By Nadine Kam

Photos by Nadine Kam
Class is in session at CHOP Salon. Coby Alcantar works on Danielle Doucette’s hair.

CHOP Salon was the site of an inspiration educational session presented by Bumble & Bumble’s Coby Alcantar for stylists islandwide on June 9.

It was rather technical for this beauty school drop-in with all that talk about inversions and arrowheads, etc., but I got the big picture of easing up on rigid technique for styling that’s more about naturalness and flow suiting the individual.

The guinea pigs, or models, were Danielle Doucette, Heilika Leinus and Cass Gravitt, daughter of our business reporter Erika Engle, who said of the floppy mohawk cut afterward, “I wish I could see more of her eyes, but I like it.”

I’m afraid I was so inspired that I went home and tried lopping off some of my own bangs, which didn’t work out all that well. As simple and messy as my haircut by an S.F. stylist seemed to be — considering it has a lot of what Coby termed “messy bits” all around and was done dry while I was standing in a rather unorthodox venue — it is actually more precise than I thought.

So, yeah, don’t try it at home unless you’re prepared to live with the results. As Coby said, she loves it when people cut their own hair. That’s an indication they’ll try anything, plus, they’ll probably visit a salon soon afterward.

From left, Cass Gravitt in floppy mohawk, Heilika Leinus and Danielle Doucette were happy with their loose, updated ‘dos.

By Nadine Kam

Among the new arrivals at Nordstrom Rack are a bunch of Ed Hardy T-shirts for just under $50.

Retailers are feeling the pinch of reduced spending but it’s hard to believe considering the malls are as jammed as ever. It’s still hard to find parking.

Watching the “Sex and the City” movie at Ward last week turned out to be a shopping hazard. I ended up walking over to Nordstrom Rack before the movie. Found only one el cheapo summer dress. Whew! But after meeting up with my friends, we went back to the store after the movie. Perhaps feeling inspired, I picked up a jacket, shoes and dress. Then, we went for Coldstone Ice Cream. Then we went back to the store and I found two more jackets. Bummer.

Then checked out the sales racks at Neiman this past weekend. I felt immune due to the heat, which doesn’t encourage dressing up. As usual, there was lots of beautiful stuff. Considering an Elizabeth and James top and a totally impractical, happy piece by Phillip Lim I don’t need.

This dress is among the summer arrivals at Neiman Marcus. I loved the plushness of it all, the idea of being swathed in a sheet and going through the day as if you never got out of bed. I was so busy hugging the dress I didn’t check the label or price.

By Nadine Kam

Paco Rabanne’s chainlink armored mini dress, circa 1967, is among the pieces up for grabs via eBay Live June 10. Bidding for this piece will start at about $6,000.

Those who appreciate vintage fashion might enjoy taking a look at the garb up for grabs via eBay Live’s “Passion for Fashion and Fine Textiles,” an auction taking place June 10.

Found it by accident while doing one of my standard searches for Ossie Clark and Lanvin and hit the Mother Lode of European fashion, 1920s through 1980s. What a pleasant surprise. Usually, I feel lucky if I see one beautiful, collectible piece.

I have a love of vintage clothing that dates to my teen years. It was the most tangible way for a girl from Waipahu — pre-Internet — to feel connected to the larger world, past and present. After running my own vintage/consignment boutique here and scoring my own vintage Pucci and Lanvin dresses, I became particularly enamored of the work of European designers done in the 1930s through ’40s, and 1960s through ’70s.

I read that ’40s and ’70s inspired H&M’s Fall 208 collection, described as “sharp, androgynous, elegant.”

You can own Jerry Hall’s Antony Price white lace wedding dress dating to her 1990 marriage to Mick Jagger. Bust 34, waist 26 inches. Who knew she was so tiny? She looks like a big girl standing next to Mick.

Ossie Clark snakeskin coat, circa 1967-68. Bidding starts at about $700. Fits a 34-inch bust. People were tiny back then, before they started pumping up at gyms and supersizing meals.

The auction also features tapestries and garments from the 1700s, and it appears that Jerry Hall is emptying her closet of clothing circa her life with Mick Jagger, including her wedding dress, which is starting at about $300.

Even if you can’t or don’t want to buy anything, it’s fun to look at the pieces and certainly would be beneficial for any alleged student of fashion to see. (more…)

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Clinton Kelly, of TV’s “What Not to Wear,” received a warm welcome from petites and non-petites alike at Macy’s.

Petite women had a lot of their style questions answered by Clinton Kelly at Macy’s Ala Moana June 7 when the co-host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” presented a brief fashion show and style workshop.

Poor thing, he’s from New York City where walking 20 to 40 blocks is no big deal and quite pleasurable given all the sights and wonderful places to stop along the way, whether you want to shop or eat. So he thought he could walk from Waikiki to the mall. Well, he didn’t count on Hawaii’s intense sun and lack of shady, inviting sidewalks. So he was hot and exhausted when he got there, but did his showman’s best in entertaining the crowd, just like the show!

Kelly asked for volunteers to be critiqued. So he asked this woman why she would come to see him in athletic shoes, when they so obviously bring her ensemble down. He recommended she try ballet flats instead. He said her skirt also could have been narrower.

Questions from the audience were pretty basic, like “do you have to match a black bag with black shoes.” I believe the last time that was done may have been in the 1940s/50s. Do these women who want advice not notice the explosion of color and pattern featured in every newspaper, magazine and TV show? Kelly said that combining color, pattern, texture and shine is what creates interest in an outfit.

Empire seaming just under boobs and above the natural waistline creates the illusion of length, camouflaging a thick waist, bottom-heavy figure, and making legs appear longer.

Like learning any skill, from swimming to playing poker, dressing well takes paying attention and practice. Kelly reiterated that it takes WORK and trying on A LOT of clothes, and not just whining after trying on one item and complaining manufacturers don’t make anything that fits. (more…)

By Nadine Kam

Hawaiian Island Creations photos

Roxy’s now open at the Kailua Village Shops, in the strip between Starbucks and Teddy’s Bigger Burgers. They sent over some photos of their grand opening May 30.

They should do well. It’s how Kailua dresses. I know because I lived there for about a decade when I never had much excuse to wear more than a skimpy dress, shorts or a skirt hiked up over my boobs. I never left the beachy bedroom community on the weekends. Honolulu seemed too far away, though it is closer than Hawaii Kai. And the drive is shorter.

By Nadine Kam

Photos by Nadine Kam

The window at the new bebe boutique in the Royal Hawaiian Center reads “bebe loves Hawaii” and apparently Hawaii loves bebe coz a whole lotta people turned up at the private grand opening celebration June 5.

The room was packed and it was pretty hot the first hour or two. Nevertheless, the bebe addicts found a way to juggle drinks and pupu with dressing rooms as 5 percent of purchases made that night, and through this weekend, will benefit the YWCA’s Dress for Success program.

Bebe CEO Greg Scott surrounds himself with beauty. From left, Giselle Pineda, Crystal Pancipanci, Shana Peete, Greg, Jessica Hoffman and Yasmin Dar.

Rain just gave birth in March and is already back to her modeling form, in bebe, of course. (more…)

By Nadine Kam

tokidoki

If you saw the brief item about tokidoki creator Simone Legno’s appearance at Nordstrom 1 to 4 p.m. June 7, here’s a picture of the tokidoki for Onitsuka Tiger Snow Heaven 72 boots — created for the Sundance Film Festival — that will be given away.

I don’t know what size it’ll be, but you can also try your luck at winning a pair at http://blog.tokidoki.it/ You’ll have to brush up on your tokidoki history though, and answer six questions about Simone, tokidoki and Onitsuka Tiger. Sizes available online are in women’s 9-½ to 10-½ only, which pretty much rules out all the little Asian girls that turn out at all his local signings.

By Nadine Kam

Hi JK!Here’s the Skaffs vid you asked for from last night’s event at Split Obsession, where, because Luke dropped in rather suddenly, fans were unprepared. They actually had to ask him for paper, and then people resorted to passing him dollar bills to sign.

Split Obsession owner Bruce Chin really dug deep when he whipped out a crispy $10 bill. Whoo-hoo!

Geez I’m supposed to be writing a story now, but I turned once again to Animoto.com, which is like Hamburger Helper for your photos and video stills, mashing them together with music and special effects the average person just doesn’t have access to, and coming up with something worth serving.

Try it on fashion, girl’s night out photos, whatever!

Photo by Nadine Kam
Skaffs’ Luke Feldman at work. Check out his site at http://skaffs.com/

By Nadine Kam

Looking for something to do tonight? Check out the Skaffs live painting demo tonight at Split Obsession.

I’ve been waiting to catch up with Luke for months. Last time he was in town I got ditched at the Kahala (boy troubles), so I called Luke to pick me up. Except he didn’t have a car. Ah life … it all works out, somehow.

And if you haven’t heard of Skaffs yet, don’t worry, you will very soon.

By Nadine Kam

One of my favorite outfits in the “Sex and the City” movie was Carrie’s floral coat that looked like this, though with a stronger line and touch of chartreuse and purple. I liked this outfit, too, which she wore to go apartment hunting with Big.

Went to see “Sex and the City” Sunday morning and again last night to help Crystal Pancipanci and her fashionable friends celebrate her SATC victory.

The woman is on a roll having also won a Theory-sponsored drawing for a Theory bag last week. This time around, she won a pair of exclusive crystal-studded — how appropriate is that? — Manolo Blahniks valued at nearly $800.

I showed up late to the Skyy Vodka “Sex And The City ” private screening and cocktail party so didn’t get a pink feather boa like the other girls, but I did get to see her sparkling sandals before the lights went out. I wanted to take a photo but had left my camera on my desk at work, so borrowed Julie Ann Aragaki’s crystal-studded iPhone. Standing between those two I might have been blinded if the lights weren’t going down!

There was some drama queen action in the crowd after a group of friends didn’t appreciate comments made by a woman, and cast a drink at her. I was in between the two rows and hoped no more drinks were coming flew through the air while I tried to watch the previews. After much posturing, various parties left or moved seats after threats of removal by security.

I was going to write something after seeing it the first time, but felt emotionally drained by the experience. That was surprising considering I had a “Yeah, yeah, been there” attitude about the whole thing. I was never a rabid SATC fan and just from watching previews of the movie I had the whole story arc plotted out, so there were no surprises for me, but I thought the heartbreak scenes were realistic and painful to watch.

Carrie in Vivienne Westwood. The bridesmaids wore Zac Posen.

Of course the clothes were pure eye candy. I tried to count up the 81 outfits Carrie allegedly wore in the film (the story takes place over 6 months, which means she could wear each outfit two times, or double that if you count nights), but only counted 65. I didn’t count times when she just threw a fur or coat over something, and I may have missed a couple of wedding gowns, just because I was enthralled. I think I forgot to breathe between the Christian Lacroix and the Lanvin.

My favorite outfits were a trapeze floral coat Carrie wore with trousers and a blue jacket while shopping for furniture with Charlotte, and a blue tunic she wore with over-the-knee socks while strolling in a park with Miranda. Dunno who made those, but you can bet every piece of clothing in the movie cost plenty. I imagine it only bothers fashion followers that a real-life Carrie — a freelance writer not backed by a trust fund or sugar daddy — would never be able to afford such a wardrobe. And it was rather unrealistic that Carrie wore a string of pearls to bed several times, though of course, they weren’t going for an Academy Award here. Just a good-lookin’ reunion.

The only thing missing was subtitles for the fashion. Only the wedding gowns were accompanied by a recitation of the designer’s names: Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Lacroix, Lanvin, Dior and Vivienne Westwood.