Beauty Spot: More expansion at DFS Beauty World

Nadine Kam photos
Premiere Models at a celebration marking new entries to DFS Galleria's Beauty World Oct. 27.

The past month was an exhausting whirlwind, so when DFS Galleria Waikiki decided to celebrate six new or relocated entries to its expanded second-floor Beauty World cosmetic area, they send out an invitation to "a small cocktail party," and I accepted because it seemed it would be quiet and low-key, just my speed at that moment.

So then I go there and find this huge, crowded, music-filled party going on—yikes!—complete with an appearance by Japan transgender makeup artist, beauty ambassador and TV personality Ikko, who was also slated for a public appearance before her sizable Asia audience. I've often heard female makeup artists complain that women prefer to get their makeup advice from a man—generally because they're able to flirt, taunt and humor women in a way that other women can't—and I guess it holds true in Ikko's case. Her thumbs-up moves product throughout Japan and Korea, and one of the products that met her approval at DFS was Burberry's Lip Cover Soft Satin lipstick.

It was just about a year ago that they celebrated the original expansion and renovation. At the time, it seemed like it would stand for awhile, but there are so many cosmetic brands out there, that there's no reason it couldn't stop growing to fill the vast second floor!

For now, Beauty World welcomes Burberry Beauty, Jo Malone, Origins, Aveda (with a focus on haircare rather than cosmetics), Shiseido, and its own BeautyLab, where clients can experience the latest in cosmeceuticals, anti-aging skin care, and organic cosmetic brands, and complimentary light treatments.

Of course, one of the best parts of the DFS experience is the duty-free aspect that applies to kama'aina as well as visitors, meaning you're free of the general excise tax.

Burberry's Lip Cover Soft Satin Lipstick, complete with Burberry check design on the lipstick as well as it's gunmetal magnetic case, has Japan celebrity makeup artist and TV personality Ikko's approval, below.

Ikko greets guests at DFS Galleria Beauty World.

Shiseido's colors for fall.

Burberry's eye colors for fall.

Shiseido's new space also made way for a men's section, now that makeup artists said men want their own gender-specific products rather than of their girlfriends'/wives' fruity- or floral-scented creams.

On set at the Pink Palace with Agyness Deyn

Agyness Deyn photos by Alessio Bolzoni
Agyness Deyn in yellow Versace at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel porte cochere.

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, an ensemble of more than 75 hotels and resorts in more than 35 countries, has reunited Waris Ahluwalia with Luca Guadagnino, the director of their Golden Globe-nominated film, "I Am Love." to create a short film that will whisk armchair travelers on a romantic journey across America, and perhaps inspire them to go exploring themselves.

The planning was as much as a whirlwind as the film depicts, with the whole project being shot in 10 days ending next Tuesday. So, when I heard about it last Thursday night, it was a bit confusing. I was asked if I wanted to go over to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to interview a jewelry designer on Friday. Well, would if I could, but my day was already planned out.

Luckily, it worked out so filming was actually being done all day Saturday, so I did have time to stop by in the morning. Of course it turned out to be this whole big project involving Guadagnino, whose gorgeous film I had reviewed for the 2010 HIFF Spring Showcase.

And, their leading lady is Agyness Deyn, whose name some may not know, but whose face will be familiar to anyone who's watched an international runway show or read a fashion magazine in the past three years and seen her face in conjunction with Burberry, Anna Sui, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, Narciso Rodriguez, Oscar de la Renta, Missoni, Temperley London, etc., etc.

Nadine Kam photo
Stylist Heid Bivens shows the Versace dress worn in the Pink Palace arrival scene.

The last time I saw Agyness was at the New York Fashion Week Spring 2008 shows, and in spite of the backstage stress and craziness, she was as nice as could be. She still seems unspoiled, in spite of her It Girl status.

As for the jewelry story, Ahluwalia's jewelry is featured in the film he's producing as a Luxury Collection Global Explorer, tapped for his renown as a world traveler and storyteller. And naturally, Agyness will be dressed in designer ensembles pulled by stylist Heidi Bivens, ranging from new pieces to vintage, for a classic, timeless look.

With Hitchcock films as the inspiration, Bivens drew on Guadagnino's aesthetic and buzzwords tossed out by Ahluwalia, saying the challenge was to recreate the sophisticated look of the director's leading ladies, such as Ingrid Bergman, Carole Lombard, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Grace Kelly and Kim Novak, without being "so serious," maintaining Agyness' youthful, active and contemporary vibe.

From Hawaii, the crew headed to the Phoenician in Arizona, and will wrap at the Equinox in Vermont. When the film is completed, it'll appear on the Luxury Collection website.

Deyn being filmed at The Phoenician in Arizona.

Deyn in the desert with the Camelback Mountains in the distance.

Courtesy photo
Styling for the film includes jewelry by Waris Ahluwalia, including this ring I tried on. It was stunning, with the stone a deep burgundy color that isn't really reflected in the photo.

A bracelet by Waris Ahluwalia.

Search for Material Girl is on

Material Girl photo

Madonna and Lola have launched a nationwide Material Girl “Lucky Stars” Model Search, with the winners to appear in the Material Girl spring 2012 marketing campaign for Macy's and receive a $5,000 cash prize.

The first casting call took place at Macy’s Herald Square in New York today, with other searches taking place in Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles in coming days.

Those in other cities can enter online through Nov. 21 at www.materialgirlcollection.com. Ten finalists will be flown to New York City, where Madonna and Lola will choose the new faces of Material Girl’s spring 2012 campaign.

Interestingly enough, age isn't specified in the description, and if you scroll down the list of years where they do inquire, it goes all the way to a birth year of 1919. I guess attitude counts and you'll have to answer, in a hundred words or less, why you're a material girl.

Scenes from Shanghai Fashion Week

Photos by Candice Kraughto
Scenes of nature were the backdrop for Judy Hua's show during Shanghai Fashion Week.

Publicist Candice Kraughto now divides her time between Hawaii and Shanghai, where she took in a few shows during Shanghai Fashion Week that ran from Oct. 20 to 26, and she sent along some photos and video from the event, showcasing the work of about 30 designers.

She took in the AmareSinh show featuring designs by Huy Tran on the 21st, and Judy Hua's show on the 22nd, which she reports was difficult to see because of all the smoke pumped into the tent, which added to the drama of voluminous evening wear.

Chinese fashion looked costumey and ethnic as little as five years ago, but even then, as I studied the photos coming out of Hong Kong Fashion Week, I figured that, just as in other aspects of contemporary life, they'd catch up with the west pretty quickly. It's just a matter of time that we'll be just as familiar with their designers as we are with American and European greats.

Huy Tran graduated from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, and in 2010 launched his label AmareSinh, based in New York City and Shanghai.

The line for tickets.

Here's a link to Amare Sinh's amazing lookbook, with two pages shown above: amaresinh.com

Videos by Candice Kraughto
Click on the photo to see the finale of Judy Hua's fashion show.

Click on the photo to see the finale of Amare Sinh's fashion show.http://youtu.be/ZvJo_BwufNQ

Hermès celebrates 'Hearts and Crafts'

Nadine Kam photos
Curtains rose after the screening of the Hermès documentary "Hearts and Crafts: The People That Make Hermès," Oct. 18 at Hawaii Theatre Center, revealing the stage beautifully lighted and set with white linen tables and white floral arrangements.

In the season of film festivals, Hermès hosted a screening of filmmaker Frédéric Laffont and Isabelle Dupuy-Chavanat's Hermès 47-minute documentary "Hearts and Crafts: The People That Make Hermès," on Oct. 18 at Hawaii Theatre Center.

Going behind-the-scenes at the luxury fashion house, the filmmakers celebrate craftsmanship by focusing, not on the glam and celebrity driven aspects of luxury branding, but on the many artisans from whose passion and nimble handiwork springs individual works of art, emphasizing that because of the handwork, no two pieces are alike.

The filmmakers interviewed saddlers, crystal and glass makers, metalsmiths and the artists behind the house scarf designs.

The cover of the invitation to the screening of the Hermès documentary "Hearts and Crafts: The People That Make Hermès," that took place Oct. 18 at Hawaii Theatre Center.

Maybe because of the work I do, it was the graphic artists' work that I found most intriguing because of their ability to visualize, in black-and-white, the multiple layers of color that go into a single design. A single scarf can comprise up to 42 colors, each mixed by hand to the artists' specifications, just for that piece.

Although the process has been described to me over the years, and having gravitated to the printmaking facilities of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, I understand the process, it is still amazing to see it all come together before one's eyes. It is all the more amazing when one considers that in newsprint, all our colors spring from a basic four: magenta, cyan, yellow and black!

In welcoming Hermès to the theater, Hawaii Theatre Center president Sarah Richard noted that their organizations have much in common in promoting the arts, and that the theater itself was the work of many craftsmen and artists, both historically and in the renovations that have restored much of its original glory.

From studying Hermès windows over time, I think of them of masters of the tableau and I think all in the audience were left breathless when, after the film, the curtains rose to reveal a stage set with tables, chandeliers, bouquets of white flowers and a mini bar for an on-stage reception. It was beautiful, and considering what we had just seen, an artful way to end the evening.

Donna Hodnefield, managing director of Hermès, Ala Moana Center, at lower left, welcomed Catherine Lin, and in the back row James Schaeffer of Harry Winston, Buddy Moore, Sean Lee Combs and Ashli Sower.

Tyler Boe, special events coordinator at Hermès of Paris, left, and Julie Vigneulle, special events manager, were in town for a few days to introduce the "Hearts and Crafts" film."

I liked the Hermès Twilly Tyler was wearing as a bracelet.

Among the guests were, from left, Annette Dung, Kristina Lee, Chun Hui Chen, Jeff Lee, Darah Dung and Denby Dung. Only daughter/sister Dana-Li Dung was missing.

Guests David and Lillian Yeh.

Sarah Richards and Elaine Evans, respectively the president and director of development for Hawaii Theatre Center.

Closet Swap marks 5th year of giving and shopping frenzy

Nadine Kam photos
The Class of ...? Women in "Super Hero or Super Villain" guise, dressed in a mixture of clothing, newspapers and magazines in an attempt to beat fellow competitors to be first to enter Closet Swap Oct. 16.

Women came wearing heels and carrying big bags to the annual Fashionista’s Market Closet Swap at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii on Oct. 16. The event's 5th anniversary was the biggest yet, drawing double the usual number of attendees, at 260, which may be also be a sign of the tough economic times, pushing more to swap their old clothes for something new- or at least new to them.

The 260 women generally donated 9,298 pieces of clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories to the event, with women able to pick up as many pieces as they contributed. Sandra Fernandez won a prize for most contributions, at 169 pieces.

The event raised funds for the Leeward Domestic Abuse Shelter, and garments remaining after the event are also donated to the shelter.

Fashionista's Market's Anita Clemente, left, and Alyssa Fung presided over the festivities, with tears at times as they spoke about the specter of domestic violence and all the good carried out by organizations such as the Leeward Domestic Abuse Shelter that was the beneficiary of the day's events.

Some of the oversize T-shirt donations were picked up by local designer Cassandra Rull, who was standing by with her sewing machine to transform them into prettier wearables. Those first to her table were able to pick out the best designs. She transformed a Hope for Japan T-shirt into a cute halter dress for me. It's amazing how fast she worked, and that she was able to accommodate all who were interested.

At the opposite end of the table, jewelry designer Kihwa Kwon Gosline of Studio Bijoux Hawaii was helping women to transform their old jewelry into new pieces. For those who hadn't brought anything, she was designing new jewelry on the spot, with findings and pieces from costume jewelry.

After a fortifying breakfast of fruit, scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausage and rice, the women were ready for action. But first, there was a contest to see just who would be able to enter the swap first for, presumably, the best stuff.

This year's contest was to dress one person at each table as a Superhero or Super Villain. Of course most, if not all, the women opted to be Superheroes, whether a super mom or super fashionista aiming to rid the world of bad fashion. I was one of four judges, and it's always such a tough call because there's so much energy and enthusiasm that goes into creating the costumes with a few pieces of clothing, newspapers and magazine pages. This year, judges opted for the cleaner, tailored look of winners I know only as "Bang Bang" and "Immaculate Designer Girl."

The women at both their tables were allowed 5 minutes early entry to the sale, before maximum craziness ensued.

Friends could pose for photos in the Kreative Photo Booth. At one point, I saw more than 10 women emerge at once.

Kihwa Kwon Gosline created a jewelry piece for Cassie Saylor.

Women lined up to have a piece of clothing refashioned for them by Cassandra Rull, whose creations can be found at Fashionista's Market.

Cassandra examines a shirt before starting on a piece for Kathleen Min, left, and another Closet Swapper.

In creating their Superheroes, many of the women started with the head sash.

Another work in progress.

Almost finished.

Winning look No. 1.

Winning look No. 2.

Eurocinema brings excitement to Waikiki

Nadine Kam photos
Gregg Sulkin joins Princess Dialta Alliata di Montereale on stage as winner of EuroCinema Hawai'i's inaugural Rising Star Award.

Scottish director Lynn Ramsey's thriller “We Need to Talk About Kevin” (UK/USA) nearly swept the 2nd annual EuroCinema Hawai'i Awards ceremony Oct. 15 on the Great Lawn at the Moana Surfrider Resort & Spa.

The film won three of the Tiffany-designed trophies, including Best Director for Ramsey, Best Actress for Tilda Swinton, and the Princess Dialta Alliata di Montereale Award for Best Film.

More than 400 guests gathered on the lawn at the Moana to witness the event, while mingling with filmmakers and celebs, including cast members from “Hawaii Five-O” and ABC’s dramatic thriller, “The River.”

Other award winners were Peter Mullan, named Best Actor for his role in Paddy Considine’s “Tyrannosaur” (Ireland), and in the Hawaii student filmmaker competition, Lana Dang of the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii at Manoa won $3,000 for the Best Student Film, “Pa‘ahana.”

But the most excitement of the evening greeted young British actor Gregg Sulkin, a charmer best known for his appearances on Disney’s “The Wizards of Waverly Place,” and soon to make his big screen appearance in the feature film “White Frog.” The film is about a high-school student, played by The Twilight Saga's Booboo Stewart, with mild Asperger’s syndrome. The film is directed by Quentin Lee, produced by Chris Lee, and also features Kelly Hu, who attended the event. Sulkin received the first EuroCinema Hawai‘i Rising Star Award.

Banners and a red carpet signaled something big happening at the Moana. Before guests started arriving, tourists snapped their own pictures on the red carpet.

The EuroCinema Hawai‘i Jury selecting the award winners were American Film Institute professor and film producer Dr. Barry Sabath, The Doris Duke at the Honolulu Academy of Arts film curator Gina Caruso, Cinema Paradise Film Festival director Chris Kahunahana and Honolulu Weekly film critic Ryan Senaga.

In addition to the winning films, this year’s lineup in the film festival continuing through Oct. 23 are “The Artist” (France), “The Fairy” (Belgium), “The Salt of Life” (Italy), “The Kid With a Bike” (Belgium), and “Le Havre” (Finland, France, Germany), as well as the World Film Foundation’s restored digital print of the Fellini classic “La Dolce Vita.” Find out more at www.eurocinemahawaii.org.

Founded in 2009, EuroCinema Hawai ‘i is dedicated to increasing the cultural relations between Hawaii and Europe, and to providing financial support Hawaii-based student filmmakers through annual scholarships and financial awards.

Excitement for the event built up early, beginning with limousine arrivals in front of the Moana, were dozens of tourists lined up to see what was going on, joining the papparazzi in taking photos of guests in gowns and black tie.

Inside, Malika Dudley welcomed celebs onto the red carpet with impromptu interviews. From there, most gravitated to the bar to sample creations by master mixologist Joey Gottesman, and the EuroCinema Hawaii's signature cocktail, The Fellini, created by Nobu's Dave Newman, courtesy of Disaronno and Young's Market Hawaii.

Food stations offered a mini culinary excursion through Europe. Richard Lancaster of the The Beachhouse at the Moana, promoted Italy with duck confit and a risotto station; Kai at the Sheraton Waikiki's Darren Demaya paid tribute to France with maple duck breast and braised red cabbage; and SALT Kitchen & Tasting Bar also honored Italy with a cannellini bean ragout with Shinsato pork and panzanella salad. Meanwhile, the Kahala Resort's Wayne Hirabayashi pulled double duty, representing Italy through Hoku's steak bruschetta and pasta Zafferino, and England, through Plumeria Beach House's offering of British bangers and sticky toffee pudding.

Board of directors members Patrick Gey, left, and Wanda Watumull, with Rajan Watumull.

Actor Gregg Sulkin brought his mom Jan. In Sulkin, Hawaii film enthusiasts may discovered the next Robert Pattinson. His star quality was recognized with the inaugural EuroCinema Hawai'i Rising Star Award.

Malika Dudley greeted "Hawaii Five-O" producer on the red carpet, and Steve Boyum.

Several groups of friends gathered to have their photos taken on the red carpet.

Last year, EuroCinema Hawai'i partnered with the Hawai'i International Film Festival to create a festival within a festival, and HIFF executive director Chuck Boller, left, was there to show his support, with Qi Marie and John Michael White.

From left, Alvin Chung, with Rising Star Gregg Sulkin and his mom Jan, Carol Brittingham and EuroCinema Hawai'i Board of Directors member Terry Hubbard.

Hubbard, Chung, Sulkin and "White Frog" producer Chris Lee.

Terry O'Quinn of "Lost" and "Hawaii Five-O," met the competition in Daniel Zacapa, who's in the cast of "The River," set to debut on ABC early next year. Elizabeth Lum enjoyed meeting the stars.