By Nadine Kam

Kahala Hotel & Resort photo
Hoku celebrates his 17th birthday March 30 at the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

Way back last November, I was at the Kahala Hotel & Resort to check out its “Kahala Chic” makeover of guestrooms and suites done up in muted ocean and sand colors.

While there, I shot some video of the Dolphin Quest activities, and was just waiting for a good time to post it. I thought now would be a good time because one of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Hoku, will be celebrating his 17th birthday Sunday morning from 10 to 10:30 a.m., with a performance and birthday cake for human guests.

The Dolphin Quest program brings humans and dolphins together for research and educational purposes.The dolphin in the video is Liho, and the Marine Animal Supervisor working with him is Nicole West.

Nadine Kam video

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
A detail of an Eli Baxter installation.

From time to time the way other people dress can inspire me to bust out my camera. So it was when I spent Friday afternoon at The Contemporary Museum during a walk-through of the TCM Biennial of Hawaii artists featuring site-specific installations of Eli Baxter, Vincent Goudreau, Javier Martinez, Yida Wang, Cade Roster, Wayne Zebzda and Meidor Hu.

I enjoyed walking around Wang’s exploration of breast cancer with an installation of hanging Latex breasts, Cade Roster’s series of manga-inspired Plush Gaiden, and Eli Baxter’s sculptures of recycled, polished bicycle tires, inner tubes and molded wax, somehow reminiscent of Alexander McQueen fashion designs.

While there, I ran into TCM’s PR officer Pualana Lemelle and took a photo of her in the museum shop next to the Art-O-Mat, which dispenses miniature pieces of art, whether jewelry, collage or a small sculpture for, last time I checked, $5.

Pualana Lemelle wears an Express wrap dress and gold Western boots from Catherine’s Closet in Manoa.

That reminded me I had a couple of photos of Neiman Marcus’ Contemporary Sportswear/Theory Specialist Alen Ajed. I’m in that department a lot, most of the time just looking, and he’s typically wearing designer, top to bottom, though in his own colorful style. I like that he’s not afraid to wear color and have fun with clothes.

Alen Ajed at the recent Hip Event wearing an Etro shirt with a watercolor-wash print, D&G jacket, Cicinnelli pink pant, Prada belt and Paul Smith tie. His favorite part of the ensemble are his Paul Smith floral design shoes.

On another occasion, I took Alen’s photo (below) with Donna Walden, who also caught my eye because she was wearing this season’s flora-, insect- and fantasy-inspired Prada shoe. Shoes that beautiful have to be uncomfortable, I thought, but Donna said they’re really comfortable.

Alen wears an Etro jacket over a heart-print Prada shirt with a Gianni Versace tie. I cut off the toe of Donna’s shoe, so below are details from Prada’s ad campaign.

When I highlight some of these pieces, I get emails or on Twitter, tweets along the lines of, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Well, to most people, nothing. I don’t want people to walk around looking like fashion clones or slaves. These are just the things I find particularly beautiful and enjoy seeing because they bring an element of beauty into daily existence. It serves the same function as a flower arrangement in an office or lobby, or, if so inclined, a Precious Moments figurine on your desktop. I don’t intend to encourage people to go out and consume, but I am inviting people to train their eyes to see more and to see the ordinary elevated through art.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
You might see this pair of Paolos out one day, if I can ever learn to walk in them.

I’m not a shoe person just because my feet are so tiny, at size 3, very few of them fit. As a result, I am able to breeze past shoe departments with zero longing, which is so great! Think of all the money I save, though I compensate for the loss by being a purse person.

There are a lot of cute shoes at the new Nordstrom, but I wasn’t going to actually sit down and try any on, because I knew they wouldn’t fit.

Well, sometimes people invite me to help them shop, as if my daily job isn’t hazardous enough. When you’re in the stores, you see stuff and you start wanting stuff that you probably wouldn’t want if you just stayed home.

So, L. wanted to check out Nordstrom, where I made her try on a bunch of stuff that she would never try on and she bought one of the dresses. Trouble is, we were in the shoe department when she took charge and had them bring out the smallest shoes they had, resulting in my spending double what she spent on two pairs of size 4 Paolos. Too big, but with three layers of padding, maybe.

Only trouble is, one of them is a non-platform with 4-inch heels. I haven’t worn 4-inch heels since I was a teenager, and now find them perfectly good for just standing around looking pretty, just the sort of thing that makes certain shoe people I know easy targets for ribbing. They’re not so good for walking around. So far, I’m just practicing around the house.

By Nadine Kam

Fans of “Lost” who need a fix while awaiting new episodes in late April may want to check out the Fine Bros.—Benny’s and Rafi’s—latest “Lost” parody:

The bros. report the series of three videos have already drawn more than 3 million hits, which seems to be sending a lot more adults back to their toy boxes for inspiration. Check out more at www.RavenStake.com

By Nadine Kam

Second Style
Haver Cole’s interpretation of one of Christian Siriano’s “Project Runway” winning styles in the virtual Second Life magazine Second Style.

Back in earlier days of Second Life, I nosed around for a while but didn’t get that into it. I guess the problem was, my avatar looked just like me.

I could have made my avatar more beautiful, taller, curvier, a Glamazon among women, but I didn’t want to be one of THOSE people who tried to pass myself off as something I’m not.

But I guess I missed the point of having a Second Life, which is to somehow make it better, on every level, than the one you do have.

Ah, who was I trying to kid? I knew exactly which avatars were doubles for their real-life counterparts. I knew which were inauthentic because of their telltale impossibly thin figures and cartoonish beauty. And I shied away from the weirdos with spikes portruding from their bodies, odd hairdos, those that looked like Cartman. I couldn’t help but think that, far from showing humorous traits, they were the embodiment of personality disorders.

Now, a Stanford study tells how, just as in real life, looks matter in Second Life.

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2008/03/stanford-study.html

By Nadine Kam

Sephora is promoting “Five reasons we adore Dior” through its Beauty Insider program

Reason No. 1 is Dior Addict High Shine Lipstick ($25) for long-lasting, smudge-proof wear and intense color. But I was checking out the Midnight Blue Dior Vernis nail lacquer ($19) manicure in the photo.

I was just talking to someone about how fast my fingernails grow, faster than it takes to ruin a manicure, and how great it would be to promote something like a reverse French manicure so I wouldn’t need a do-over so quickly, and here it is in the ad:

By Nadine Kam

Design by Humans artwork
March 25’s winning design at Design By Humans is Punktipus by New York artist Manki.

Fancy yourself a T-shirt designer? You can put your skills to the test at Design By Hümans, a Web site where artists around the globe put their work out to be rated in the site’s Shirt of the Day, Shirt of the Week and Shirt of the Month contests. A design winning all three categories could earn you up to $3,500 in cash and store credit, plus residuals from sales of T-shirts bearing your design.

An additional contest running through March 31 is the opportunity to design a T-shirt for the London-based electro-rock band Temposhark’s “The Invisible Line” tour. The winner will be chosen by the band and will receive $1,000 and “other goodies,” whatever that means.

Those with no artistic skills whatsoever can shop the winning designs or peek at a T-shirt 101 tutorial which outlines the color processes involved in applying designs to shirts.

T-shirts sell for about $15 to $24. You can also earn affiliate dollars by sending other people to the site, like this: www.designbyhumans.com

Up for vote are “Employee of the Month” by Casajordi from France, and “Lonely Luchador,” below, by Gaunty of Bilbao, Spain.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
John Knorek shows the $500 Leather Soul gift certificate he won, courtesy of Leather Soul owner Tom Park, center. At right, Jin Yu, was another winner, receiving a near body-size piece of German-made Rimowa luggage, a new addition to the store. She plans to use it on a trip to Asia soon.

I’ve been to all kinds of fashion parties, but not many where most of the guests were men in aloha shirts.

The occasion was the March 20 grand opening celebration for Leather Soul, which moved its retail operation from a small second-story “closet” of a space in Waikiki, to the sparkling, renovated Royal Hawaiian Center.

Having shopped at the Alden, John Lobb and Church’s boutiques on Madison Ave., NYC, owner Tom Park’s boutique fully measures up, stressing service, with comfy lounge chairs a guy can sink into while studying up on fine, handmade men’s footwear.

Prices run about $400 to $600 for shoes that Park says are the most comfortable you’ll ever try on, while signaling status, and made with durability to last a lifetime. Just the sort of promises a practical aloha-shirt kind of guy can understand.

Here’s a link to the store: www.leathersoulhawaii.com

Park with one of his high school buddies Christian Adams, who is now one of his best customers, with 15 pairs of shoes, mostly Aldens.

Most fashion parties feature delicate girly foods. Park offered full dinner catered by neighboring Chibo restaurant. Here, the garlic shrimp. Yum. Meatballs with spicy ponzu sauce were also good. Wine was provided by People’s Wine Shop.

Inside the store, Matt Frisbie helped fit some of the guests with shoes. Displayed in the foreground are J.J. Weston shoes.

Throughout the evening, guests wandered from the party area into the store, where Matt Frisbie, who’s had experience dealing with both genders, said women are actually easier shoe customers. “If they like the look of a shoe, they don’t care if it hurts.”

Feel free to discuss this point.

The guests, many downtown Honolulu customers who hadn’t seen the boutique, came straight from work dressed in aloha shirts.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Brandon Boyd asks the audience, “Are You In?” Friday night at the Waikiki Shell. Click on the photo to see the video, which is a few seconds shy of the end of the song. Sorry. I ran out of memory at a most inopportune moment.

If you couldn’t be at the concert, below is an unedited clip of Incubus (and the audience) performing “Drive” March 21 at Waikiki Shell. My review is in Sunday’s paper:

Nadine Kam video

By Nadine Kam

M.A.C illustration

Just did a story on M.A.C and they have struck again with a new limited-edition Heatherette collection with pink-cased lipstick and lipglass, plus two eyeshadow trios—one with peach and turquoise colors plus a darker liner color, and one in shades of pink and purple. You can finish with any of M.A.C’s glitter or pigments for a look that says “Superstar” and living up to Richie’s and Traver’s rep as 24-hour party people.

Alliway photo

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something to do this Good Friday, you might head over to Ward Warehouse to check out Alliway’s 3-2-1 Easter sale. That is, 30 percent off Alliway jewelry, 20 percent off handbags, 10 percent off other merchandise. The sale is on through tomorrow.

Alliway, along with Ginger 13, are among the local designers selected to be showcased in the second-floor jewelry section at Nordstrom. Congratulations Alli and Cindy!