Nadine Kam photos Models in neoprene swimwear line up before the start of Avel Bacudio's fashion show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Resort.
"Triple Threat Advocacy" is not the frilly sort of name we expect from a fashion show, but designer Avel Bacudio's heart was in the right place as he staged a showing of swimwear, couture and Fall 2017 ready-to-wear designs in support of the Northern Luzon School for the Visually Impaired.
The nonprofit organization in his home country of the Philippines provides board, lodging, educational services and livelihood training and equal opportunities for visually impaired students to promote independence and meaningful lives. The school relies mostly on donations for support.
Designer Avel Bacudio shows one of his gowns before the start of his fashion show.
The event presented by Magnum Model and Talent Productions and sponsored by Philippine Airlines, took place Sept. 11 in the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Resort's Coral Ballroom. Audience members were treated to intimate peformances by recording artist Billy Crawford and Philippines Prince of R&B and Jay R Sillona, who both posed for selfies with fans in the midst of performances.
Among the models and opening the show was 2012 Miss Universe 1st Runner-Up Janine Mari Tugonon. She is in the running to become one of the Top 12 of 2017 Nu Muses. To vote for her, visit numus.es/janine. Anyone is welcome to cast one vote per day through 5 p.m. PST, Sept. 17.
Kekoa Lyons wears one of Bacudio's minimalist neoprene sweaters, sales of which will help support visually impaired children in the Philippines. Adult sizes run $75, children's sweaters run $55 at aveldesigns.com.
The close of his show brought out keiki and adult models in neoprene, digital-print sweaters emblazoned with "A"s and other letters of the alphabet, the "A" representing both Avel and advocacy for the visually impaired students.
The charity is close to his heart because of his own brush with blindness a decade ago when he suffered from retinal detachment that could have ended his career.
Bacudio was raised in Bicol, in Southern Luzon, better known for being home to one of the smallest freshwater fish in the world, the dwarf pygmy goby, than fashion. He rose to present his work on international stages after being chosen to participate in a student fashion competition in Paris. Bacudio earned the title of "Asia's Most Influential Designer during Mercedes-Benz Stylo Asia Fashion Week 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, beating 24 other designers from 11 countries throughout Asia. Shoe designer Jimmy Choo is one of his champions, and is working to bring Bacudio's work to the attention of fashion enthusiasts in the West.
Nordstrom Rack photos A new Nordstrom Rack will open its doors at 9 a.m. Sept. 1.
It's a crazy time with President Obama in town causing tie-ups in traffic, the specter of hurricanes and mercury retrograde in effect, but Hawaii people love a grand opening and they keep coming.
Following openings of the International Market Place and its dozens of shops and restaurants, a new Nordstrom Rack will open its doors at neighboring Waikiki Trade Center at 9 a.m. Sept. 1.
Festivities begin at 8 a.m. with music, coffee and breakfast treats. There will also be a raffle giveaway of 30 $100 gift cards, plus, one lucky winner will score a $1,000 shopping spree through the retailers "Rule the Rack" sweepstakes, with drawing taking place at 8:25 a.m.
If lines outside the new Foodland Farms Ala Moana Center this morning are an indication, people won't be able to stay away.
Nadine Kam photos This dress was one of several modeled by Daniella Abe during a preview trunk show of Dior's Winter 2016 ready-to-wear collection. Styles are slated to begin arriving in stores next month.
I love the romance evident in fall's designs, and Dior delivers on the handworked, vintage-y vibe of the season. The boutique at T Galleria hosted a preview of its Winter 2016 collection on Aug. 15.
On view were ready-to-wear dresses in plush velvets and soft knits, with many pieces embellished with beads and paillettes in an ornate style I associate with 1950s Chinese brocades.
Also on the floor are early 1900s and menswear-inspired shoes, fabulous eyewear that shoppers just couldn't put down, and combat boots with bling that have people stomping their way all over Paris.
Footwear also was cued by the past, with high-vamp lace-up styles and color cues from menswear. But stiletto heels are purely femme.
Carrying over from summer, a limited number of Dior X Rihanna collaboration sunglasses are available at the boutique now, at about $840.
Here's a video link with Rihanna in the sunglasses: dior.com
A bodice of velvet florals softens winter's black eveningwear.
Nadine Kam photos Joy Ramos, left, was the mannequin for the day as nine beauty brands worked their magic on her bare skin, from a foundation of skin care, to brows, lashes and full color look, during Macy's Ala Moana's inaugural Beauty Trend Show. Here, she's in the chair with representatives from Lancome.
Macy's hosted it's first Beauty Trend Event July 16 at the Ala Moana Center store, highlighted by something I haven't seen done here before, a start-to-finish makeover, from skin care to color, featuring several beauty brands.
It had to be hard to determine who would do what. Typically, each brand would perform a makeover using all of its own products, but that's not realistic.
I think even the most loyal customers pick and choose the best from each product line, and very few match their skin care to their choice of color brands.
Among skincare products highlighted were:
Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Cleansing Gel
SKII Facial Treatment Essence
Clarins Double Serum
Chanl Le Blanc Intensive Spot Treatment and Hydra Flash Balm
Shisedo Ibuki Beauty Sleeping Mask and Ibuki Quick Fix Mist
Origins Plantscription line
Nadine Kam photos Tata Harper was in town to host a skin-care master class featuring her all-natural line of beauty products.
Beauty expert Tata Harper has been in Hawaii celebrating her birthday, and made a trip to Neiman Marcus July 30 to host a skin-care master class, utilizing the all-natural products handmade on her Vermont farm.
I was running a bit late that morning, but still managed to put a face on, only to find we were starting the session with a good face cleansing. We began with Tata Harper's Nourishing Oil Cleanser, that went on silky smooth and washed off easily with a damp sponge, taking my makeup job with it. To familiarize ourselves with the products, we were also able to try her exfoliating Regenerating Cleanser, detox-oriented Purifying Cleanser, and for sensitive skin and rosacea, Refreshing Cleanser.
There's an idea that's hard to shake, that "natural" cannot be as effective as industrialized ingredients. One of my friends once said that in the war against wrinkles, "Give me chemicals." But in my experience, Tata Harper's products are much more effective than most brands I've tried, that take a more traditional approach to creating skincare products.
A display highlighted the fresh fruit, botanicals and herbs that go into Tata Harper Skincare.
I've interviewed Harper many times, and her origin story is that she began questioning the many household and beauty chemicals we use every day after her father-in-law became sick from cancer. What she learned horrified her, because many of the ingredients used in beauty products are also used in automotive and industrial products. "How can that be beautifying?" she asks, and started studying and learning, changing her family's lifestyle in the process, so that her father-in-law became a cancer survivor.
In speaking to industry chemists, she also learned that, for marketing purposes, most beauty products utilize only one or two active ingredients, whether hyularonic acid or vitamin C. Beyond that ingredient that sells the product, the rest is filler.
Nadine Kam photos Kaypee Soh presented the finale collection during the Hui Makaala 47th annual fashion show.
The Okinawan scholarship organization, Hui Makaala, presented its 47th fashion show July 24 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, featuring Dolkii, Boutique Sharon, and Kaypee Soh.
First to present was Dolkii, created by sisters Shaiyanne Dar and Yasmin Dar Fasi. What started as Shaiyanne's blog in 2013, turned into an online boutique last year, and this season, the sisters created their first original designs, a dress and harem pant-inspired romper that reflect the casual, chic, boho essence of Dolkii.
Next up were designs from Joe Jeong's Boutique Sharon, reflecting the colorful mixed cultural heritage of Hawaii through fashion by Harari, local designer Anne Namba, Hawaiian artists and Italian clothiers.
Miss Hawaii 2016 Allison Chu walked the runway for all three segments. Here, she's pictured in an ensemble from Boutique Sharon. She also proved to be a quick-change artist, singing in between segments and rushing backstage to get into garments to open the shows.
Kaypee Soh presented the finale show inspired by Hawaii's rainbows and flora. Soh, who grew up in Malaysia, attended school in London, and started his career as a graphic designer. After moving to Hawaii in 2004, he found a niche in interiors, but his love of textiles and prints led to a natural evolution from wardrobing the home to outfitting the body. This spring-summer collection marks his first full collection, yet anyone seeing his work for the first time would think he's been working in fashion for years.
A day ahead of the show, I worried that pending tropical storm Darby might cause its cancellation. The day was humid, but the downpour in Honolulu waited until the evening. A good thing because this is the organization's major fund-raiser for scholarships, that in 2016 will go to:
* Stephanie Adaniya: Iolani School to Brown University; Biology
* Reese Asato: Iolani School to University of Purdue; Mechanical Engineering
* Dane Itomura: Punahou School to UC San Diego; Biology
* Kassie Odo: Pearl City High to Oregon State; Bio-engineering
* Shayna Pak: McKinley High to University of Hawaii at Manoa; Music
* Copeland Talkington: Kamaile Academy to UHM; Computer Science
* Marisa Tsuhako: Waiakea High to UHM; Master of Education
* Summer Tsukenjo: Sacred Hearts Academy to Kapiolani Community College; Education
* Jolyn Yoneshige: Castle High to Hawaii Pacific University; Education
Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients and all who worked hard to make sure the show when on in spite of the uncertain weather.
Allison Chu in one of Dolkii's original romper designs.
A stylized "rainbow" by Kaypee Soh.
—————— Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her fashion coverage is in print on Saturdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.
Nadine Kam photos Models walk the runway in upcycled designs by Charmaine Claire Viernes, right, during the 2016 Goodwill Goes GLAM! Doll Me Up fashion show that took place July 21 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.
With Thursday's "Doll Me Up" fashion show produced by Kini Zamora, featuring upcycled designs by seven child and seven adult designers, the "Goodwill Goes GLAM!" sale is on.
Fans of thrifting can shop brand-name fashions and goods, both new and gently used at bargain prices under one roof at the colossal pop-up shop at the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, 777 Ward Ave., through Sunday.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 22 and 23, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 24. Park free at McKinley High School. Tickets to the GLAM! sale are $4. Check facebook.com/goodwillhawaii for any weather updates due to the pending tropical storm Darby.
New additions to the event this year include a Hawaiian Telcom Entertainment Lounge equipped with TVs, a laptop/computer station and complimentary Wi-Fi access for shoppers.
No7 beauty products are being featured at the GLAM Spot featuring products from London-based Boots Alliance, available at Walgreen's Keeaumoku.
Boots Retail USA will also be hosting free beauty workshops and demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on GLAM! sale days, featuring its No7 cosmetics and skincare products. The workshops will include a No7 "Match Made Foundation" service covering color-matching foundations, foundation tips and demonstrations; No7 "Sun Kissed Complexion" workshop offering tips on how to achieve radiant skin; and No7 "All About the Eyes" workshop on how to keep your eyes looking youthful with No7 eye products.
The schedule is as follows:
July 22 and 23
Noon: No7 Match Made Foundation Service
1 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion
2 p.m.: No7 Match Made Foundation Service
3 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion
July 24
Noon: No7 All About the Eyes
1 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion
2 p.m.: No7 All About the Eyes
3 p.m.: No7 Sun Kissed Complexion
Kierra Akima, 11, won $300 for her sleek black cocktail dress created from fabric sourced from Goodwill garments.
During last night's fashion show, seven child designers, ages 10 to 12, and seven adult designers took on the task of creating new fashion by upcycling threads sourced from Goodwill stores.
The child designers, who had prior training from Sewciety Hawaii sewing school, were Kierra Akima, Keala Baclayon, Keanuenue Desoto, Ella Laird, Aubrey Lock, Skye Nagata and Kelly Oshita. The adults, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Honolulu Community College fashion programs, were Matt Batulayan, Krystal Ann Cabo, Mitch Johns, Von Kaanaana, Charmaine Claire Viernes, Edmar Villa and Kaycee Yoshioka.
They had been selected at the beginning of the year to participate in the mentorship program led by Hawaii's "Project Runway" designer Kini Zamora, and the little ones did such an amazing job that during the runway show, guests probably didn't know they were seeing designs by pre-teens. They got their head start in sewing classes with Uakea Egami from Sewciety Hawaii.
Kaycee Yoshioka was the adult winner of $1,200 for her three-piece collection.
During my interview with Kini prior to the show, I mentioned that I had been sewing at that age, but now that I reflect back on my experience, I was only sewing shifts, jumpers, skirts and wrap dresses at 10 and 11. I was about four years away from any thoughts about evening wear, because my only evening needs were for prom.
I told him I was clearly not destined for a designing career because I didn't care about the process, only getting to wear the finished item. And, unlike many people who grow up to be designers, I never watched a Miss America pageant thinking, "I'm going to grow up and design gowns." It just didn't register.
I ran into a fellow journalist at the event and, because the little girls had talked—during film segments in between the fashion showcases— about what they wanted to be when they grew up (veterinarians and horseback riders dominated), we put the question to each other, and it turned out we both wanted to be journalists—a straight track.
Recent Honolulu Community College Fashion Technology graduate Matt Batulayan was inspired by Hopi kachina in coming up with his looks.
But like these young designers, there was an animal element involved that got me hooked. My parents subscribed to the Star-Bulletin and for some reason, when I was growing up, the newspaper was constantly running stories about the zoo. Human interest stories about the elephant's love interest, newborns, etc., and I kept a scrapbook of all the zoo happenings, which fueled my interest in the paper. Coz what child cares about politics?
The Goodwill Goes GLAM! event presented by Bank of Hawaii Foundation is now in its 5th year of raising awareness about Goodwill Hawaii’s mission to assist people having difficulty finding employment, offering them the services and tools they need to become self-sufficient. More than $280,000 was raised during last year's event, making it possible for Goodwill Hawaii to assist more than 11,000 individuals.
Guests entering the venue were greeted by models styled in Goodwill pieces.
VIP guests enjoyed a dinner presented by Jon Matsubara, culinary director of Forty Carrots at Bloomingdales Ala Moana Center. The main course was butter-poached beef tenderloin topped with thick-cut Nueske bacon and Hamakua mushrooms, served with creamed Ewa corn and sauce bordelaise.
Dessert during the meal focused on locally sourced ingredients was hibiscus sorbetto served over a slice of Frankie's Nursery honey cream pineapple, with a spearmint accent.
Or watch rebroadcasts on 'Olelo Channel 53 as follows: 6 p.m. Aug. 21 8 a.m. Aug. 22 5 p.m. Aug. 23 4 p.m. Aug. 28
—————— Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her fashion coverage is in print on Saturdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.
