Earth Month inspires upcycled designs from CHIEF, Love at Dawn

Nadine Kam photos
Love at Dawn designer Angela Tomiye, front left, and CHIEF designer Lynn Dagan, front right, posed with their models after their debut fashion show at Honolulu Night Market.

Timed ahead of Earth Day, CHIEF designer Lynn Dagan and Love at Dawn designer Angela Tomiye teamed up to stage their first fashion show at Honolulu Night Market on Saturday, as well as a trunk show of one-of-a-kind vintage and upcycled pieces.

The show served as a reminder that rather than be wasteful, the clever dresser can do his/her part to conserve resources by rescuing pieces.

Both designers share a love of vintage design and textiles, and could never bear the thought of others discarding them at the expense of the planet, as well as the closets of current and future fashion lovers and collectors. They enjoy giving the garments and textiles new life by repurposing them into more contemporary clothing and accessories.


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Dagan said she’d been repurposing garments since she was in the 9th grade, followinge the example set by her mother and grandmother.

Growing up in a Filipino household, she was the dutiful daughter who studied to become an ER nurse to please her mom, and she said she loves her job, but when she goes home to sew, “This is therapy to me.”

She learned to sew by watching YouTube videos, and much of her work now centers on embellishing denim shorts, and creating clutches, wallets, totes, purses and unisex crossbody bags out of unique fabrics and leather.

One of her fans, Charyse Iseri, introduced her to Angela, and Dagan said, “Angela and I really get each other. We seem to have that eye that recognizes vintage or vintage appeal. When I shop in thrift stores and come across textiles that catch my eye, I am already thinking about how I am going to design the piece.”

 Angela Komiye, left, and Lynn Dagan, right, with their intern Kiki Krog.

Among the models was Miss Hawaii USA Emma Wo. She will be competing in the Miss USA 2015 pageant on July 12 in Baton Rouge, La.

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CHIEF designs are currently available at Mori Hawaii by Art & Flea in Ward Warehouse, as well as The Butik at 1067 Kapiolani Boulevard, and Kira Hawaii at Pearlridge Uptown. Tomiye has a studio at Mccully and King sts., above the old Chop Sui House, where she meets with clients by appointment.

More pieces courtesy of the designers:

 

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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.

Ala Moana Center announces new tenants

Photo courtesy Ted Baker
Ted Baker London is among the retailers coming to Ala Moana Center’s Ewa Wing.

I’m excited to see the rundown of new shops and restaurants coming to Ala Moana Center when the Ewa Wing is completed — tentatively late this year, just in time for Christmas.

Construction is moving quickly, and I noticed Wednesday morning that they have torn down my favorite access point on Ala Moana Boulevard: the ramp heading toward Longhi’s and Morton’s. If you’re heading down there, plan accordingly.
The expanded three-level shopping area will eventually feature 650,000 square feet of new retail space, including a 167,000 square-foot Bloomingdale’s store. Nordstrom will also move into the Ewa Wing in March 2016.

Here’s a list of what’s coming; some of the brands are already represented elsewhere in town. I’m particularly excited to see newcomer Ted Baker London. Love the brand’s retro, ladylike-with-an-edge style.

» Aqua Blu: Offers high-end versatile bags perfect for jetsetters on the go. Each bag is designed to be practical, fashionable, light and functional.

» The Art of Shaving: Presents a collection of grooming essentials, including shaving sets, razors, shaving brushes, and shaving products made with quality ingredients and 100 percent pure essential oils to help men achieve healthier, smoother skin.

» BOSS Hugo Boss: Line of sophisticated clothing for men and women, ranging from tuxedos and evening gowns, to club wear and casual styles.

» Calypso St. Barth: The boutique captures the romance of travel and a languid luxurious lifestyle, with the leisure looks of dip-dyed caftans, cashmere cardigans and other luxe bohemian delights.

» David Yurman: The brand is known for fine jewelry and luxury timepieces capturing the essence of relaxed American luxury.

» The D Shop – Desigual: The Barcelona-based brand is characterized by its distinctive, colorful prints and casual designs for women, men and kids.

» Gloria Jean’s Coffees: Single origin and flavored beans, and the latest in coffee accessories will create a modern, elevated coffee and food experience.

» Laline: “Body meets soul” with this bath and body care line. Laline combines the best of nature and science, sourcing essential oils and scents from Provence, and mineral salts from the Dead Sea to help improve skin.

» Pierre Marcolini: The chocolatier makes his own couverture chocolate using cacao beans sourced from Mexico, Madagascar, Venezuela and more exotic locales, resulting in luxury craft chocolates and sweets.

» Ted Baker London: The menswear and womenswear brand is loved for its quality and distinctive use of design and colour, plus attention to detail. Traditional and contemporary influences with a dose of irreverent sense of humour capture a quintessential British attitude.

» Tempura Ichidai: The second offering from Pierthirty USA, Inc., will feature a fresh tempura bar allowing patrons to choose from a variety of tempura items.

» Longines: Known for its rich heritage and winged hourglass logo, Longines brings its 180 years of watchmaking expertise to elegant, high-performance timepieces.

» Moncler: Travelers swear by Moncler’s stylish, technologically advanced apparel and outerwear providing warmth and go anywhere lightness.
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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.

There's plenty to love at Nomads Hawaii boutique

Nadine Kam photos
In searching for one of the newspaper’s “5 Things We Love,” I bought this marble box inlaid with lapis lazuli, malachite, carnelian and other semi-precious stones, from Nomads Hawaii.


Blame it on Doris Duke. You can’t walk away from her Shangri La estate without gaining an appreciation of Islamic arts and the beautiful fixtures and furnishings in her home, drawing from her international travels.

After visiting her newly opened Mughal Suite at Shangri La last year, I fell in love with her marble bath inlaid with floral studies comprising semi-precious stones.

Well, I can’t afford a room of marble, but on a visit to Nandini Bhattacharjee’s Nomads Hawaii boutique in Kailua, I recognized the work in inlaid vases and boxes from India, and could afford one of the boxes, now about $117, a 50 percent markdown.

Bhattacharjee traveled the world and brought back the things she loved to share with the rest of us.
Offered are clothing, jewelry and housewares including batiks sarongs (about $28) from Indonesia and handmade bedding from India.

One shelf is devoted to international Fair Trade items made by adult workers who are paid fair wages in safe working conditions, provided with education and healthcare, and using eco-friendly practices.

Nomads Hawaii is at 131 Hekili St., Suite 112, in Kailua. Call 261-6677.

I could only feature a few objects in the paper, here are a few more:

These are two images I captured last year while writing a story on the opening of Doris Duke’s Shangri La Mughal Suite, the heiress’ private quarters with adjoining wall-to-wall marble bath.

Another inlaid marble vase from Nomads Hawaii.

At Nomads Hawaii, these handmade stuffed toys from Africa have individual names.

 Handpainted egg cups from India. This set of three is $18.

Umbra Zoola ring holders and cardholders, $12 each.

Carved wood elephant candle holder from India.

Kokeshi-style figures made in Indonesia.
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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.

Feed your skin at Whole Foods

Nadine Kam photos
Juice Beauty regional education manager Rosalind Upson introduces Rose Marie Wilson to some of the brand’s juice- and plant-based skincare products.

At Whole Foods, customers are awakening to the idea that what you slather on your body is as important as the food you ingest, so borrowing a page from major fashion and beauty retailers, the business we tend to think of as a super health food market recently launched a Beauty Week Event March 19 to 22 to call attention to its Whole Body department.

The event focused on introducing personal care products made from naturally derived ingredients, as well as raising awareness of its weekly 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday DIY classes in making such basic items as lip, face and body scrubs, and food-based masks.

Said Whole Body Associate Team Leader Tiffany Jones, "Skin is the largest organ and what goes on skin, goes inside. But not many people think about that."

With a background in the mainstream beauty industry, Jones said the idea of naturally derived beauty products did not always appeal to her. "I thought of it as hippie stuff," she said.

There's been an assumption that organic, naturally derived beauty products are not as effective as possibly synthetic counterparts, and I have friends who have blurted with conviction, "I need chemicals!"

Holly and Ashley Harding of Bubble Shack Hawaii were there to talk about their soaps and Bungalow Woof line of pooch and people body washes.

Bubble Shack soaps include lilikoi, gardenia and pikake scents.

I do try a lot of different products and my results have convinced me that organic, plant-based products  can be just as potent, if not even more powerful than those containing manmade ingredients. Fruit acids do a good job of sloughing off debris and dead skin, and among the brands featured during Beauty Week was Juice Beauty, a skincare and color line based on fruit and botanical ingredients.

For typical Whole Foods customers, who care about what they ingest, it isn't much of a leap to take the next step and make similar choices about what they put on their bodies. Jones said a lot of customers are new parents who want to start their kids on track to a healthy life.

Many chemicals used in the beauty industry have been shown to contribute to cancers, hormonal disruptions, headaches, allergies, nervous system disruption, fatigue and more adverse reactions.

To protect consumers, the European Union has banned more than 1,300 chemicals from cosmetic products. To compare, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned only 10.

Based on its own research, Whole Foods has identified 400 ingredients they consider unacceptable, including parabens, polypropylene and polyethylene glycols, sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates.

Jones said that at a minimum, bath, body and skincare lines carried by Whole Foods contain no artificial preservatives, colors and fragrances, and no parabens. In addition, premium lines contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients, "Customers looking for those premium products can feel comfortable that they will find products that work and are good for them," Jones said.

Among the most popular brands are John Masters and Andalou, and about a dozen Hawaii brands are featured, including Honey Girl honey-based skincare products, Bubble Shack soaps, and Puna Noni skincare products featuring noni-based soaps, body wash, shampoos and hand and body lotions.

"Times are changing and as customers are becoming more aware, more companies are changing their products to be organic and performance based.”

During Thursday Throwdown! events 5 to 7 p.m. weekly at Whole Foods stores, you can find D.I.Y. workshops for making beauty products. If you can’t make it, you can still find recipes and a display area featuring ingredients for making products such items as lip, face and body scrubs and honey masks.

Some of those ingredients include bath salts, dried rose bud petals and lavender flowers.

Whole Foods carries nearly a dozen local product lines, including Puna Noni’s line of noni-fruit based skincare, soaps, shampoo and conditioner.

Honey Girl Organics is another local skincare line, made with organic raw honey and beeswax with naturally occurring propolis, pollen and royal jelly blended with purified water and organic extra virgin olive oil.
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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.

Bakery Charms Easter jewelry a treat for eyes

 Jenn Lee photos
Bakery Charms Easter jewelry shown here are available for $16 to$29 at BakeryCharms.com.

Chocolate bunnies, pastel macarons, oh my!

If you’re putting together the perfect Easter outfit, accessorize your dress and bonnet with some of the adorable pastel-colored Easter jewelry created by Bakery Charms owner and designer Jenn Lee.

Charms and pendants in the style of Peeps and chocolate rabbits, cookies and macarons are great for Easter baskets, gift-giving and, of course, wearing.

Pieces range from $16 to $29 and you can order them at BakeryCharms.com.

This box of marshmallow bunnies Mommy necklace comes with a second, smaller two-bunny necklace (pictured in top photo) to share, at $32 for the set.
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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.

Spring 2015's relaxed trends on view

Krystle Marcellus photos
Rain Rusden wears an Etro floral print maxi ($3,145), above, a Rag & Bone navy blazer ($595) and Vince nude wedge shoes ($395). Completing her look are a Stella McCartney embellished clutch ($1,270), Oliver Peoples tortoise sunglasses ($325), Oscar de la Renta tassel earrings ($345), Eddie Borgo cone and dome bracelets ($325 each), and CUSP arrowhead white bead necklace ($65), amber crystal double-strand necklace ($95) and purple necklace ($45). All items are from Neiman Marcus.

Spring is in the air and on the runways. Neiman Marcus has been introducing the trends during a series of beauty and fashion events and runway shows. And over the weekend, Ala Moana Center boutiques introduced their new styles during a series of Shop A Le’a fashion shows.

For those of us who call Hawaii home, long breezy dresses, lightweight fabric and colorful prints just happen to be comfortable in year-round summer weather, and our native dress puts us right on trend for Spring 2015.

Boho, romantic and casual are the buzz words. We know that with traffic a bore and little time to change between destinations, pieces that are versatile enough to transition from day to night are perfect for today’s go-go lifestyle. We want clothing that can go from cas­ual to glam with a makeup touchup and quick accessory switcheroo.

The rest of the world is just catching up with us. Here’s what to look for. I’m sure you’ll find a lot in your closet. Just augment with a few key pieces:


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CLOTHING

Channel your inner gypsy with styles trimmed with embroidery, lace or fringe. In keeping with the notion of escaping from the expected, the asymmetrical hem is back.

Prints abound from jumpsuits to maxi dresses. Rather than matching them up, mix them up. Suddenly, it’s fashionable to cobble together a look from random found pieces.

Give your closet an air of everyday escape with boho peasant blouses or embroidered tunics. Pair with distressed or luxe denim that has made the leap from cas­ual to ladylike silhouettes.

Look for a mix of clean whites paired with dusky spice-market colors like paprika, cayenne, saffron and sage.

If you have trouble committing to one pattern, The Marc by Marc Jacobs “Metropolitote” Jerrie Rose beach tote in desert rose multi ($278) features a floral pattern on one side and stripes on the other; find it at the boutique at T Galleria.

HANDBAGS

The trends carry over into handbags bearing romantic floral or art prints and fringe.

The clean-lined, minimalist bucket bag offers a modern look for spring 2015, but it faces competition from the enduring hands-free cross-body bag.

Rain Rusden wears an Isabel Marant navy embroidered tunic ($1,825), Etro paisley-print pant ($1,130), Proenza Schou­ler saffron suede fringed cross-body bag ($1,425), Margo Morrison New York long multicolor ($475) and short multistrand necklaces ($685), Sheryl Lowe purple bead bracelet ($1,690), Tai turquoise bead bracelet ($130), and CUSP turquoise cuff ($60), tassel bracelet ($50) and drop earrings ($50). All from Neiman Marcus.

JEWELRY

Like nomadic tribes who wear all their belongings as they cross the desert, the urban nomad is no stranger to layering. This season, the more the merrier. If two necklaces worked for you before, now try three or four.

Turquoise beads mixed with suede easily fit the new bohemian trend. Try bigger beads, or mix sizes and weights to avoid the dreaded tangling that comes from layering necklaces.

Go triple or quadruple on beaded bracelets, bangles and rings as well.

Nordstrom photo
Kate Spade “McKee” leather sandals ($178), available at Nordstrom, embody the of-the-moment chunky sole and sporty-chic styling. Also pictured is Kate Spade’s polka-dot “Emma Lane — Lacey” wallet ($178).

FOOTWEAR

The era of the stiletto is over. An active, busy woman just can’t get her sprint on while teetering in too-high heels. Flats have become all-important, and while the ballet flat and gladiator sandal endure, what’s new in 2015 is the sport sandal — minimal, cushiony and made to hit the pavement hard.

Designers have finally looked beyond trainers and seen fit to create updated footwear to go along with the continuing sportswear trend. Glamour magazine refers to the new looks as part of an “ugly shoe trend.” Think Birkenstocks on steroids. The new footwear can be found in fine leather to the latest in sports-tech materials, and runs from stark black and white to bold stripes of color.


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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.

Dior opens facial salon at Neiman Marcus Honolulu

Nadine Kam photos
A Dior spa salon has opened inside Neiman Marcus.

Dior Beauty has a beautiful new space within Neiman Marcus, and marked its opening and the new spring season with a cocktail event that took place March 19.

The new beauty counter and single-room facial salon are at the front of the store, to the left of the main mall entrance and en route to the shoe salon.

It is the only Dior counter to carry the brand’s full fragrance line, and shoppers purchasing three items from Dior’s skincare collections will be able to indulge in a custom facial, valued at $600, utilizing products from the L’Or de Vie, Prestige, Capture Totale collections, as applicable.

Also new, the “mix, not match” philosophy behind spring fashion is also evident in Dior’s “Kingdom of Colors” makeup collection. Diorshow artist Robert Munoz, in town for the event, showed guests how to create a pink and purple eye in combination with an orange lip, colors people usually consider to be clashing.

He suggested thinking about a spring garden or bouquet of flowers combining all these colors beautifully.

Diorshow artist Robert Munoz offered makeovers for guests during a cocktail event celebrating the opening of the Dior Salon.

Dior photos
Color is strong for spring, and Dior’s “Kingdom of Colors” collection is highlighted by a mix of pink, purple and orange hues.

Dior’s “Kingdom of Colors” Spring 2015 palette ($60) features 10 custom colors for lips, eyes and face.

Nadine Kam photos
The Honolulu Neiman Marcus is the only NM store to carry the complete La Collection Privée Christian Dior fragrances handcrafted with rare and exclusive raw materials. Among the fragrances is “New Look 1947,” named after the designer’s inaugural February 1947 which shot him to fame.

Shopper Alyssa Yeager tried the spring colors, including the wonderful orange of Rouge Dior “Rendez-vous No. 543″ lipstick ($35).

Dior makeup cases are arranged like artwork on the walls of the new beauty counter/salon.
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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.