By Nadine Kam

Affinage photos
Red hair is notorious for fading, but the color is said to be no problem for Affinage.

If your hair color looks dull, you may be able to update it via an Affinage model call being presented this week by Salon Concepts International.

There is a $30 fee to cover the cost of products, but the service is free.

A few slots are available Thursday, and possibly Friday, for those willing to help introduce professional hair color described as being “guaranteed to leave your hair silky and shiny, give you the best gray coverage, last longer than any other hair color (even reds) and will not damage hair or scalp.”

Your hair color will be done under the guidance of Michael Elving, International Director of Education and celebrity stylist, and Carolyn Rivera Hulihee. For more information, call Carolyn at Carolyn at 457-7149.

Affinage International Hair Cosmetics launched in 1988 and is now one of the world’s fastest growing haircare companies.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
What year is it? Add some groovy mood lighting and you might think it was the 1960s again, but no, Reuben Macapinlac and Susan Hirai pose in the here and now at Bright Light Marketing’s Mahalo Party Nov. 12.

“I Heard it Through the Grapevine” was the theme of Bright Light Marketing’s Mahalo Party for clients, friends and media Wednesday night at Tiki’s Grill & Bar in Waikiki. Guests were invited to dress in aloha, business or Motown style.

As usual for a work night, there were a lot of work clothes, but a handful were game to revisit the 1960s and ’70s. The party was nicely timed, halfway between Halloween and Thanksgiving, so some were able to recycle parts of their Halloween costumes.

Mark Houghton and Masako Sagawa, who found her dress at Savers about six months ago. She liked it for its simplicity and color, not expecting when she bought it that it would come in handy as a fit for a Motown party.

The always effervescent Lynette Lo Tom led her Bright Light staff in donning giant Party City ‘fros. I’m surprised they didn’t rehearse a Jackson Five dance routine for us! The main thing was, she wanted people to have fun because everyone feels so damaged by the economy. And for a while there, we definitely forgot to worry.

A handful of women were in white boots, platforms and 1960s-inspired mini dresses. Guys seemed a little more inspired by Elvis than the likes of Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson.

Pepi Nieva with Scott Ishikawa, who sported a plush layer of chest hair to go with his new ‘do.

It was fun was playing with mod makeup, white and pale blue eyeshadow, pale pink lips, thick eyeliner and false eyelashes from the Shu Uemura Lash Bar at Neiman Marcus. Pepi Nieva looked to “Dreamgirls” for inspiration. She and I compared notes about wearing those lashes and we agreed they take too long to apply. She said hers were uneven, but to tell you the truth, in the dark I didn’t notice. I did notice her eyes seemed a lot smaller when she plucked off the lashes toward the end of the evening. They were a bit troublesome to wear. I had to wear mine to work rather than risk trying to put them on in the office, so all day I was catching glimpses of black wisps everywhere I looked.

KITV’s Gary Sprinkle and Pamela Young, with Jenny Fujimoto. Below, a star is born — Pamela Young joins Touch of Gold on the dance floor.

Touch of Gold performed, bringing an appropriate 1950s to ’70s vibe to the dance floor, and by the evening’s end, the quintet had picked up a sixth member in KITV’s Pamela Young, in an outfit she said, “I’ve had forever,” including bellbottoms she improvised by sewing a foot-long white ruffle to the legs. To complete the groovy look, she dotted her ‘fro with daisies. If Lynette were giving a prize for best outfit, I’m sure Pamela would have won.

Wally Zimmermann with Charlene Lo Chan, wearing an “everyday” pair of shoes borrowed from Lynette’s daughter.

Tables were also set with fun games like Hungry Hungry Hippos, Rockem Sockem Robots and Lite Brite cubes.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Today’s the first day of the Aloha Rag annual sale.

Aloha Rag’s annual sale is on, with discounts of 50 to 90 percent off on clothes and accessories by the likes of D&G, Givenchy, Lanvin, Elizabeth & James, Kitsune, John Galliano, Ann Demeulmeester, Chloe, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and more.

Of course 50 percent off $1,400 pieces will still be $700, but there were some affordable D&G dresses at about $100.

I was surprised there wasn’t a line out the door for the sale that had been advertised for at least a week. Past years’ sales drew crowds, but people who live off credit cards can no longer afford to do so.

Richard Kuwada wanted to pick up more Lanvin.

I was the only one waiting outside 10 minutes before the store opened at 11. Then I heard someone calling my name. It was Urban Nomad designer/owner Freida Hulse. Then, one of her friends, Richard Kuwada, showed up in head to toe Lanvin + Prada, a true shopper who had done his research and already had a short list of must-haves. So he was in and out in minutes.

Picked up this Lanvin ruffled top, with two-way front zipper. I liked that it can go casual like this, or very dressy.

Chloe was still too rich for me at 50 percent off, but I tried on lots of D&G and an Ann Demeulmeester piece before settling on a $1,400 Lanvin top marked down to $287.

I was just heading to the register when I saw Freida trying to squeeze her size 6 body into a size 2 Diane Von Furstenberg beaded dress, marked down to about $95. We know each other well, so I was like, “Hey, that doesn’t fit you, that’s my size.”

She wasn’t convinced to give it up, so I asked if there were any more and she didn’t want to tell me. I found it anyway, in a size 0, which was too big after all. I was there about 45 minutes. I called Freida just now and she had been there three hours.

Check it out or take your chances at the next markdown.

Aloha Rag is at 1221 Kapiolani Boulevard. If you’re too lazy to go in, or you live elsewhere, you can also check out some of the sales items at www.aloharag.com. Prices online are higher than at the store, so maybe the site hasn’t been updated yet.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
In Nordstrom’s Hugo Boss threads, Bruno Magli shoes and Burberry aviators, Mike Rovner made the leap from mild-mannered assistant editor and page designer to instant celeb status with these Japan visitors.

Surely you know dozens of nice guys, the kind who’s always the friend but not really the type to get the girl. Same with girls and your basic Cinderella story redone over and over in teen films and makeover shows — change the clothes, change the reaction. As much as we hate being thought of as superficial, we all carry images in our minds of who we want to be and who we want to be with and whether we like it or not, others read our clothing as the most immediate and honest expression of who we are. Sadly, people can tell lies about themselves, but appearance (i.e. clothing, hair, makeup) is a more accurate barometer of personality (or lack thereof), where you grew up, age, attention to detail, self-esteem, taste, sophistication, education and socio-economic status, etc. It’s not even being judgmental, which may come later. At the moment a person sees you, he or she is merely reading clues you’re willingly/unwillingly/knowingly/unkowingly broadcasting. And whether you know what’s happening or care, well, that says a lot too.

With the latest James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace” opening tomorrow, it seemed like a fun idea to try dressing one of my co-workers in Bond-like threads to turn him into a sexier more dashing version of himself, inspired by the latest Bond, Daniel Craig.

My first choice was sports dude Paul Arnett, who would clean up nice with a shave, haircut and clothes other than shorts. Unfortunately (or luckily for him) he’s on vacation. So we went with Mike Rovner. Assistant editor. Clean cut. Nice guy. Married, happily, with children. Middle-aged. In other words, the kind of guy no woman looks at twice. (Sorry, Mike! … It could just be me. I always did like the bad boy, to my detriment.)

I didn’t intend for it to be a sociological experiment, but as soon as we got him into his first outfit of a Hugo Boss pullover and jeans, with the help of Aloha Agency’s Andrea Galvin, Nordstrom’s Milton Taira, Trevor Isabel and Sharon Schmidt, he attracted the attention of these two Japanese visitors who wanted to take his photograph and took turns being photographed with him. Totally unexpected, but cute.

You can see our stories in the Nov. 13 print edition. The point of my story is that men don’t have to look or be like Bond to appear more attractive, and although we went with higher-end threads, updating a wardrobe with a few key pieces doesn’t necessarily cost much.

Mike Burley photos

We treated Mike as the star as well, opening doors for him, carrying his shoes and making sure he didn’t lift a finger as far as setting up lights and moving furniture.

Of course that changed after the last shot, as you can see Mike, still in an Armani Collezioni tuxedo, carrying the light stand and umbrella, with Trevor Isabel also moving a flash stand behind him.

Not as graceful as Bond, but a real trooper, scaling the wall on roof of the Nordstrom garage.

By Nadine Kam

To add to yesterday’s post, Ideeli.com’s giveaway of this Prada pouchette has started and there’s about 4 hours left to enter, though you have to join the community to do so (it’s free for “second row” status). Log on and use my invitation code: “fashiontribe” to join.

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Meanwhile, Flash and Smart magazine are calling for designers willing to show off their skills and brave a “Project Runway”-style fashion design competition.

You will be asked to design and sew one look that reflects your vision as a fashion designer. This look will be modeled on the model of your choice, who will be runway ready (hair and makeup will be your choice and your responsibility for your model) for the Dec. 5 competition at Pearl Ultralounge.

Blayne Walsh from “Project Runway” will be in Hawaii for the exclusive fashion event, and will be among the judges

Prize details will be announced soon. The winner will receive press coverage and will have his or her winning look displayed on Dec. 6 at Skyline at the Sheraton Waikiki.

To enter, contact Sarah Honda at 277-4484 or sarah@smartmagonline.com. You must be 21 or older. The number of entrants will be limited, so contact Sarah ASAP to find out whether you’re in or you’re out.

By Nadine Kam

Ideeli.com
Natalie Portman’s Te Casan line of vegan shoes goes on sale tomorrow.

There are a lot of good reasons to live in Hawaii, but one of the disadvantages for the fashion set is being so far from all the major sample sales.

If you’re oblivious to news and ads, good for you, but I can’t help feeling like I’m missing out when I see the ads in the Sunday Times or email alerts from boutiques thousands of miles away.

I try to spend most of my money in Hawaii to keep my neighbors employed because we’re all on this rock together and can only get through this downturn together, but for those items you can’t find here at the price you want after exploring all your options, the newest invitatation-only luxury site, Ideeli.com, offers designer apparel, accessories, prize giveaways and more, at discounts of 50 to 90 percent.

The site allows members access to sales events through email and mobile alerts, and puts us on even footing with buyers across the country, though quantities are limited and tend to sell out quickly, like these purses during a recent Chloe event.

The next event, beginning tomorrow, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m. EST, features Natalie Portman’s Te Casan collection of eco-friendly vegan shoes, like the one below, for shoe lovers who want a clear conscience. Prices start at $105, representing savings of up to 69 percent.

An example of the Te Casan shoes that’ll be up for grabs.

You must be a member to check out this and future events, including W Hotels, Estee Lauder, Prada and Lanvin giveaways, and Hype, Junior Drake and Vivienne Westwood sales. You can sign on at http://ideeli.com/in/media?mi=fashiontribe or by going to Ideeli.com and using my invitation code: fashiontribe

By Nadine Kam

The Comme des Garçons designs for H&M Collection debuted in Harajuku Nov. 8 and will roll out Nov. 13 worldwide, except here, of course.

The curious can check out the line of women’s and men’s wear at www.hm.com or check out the company’s magazine for a story on designer Rei Kawakubo, plus various fall photo spreads.

No doubt the pieces will end up selling on eBay, although the jackets are looking a bit heavy for Hawaii. Sometimes just looking is enough.

By Nadine Kam

Pua

Sometimes notices come in too late to make the Thursday Style section of the paper, so my Friday posts tend to be a catch-all for those events I would want to know about.If you have some time over the weekend, head to Town on Sunday, Nov. 9, where there will be a holiday show featuring Pua jewelry, which I love for its beautiful, earthy simplicity.

Up for grabs, starting at $25 for shell earrings, will be shell rings, bezel-set cowries, puka shells and beach glass, often on 14K gold and silver bangles. If you have your own sentimental pieces and natural finds — whether it’s black pearls or puka shells — you can also inquire about custom-order bangles.

The event starts at 5 p.m. and because the items you want inevitably go first, it’s best to get there on time. Town is at 3435 Waialae Ave.

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Also taking place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through the end of the year is The Royal Boutique hosted by the Alliatas, Italian princesses, who, like everyone else, ends up with gently used clothes they no longer wear. Their mother Dialta encouraged the events as a way of clearing the closets and donating proceeds to local charities.

The last time I was there, I had my eye on a gold Versace wallet going for $100, which was a little more than I wanted to pay. Then, fellow fashionista Pua Lemelle walked in and inquired about the same wallet. Of course, nothing makes you want something more than a little sale competition, but I didn’t want to buy it if she really wanted it, so I dithered and waited until she could make up her mind, and while we were both dithering, someone else strolled in and bought it! Oh well. I went home and checked eBay, but haven’t seen anything like it since.

The event takes place at 2615 Tantalus Drive.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Mesh costume bracelet, $5 at the Vintage Collectibles & Hawaiiana Show.

“What can you buy for $5?A Nokia research team is asking people around the globe to take pictures and submit them to http://fivedollarcomparison.org

Submissions so far have ranged from a woman’s blouse in Bangkok to the price of admission to a movie in Lima, Peru. The campaign is a fun, clever little marketing exercise to start people thinking about a future of global connectivity that will be possible when the price of a mobile phone is dramatically lower than today.

Their campaign gives the rest of us something to think about, as to the way we value objects and services. A makeup artist friend was just complaining that, having set up a table at a shopping event, she discounted her usual brow-shaping rate from $35 to $5 as a courtesy to attendees, which caused one woman to dismiss her outright, as if a $5 job would not be as good as a $35 job, even though this was not the case.

I was also interviewing presentation coach Pam Chambers for a story on how she makes recession dressing work for her, to run in Thursday’s paper. Although she’s been a lifelong thrift-store enthusiast, mixing her wardrobe of recycled clothing with new retail purchases, she’s able to sense others’ distaste for secondhand apparel and compares it to blind taste-testing. That is, if their taste buds can’t detect a difference between bargain brand coffee and upscale coffee, they don’t think, “Gee, I think I’ll switch to the cheaper brand.” Instead, many people have a tendency to feel tricked and get angry.

In front of one of her three highly organized closets, Pam Chambers shows a mini skirt repurposed as a fall capelet for chilly offices.

I’ve gotten the same reaction when people ask me about something I’m wearing. Like Chambers, I often think I’m being helpful by saying something like, “Swap meet, $2,” so they can go get their own. But boy you can see their faces change, to the point where one of my friends who was with me on one such occasion said, “Don’t tell them anything. Just smile and say, ‘Thank you.’ ”

I try, but I feel somewhat non-forthcoming. It goes against journalist instinct to offer up less than the full story. It just demonstrates how people assume a high price equals quality, but smart shoppers know that good value can be found at every price point if you’re willing to keep your eyes and mind open.

As for the $5 comparison, I’ll be on the lookout for more. Oh, and if you find local thrift shops limiting, you can also try shopgoodwill.com