left, Naoto Maekawa, Reiko Tokushige Rogers and Tetsuzo Nagashima, were among the guests at the grand opening.

On the hat rack.

Exile fans from Japan showed up for the opening.

You can tell the shop is designed for Japanese, rather than Hawaii clientele since the extra-large aloha shirt in Pam Davis's hands is equivalent to an American-size medium.

More T-shirts on display.

Usually, store openings are associated with delicate finger foods befitting scrawnier fashionistas, but this one had an incredible spread from nearby Arancino restaurant, including three different kinds of pasta, three different kinds of pizza, a trio of salads, and more.

A beautiful caprese featured imported mozzarella.

There were deli meats and sliced Parmesan.

A manager's special pizza was topped with shrimp, onions and garlic.