By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Rose Bernardo tries on Betsey Johnson’s 30th anniversary exclusive cardigan. It’s $200.

Guests fueled up on pink cupcakes, pink champagne and pink M&Ms at last Thursday’s party at the Betsey Johnson Ala Moana Center boutique, marking the designer’s 30th anniversary in the biz. How time flies!

No, Betsey couldn’t be here for the celebration, but boutique manager Marilee Mattson said that at a celebration in NYC, women showed up in vintage Betsey and the designer started buying back the clothes off their back. When she was here for the store opening, I wore a Betsey I had picked up in the mid-90s, a pink (natch) princess line dress that came with a black crochet corset-laced bra worn over it. I picked it up in Seattle.

I picked up other things as well, and remember traipsing around the city in a red-and-white cropped top with a black corset over it, and my hair in pigtails. In Seattle, no one bats an eye at such a sight. But, I hate to be stared at so here in Hawaii, I try to disappear into the crowd.

Jeni Heath serves pink cupcakes.

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By Nadine Kam

I get a lot of very formal invitations in the mail, so what does it take to stand out? The 30th anniversary at Betsey Johnson postcard caught my eye because of its girly, hand-done touch, although I was a bit confused at first because I actually know someone named Betsy and immediately thought, “Oh, Betsy’s having a birthday party at Betsey Johnson,” which is just the sort of thing she’d do.

Turns out, it was 1978 when Betsey Johnson and her business partner and CEO Chantal Bacon officially launched the Betsey Johnson brand on her birthday, Aug. 10 (making her a feisty, dynamic Leo—which even explains her red mane!), and the Ala Moana Center boutique will be marking the occasion with a party from 4 to 7 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 7. RSVP to attend at 949-3500.

The Betsey Johnson 30th anniversary exclusive sunglasses with faux pearls is $95.

Betsey is offering several birthday exclusives as well, including jewelry, T-shirts, a skull cardigan, and handbag. The items will be available from the time the boutique opens tomorrow. Only a limited number of pieces will be available. Prices range from a $18 thong to $225 for a satin and tulle stiletto shoe with faux pearls, rhinestones, heart-shaped clasp and glitter sole as befitting the designer known for equal parts edginess and girlishness. Looking forward to the next 30!

By Nadine Kam

Readers outside Hawaii who have had trouble finding Fighting Eel, or those too lazy to shop the old-fashioned way—by placing one foot in front of the other and strolling store isles—can now shop online at the company’s official online shop.

The company has just launched the shop on its Web site and to mark the occasion is offering free shipping on all orders, plus, the first 100 customers will receive a free one-size-fits-all Puffy Tube Top with purchase.

Go to www.fightingeel.com/shop to browse through current summer styles like the Dress Luka ($168), above, and Dress Triangle ($166).

By Nadine Kam

Dussault Apparel photo
Criss Angel and Jason Dussault, founder and head designer of Dussault Apparel, are about to launch Criss Angel clothing lines.

If every singer and celebutante can have his/her own clothing line, surely a man of magic and illusions like Criss Angel can conjure up something for adoring fans to wear. Next time you’re in Vegas, you’ll be able to check out Criss Angel Believe and MF13 merch, in ever-popular gothic/rock ‘n’ roll style.

Dussault Apparel will design and produce, with Criss Angel, the MF13 line of apparel including jeans, T-shirts and accessories to be sold exclusively at the Criss Angel Mindfreak store in the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas and online through his Web site, www.crissangel.com.

Dussault will also design and produce a collection of T-shirts for the new illusion-based “Criss Angel Believe,” the Criss Angel-Cirque du Soleil production opening at the Luxor on Oct. 10. The Criss Angel Believe merchandise will be sold exclusively at the Luxor’s Cirque du Soleil store.

By Nadine Kam

Bill Cunningham for the New York Times
Click on the photo to view Bill’s narrated slide show on his recent “On the Street” photo feature on the appeal of the heel.

Went to Ala Moana over the weekend to help the boyfriend pick out a jacket and nearly escaped unscathed. It was my mistake to walk into Nordstrom at the end of the day, “just for a look.” I wanted to see clothes coming in for fall—it’s a work thing. Never made it that far. Got sidetracked by a 2-day shoe sale going on and a pair of $60 shoes.

Tried it on. It was OK, but did I tell you these guys are goooood. The salesman didn’t just bring one pair of shoes; he brought out something like 10 different pairs. Even though I already have a pair of super-shiny red shoes, I tried on three more. In the end, one pair stood out — a pair of Stuart Weitzmans. And of course once the platform stilettos were on my feet, I had to have them.

The funny thing is, I had just gone to the Weitzman boutique opening Friday and thought myself immune. That happens at a high-end boutique because you know you really shouldn’t be buying, so you will yourself to tune out, though I did not see this style there. But at Nordstrom, when it’s mixed in with $60 shoes and $100 shoes, you get lulled into thinking, “How bad can it be?” With Weitzman, oh, it be.

Learning to walk in them without breaking a leg, when I’m most at home in rubbah slippahs, will be a trick, but then I start to think of those women in New York, who wear heels all around the city on a daily basis. See Bill Cunningham’s photo at the top of the page and click on the image for a slide show. If they can do it, I certainly can try.

I love all the new peep-toe pumps and booties and two-tone styles coming in as well.

By Nadine Kam

Photos by Nadine Kam
Heidi Ribeiro, left, and Giselle Pineda, right, helped Joseph Miao and Valerie Ragaza-Miao celebrate the grand opening of the new Valerie Joseph boutique at Ala Moana Center. It was Valerie’s idea to pose with mysterious beauty icon Mona Lisa.

Some in the Twitter universe were worried when they saw the closed doors at the Valerie Joseph McCully boutique. No worries. The boutique has a new home at Ala Moana Center on the ground level fronting Kona Street on the Diamond Head side heading toward Macy’s.

Valerie Ragaza-Miao and Joseph Miao celebrated with a grand opening party Friday night after a marathon 10-day session involving breaking down a wall, glitzing up the interior and moving the last of the Ward location’s — opened just last fall — merchandise over. No doubt Valerie’s interior design skills came in handy, and having long wanted to be in the mall, Joseph is looking forward to staying in place for a while.

Honolulu magazine managing ed. Kathryn Drury Wagner with filmmaker hubby Brett, were among the party guests, as were Brie Thalman, left, and Marylea Conrad, below.

Store employees all wore black, including Chelsie Castillo, left, and Christina Say. They also wore a necklace with a pink rhinestone shoe pendant, a gift from Valerie.

It was a big night for fashion with First Fashion Friday taking place at Aloha Tower Marketplace and a fashion show at Pearl. Giselle Pineda had to leave the party early to get ready for that fashion show. Others had to leave earlier than usual for the grand opening of Elizabeth Watanabe’s Harbor Court Bistro as well which turned out to be so wall-to-wall with people I gave up trying to make my way through the crowd. I’ll go back when it’s a little saner.

By Nadine Kam

Lots of designer merch hit the pre-sale racks at NM.

Neiman Marcus was crowded with shoppers this morning, all hoping to scoop up some pre-sale deals from merchandise shipped in from other NM’s across the country. The memory of a Temperley London dress of silk chiffon and leather last year was enough to bring me out.Alas, nothing by Alice Temperley but I did find a Naoki Takizawa black dress now tucked away safely before the Last Call sale starts on Aug. 5. Also loved a line of Dolce & Gabbana skirts, but they were something like $935 on sale so I had to scuttle away.

What’s new:

>> Valerie Joseph is now open on the ground floor of Ala Moana Center, facing Kona Street.

Composable bracelets from Pandora allow you to add charms reflecting your life’s journey. It’s among the jewelry offered at Jewel Flair.

>> Jewel Flair, a sister to Ward Warehouse’s Craft Flair, has its grand opening from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 2, at Ala Moana Center near Center Stage (across from Swatch). Shoppers can meet local designers such as Kimberly Le and Fran Takemoto and win prizes. One of the hottest lines is Pandora, from Denmark, offering “composable” charm bracelets. Beads starting at $25 in sterling silver to 14K gold can be purchased by oneself, friends and lovers to be added on over a lifetime, resulting in an expression of your personality, life milestones and the special people in your life who added to it.

>> Stylus 3rd anniversary: Former SB’er Shawn “Speedy” Lopes marks his resale clothing and record boutique’s 3rd year with a party from 11 a.m. tomorrow. Stylus is at University Square, 2615 S. King, on the third floor. Shop for trendy, secondhand apparel; most pieces cost less than $10.

>> “Vogue in Japan: Edo Fashion Through Japanese Prints”: So you can’t afford to shop? You can still find time to appreciate fashion as worn in the past. This ukiyo-e exhibition opened Wednesday at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and will continue through Oct. 19, 2008. The show focuses on the fashion of married women, the fashion of people from different social classes (women of the warrior class, of wealthy merchants, high-ranking courtesans, and townspeople), lingerie, and men’s fashion. Can’t wait to see it.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Stuart Weitzman store manager Gillis Asao with his wife Avis. The new boutique occupies the Max & Co. space where Avis once worked. She’s now at Cartier, Waikiki.

Stuart Weitzman held its grand opening at Ala Moana Center this morning, with guests among the first to try on and snap up shoes starting at about $255. We admired, but stayed away from the 6-inch heels that we could imagine in many a life-or-death scenario.

Vouching for the brand’s quality, Pam Chambers wore a pair of Stuart Weitzman wing-tip, leather mosaic-on-suede shoe that she bought 20 years ago, that looked as new and stylish as any on the shelves today.

Pam Chambers admired the heel on this shoe, but when time comes to buy, she’ll opt for a flat.

“I can’t remember how much I paid for it, but I remember thinking it was a lot,” she said. “But whatever I paid, it was well worth it for something stylish and made to last.”

If store manager Gillis Asao ever needs a testimonial, he should call her.

It was a little strange to see Danny Kaleikini there, just because I’m not accustomed to seeing the entertainer/businessman on the fashion circuit.

Danny Kaleikini wasn’t in the market for shoes but was happy his daughter Leonn found a pair she liked.

“I looked for size 14 but they don’t have my size,” he joked. He was there with his daughter Leonn Kaleikini, who works for Ferragamo.

At one point, Danny started speaking to PR woman Masako Nashimoto in Japanese. I told him it was time to start switching to Chinese, and da buggah he speak five languages! I’m seriously thinking about enrolling in Chinese immersion classes. It’s just a matter of time before China takes over the world and I’d better be ready. I’m fairly certain there’s no one they’ll scorn more than a Chinese-American who can’t speak the Mother tongue.

Can you see me now? Masako Nashimoto is framed by a Stuart Weitzman suede pump.