By Nadine Kam

A couple of respected names in Hawaii beauty and fashion continue to be hailed in the bigger pond of national media as well:

J Salon has been named as one of ELLE’s Top 100 Salons in America and will be featured in the magazine’s August 2009 issue. J Salon is the only Hawaii salon to make the list, placing Joe Randazzo’s company in league with such renowned salons as Oribe Salon in Miami, Butterfly Studio in New York City, Warren Tricomi in Los Angeles and Maxine in Chicago.

If your hair is in need, book your appointment at 550-4441. The salon is at 1240 Ala Moana Blvd. Find out more at www.jsalon.com.

Where Eva Longoria goes, the paparazzi follow, and last week she just so happened to be wearing a Fighting Eel dress when she headed to Katsuya restaurant in L.A. Photographs of the actress in FE’s fall Tube Iris duly appeared on InStyle.com and People.com, with InStyle calling attention to pairing of the Fighting Eel dress with Louboutin heels, calling it the “Look of the Day” for July 23.

I’ve been living in Fighting Eel over the long hot summer, and plan to pack a bunch of their dresses for NY Fashion Week. I like that they manage to be comfortable, but dressy when occasions demand it, and also manage to pack down to next to nothing. There’s nothing beautiful about sweating and struggling with a suitcase so even before the airlines started charging for extra luggage, I only traveled with one carry-on. Yeah, I pick up stuff on the road, but always ship things home rather than lug them around.

By Nadine Kam

Banana Republic

Do you see yourself in this picture? If so, stop into the Banana Republic store nearest you, where you can pick up an entry code for the chance to win a walk-on role in the AMC series “Mad Men,” plus a $1,000 BR gift card.

The catch is, you’ll have to submit a photo of yourself glammed up in your best “Mad Men” style, reflecting a time when men were men and it was OK for women to be curvy and voluptuous.

The contest ties in with Banana Republic’s “Mad About Style” guide to classic, tailored dressing in 1960 meets 2009 style. The guide is a great cheat sheet for achieving “Mad Men” style, pairing character profiles with looks off the rack.

By Nadine Kam

Emiri Miyasaka’s take on the national costume of Japan, presented last week in Tokyo.

Another pageant, another beauty queen; YAWN!

But Miss Japan Universe 2009 Emiri Miyasaka has stirred up more interest than usual in the Miss Universe 2009 pageant coming up Aug. 23 in the Bahamas, thanks to her national costume that is one part kimono (the top half) and one part Lolita (bottom half).

You can read a little bit more about it on VoyForums, the Philippine Pageant message board. Critics call the costume slutty and say the costume shows disrespect for the kimono.

But then, if you check out the contestant roster at www.missuniverse.com, you’ll see that Emiri is way down in the polls, so she’ll need attention if she wants to bring the crown back to Japan again.

The garter belt, stocking and panties are risque for the pageant, but it’s not as if we haven’t already seen similar in prime time during those Victoria Secret runway shows, and it’s not as if the Miss Universe pageant makes any pretense at scholarship and intellect.

The thing that prevents it from being 100 percent slutty is the cleverness in showing that duality in Japanese culture, the mix of conservatism and appetite for sexual content in media. Hmm, that sounds a lot like the U.S. puritan/porn ethos, which confuses the heck out of conservatives. Which is why we uncover so many stories of hypocrites preaching family values while breaking any and all vows they claim to uphold. That is a lot more offensive than a stage costume.

By Nadine Kam

Clarisonic
The Clarisonic and anemone flower that is the not-so-secret-anymore ingredient in Kinerase products.

Stopped by Sephora Ala Moana last night for a quick demo of the Clarisonic, the deep-cleaning sonic-care brush that massages your face as it cleans.

The demo was in conjunction with Kinerase, a powerful protection-oriented brand. The event introduces its new PhotoFacials Sun Damage Reversal System, with a starter kit valued at $143 selling for $100. The secret ingredient in the products is kinetin, an antioxidant derived from the anemone flower, which keeps the petals hydrated.

Brands often partner with Clarisonic, because the deep pore cleaning increases the efficacy of any serum or moisturizer you do use. Removing all the dead cells and dirt allows products to penetrate better.

The event repeats at the Ala Moana store from 1 to 6 p.m. today, and at the Pearlridge Sephora from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Appointment spots may be full, but you can always watch and ask questions.

The first time they were offering demos, I didn’t have time to go through it. This time I tried it on my hand because I didn’t want to take off my makeup. Such a bother to reapply, and I was off to Pecha Kucha at Linekona School, where Bytemarks’ Burt Lum was naming his picks for Hawaii’s Top 20 Social Media Geeks, and I was one of them! Thanks Burt!

My giant face on screen.

I found myself in the company of people I’ve met through work, but also, many people I’ve met strictly through Twitter. I later cornered Burt to ask him the whys of his human, non-database analytics, and he said he was looking for successful personal branding, community profile and active promotion of social media. As part of the old media guard branching into new media, I see that as a responsibility anyway, dragging my MSM peers into this new world order, as well as guiding mainstream readers through this territory.

Here’s his countdown, as borrowed from L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine’s Pono Media Web site. Names are followed by Twitter IDs should you wish to follow along.

20. Burt Lum @bytemarks
19. Judi Clark @judico
18. Ryan Ozawa @hawaii
17. Christa Wittmier @supercw
16. Ian Kitajima @ikitajima
15. Donna Nakasue @champuru
14. Liza Pierce @amauiblog
13. Jared Kuroiwa @KGMB9
12. Dan Leuck @dleuck
11. Greg Yamane @geewhy / Susie Collins @thecanaryreport
10. Todd Cochrane @geeknews
9. Roxanne Darling @roxannedarling
8. Vernon Brown @vbrown
7. Paula Bender @lavagal
6. Mitchell Dwyer @scrivener
5. Melissa Chang @melissa808
4. Nathan Kam @nathankam
3. Nadine Kam @fashiontribe
2. Andy Bumatai @andybumatai
1. L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine @neenz

Congrats all!

I still meet so many people who don’t know anything about Facebook or Twitter beyond the brand names. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like a parallel universe to the mainstream world, where people are meeting, conducting business and creating partnerships and events that pop up in the mainstream.

There are still so many people who tell me they’re afraid of social media because they’re afraid of loss of privacy. Well, guess what? The information you’d probably want to keep most private is already online in public data bases.

For the rest, your habits and goings on, you need only share what you want to share. If you’re attending an event, you can talk about it after the fact if you fear that someone will stalk you while you’re there.

(more…)

By Nadine Kam

Rhea Lana photos
Shop for back-to-school threads at Rhea Lana Children’s Consignment Event this week and next.

For parents, it’s back-to-school shopping time, and the budget crunch isn’t helping. But this weekend, Rhea Lana Children’s Consignment Event aims to make it easier to dress young ones.

The event takes place July 25 and 26 at The Nimitz Business Center, 1130 N. Nimitz Highway, on the second level above New Eagle Cafe. It repeats as a half-price sale Aug. 1 and 2.

Rhea Lana’s Children Consignments Events is a community event that allows families to unload clothing, baby equipment, maternity and junior clothing, toys and household furniture, while purchasing others’ quality, unwanted items. On offer will be more than 5,000 items listed by more than 100 Hawaii consignors. Admission is free.

The event aims to do good on so many levels, by helping consignors to make money from their unwanted items, recycling, and helping others pick up affordable clothing and home goods. Check out www.rhealana.com

Hours are noon to 9 p.m. on the 25th, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 26th.

Admission to a pre-sale event for consignors is 8 to 11 a.m. Aug. 1, with public invited in from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and final day hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Rhea Lana Children’s Consignment Event was started in 1997 by Rhea Lana
Riner in Conway, Arkansas. It has spread to eight states and has become the one-
stop shopping spot for moms, grandmothers, and moms-to-be for the best bargains on
children’s merchandise. For more information about this or future events, email
Terrence Iwamoto at terrence@rhealana.com.

If you missed out on the consigning this time around, the group aims to host three events annually in Honolulu.

Baby carriers, strollers and bouncers will be available to moms to be.

Parents can shop for clothes that other kids have outgrown.

By Nadine Kam

Here’s a rundown of sales events this weekend:

Split Obsession: Stock up on your favorite artist-designed T-shirts while they’re priced at 15 percent off retail, with select items marked down to 50 percent off. Today through July 26 at the Koko Marina Shopping Center and new Ala Moana location. The new store is in the former Rangersport store between Pipe Dreams and Trade Secret on the bottom floor. Call 951-8480.

Urban Nomad: Sidewalk sale of $5 goods in secondhand merchandise. Noon to 6 p.m. July 25 at 1023 Smith St.

Valerie Joseph: Sidewalk sale today through July 26, with a free Connie Gayle beauty product offered with a $50 purchase. Call 942.5258.

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When you’re ready to play, there’s:

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Also, for planning ahead, Waikele Premium Outlets will start its Back-to-School & Fall Preview Sale July 30, through Aug. 3, with 50 stores to choose from. Find out more at www.premiumoutlets.com/waikele

In-store promotions (subject to change) include:

Anne Klein
July 30 to Aug. 3
Sandals: $19.99 to $29.99, select styles .
Watches: Take $10 off select styles.
Jewelry: 50 percent off select styles.
Suits: $99.99 select styles.
Dresses: $99.99 select styles.
Sportswear: 60% off select styles.

Banana Republic Factory Store
Through Aug. 6
50 percent off on select styles.

Calvin Klein
July 23 to Aug. 26
All denim, $39.99.

Through July 28
Clearance, 70 percent off select styles.
Polos: $15.99
Tees: $16.99
Shorts: $24.99, select styles.
Men’s & Women’s Underwear: 25 percent off select styles.

Nine West
July 30 through Aug. 3
Buy One Get One 50 percent off on select styles.

Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store
July 30 through Aug. 26
Early Fall Sale with savings on fall collections for men, women, children and home.

Tommy Bahama
July 30 through Aug. 3
Take 30 to 50 percent off entire store, excluding fragrances and CDs.

Tommy Hilfiger
Today through Sept. 7
Receive 30 to 50 percent off original company store’s price. Valid on select items.

Zales Outlet
Aug. 6 through 9
Storewide savings along with a designer item offer of $29.99 during Preferred Customer Savings event. Some exclusions apply.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Chiho Comono shows one of her examples of furoshiki wrapping using two furoshiki.

The Japanese Women’s Society Foundation held its annual membership meeting on Sunday, followed by bento lunch and a furoshiki workshop conducted by Chiho Comono of Kyoto, who received a grant to come to Hawaii to share her expertise and help materialists among us become more eco smart.

According to Wikipedia, furoshiki thrived in Japan until the post-war rise of the plastic shopping bag. Now that more people are waking up to the real costs of cheap goods, we’re starting to appreciate the more traditional, more beautiful and earth-friendly practices of our elders.

The idea is that a simple easy-to-pack fabric square has the potential to become a makeshift bag when you’re running errands or out shopping, eliminating the need to pick up another throwaway paper or plastic bag as you pick up things throughout the day.

With a single furoshiki and a few quick folds, she showed how to make a slouchy hobo totes and bigger sling bag, as well as how to dress a gift of wine in kimono-style wrapping. Adding a second folded furoshiki for straps turned a tote into a backpack.

Each member who attended received a furoshiki courtesy of Yoshiyuki Hosokawa of Kyoto’s Daiko Sangyo Co. for practice and to take home.

I went home and started practicing on my Fendi and vintage scarves. I tend to be a purse fiend but now that I can turn any piece of fabric into a purse, I may be able to wait longer periods between new purses. It’s also difficult to find cute evening bags big enough to hold camera, video camera and other essentials and the furoshiki may be a solution I’ll have to try.

Examples of furoshiki wrapping, in which the furoshiki itself is a gift that can be reused.

JWSF members receive instructions on wrapping a wine bottle. If you’re trying this at home, remember a rubber band around the neck of the bottle is your friend in helping to hold the wrapping in place.

A gift of fruit is wrapped to look like a rabbit.

Knotting the four corners of the furoshiki turns it into a cap. Tuck the knots under to make a beret.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Susan Todani, left, and Marilyn Chong shake the popcorn boxes to see if there are any surprises at the bottom.

Jewelry designer Nikolai Tsang has been jetting around the world to share her work at international jewelry shows, and was back in town briefly for Sunday’s blessing and opening of her new Jade by Nikolai showroom in the Kukui Plaza at 1255 Nuuanu Ave.

Finishing touches were relayed from the road, so she was just as surprised as friends and family to see the finished space, with silver-white wall paper that gleamed as brightly as any of her white gold jewelry.

Guests were invited for a peek and for a popcorn tasting, with many a jeweled surprise hidden at the bottom of the boxes, from jade charms and rings to pearls.

There were about a dozen popcorn flavors to choose from, and Nikolai admitted to staying up late at night tasting and throwing out combos that didn’t work. All were based on some of her favorite foods, so with pizza popcorn topped with pepperoni and a “Dreamtime” ode to chocolate-covered bananas, with banana chips, dark chocolate shavings and bits of shredded coconut. It seems that Nikolai could have easily found a place in the food biz if the jewelry biz hadn’t worked out!

Her shop is open by appointment only, but you won’t find her there this week. She’s off for New York, to take part in the JA International Jewelry summer show.

Nikolai at the front of the showroom.

A wall of corded bracelets and necklaces greet visitors to Jade by Nikolai.

Pam Schroer, husband Richard, a co-producer and assistant director on “Lost,” discovered Nikolai three or four years ago and have been following her ever since. Pam says Richard has just as many pieces as she does, and that she left a few of those she normally wears at home.

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Nikolai’s Tokyo Fun Girl popcorn included arare and wasabi-coated peas.

Tanya Mau spotted Nikolai’s jade-and-white gold link bracelet and necklace four or five years ago and had to have them.

Tara Chang shows one of Nikolai’s newest creations, a headband accented with a jade butterfly.

Nikolai’s jade mah jongg tile bracelet.

By Nadine Kam

If you’ve got old T-shirts in need of a second life, Aina Haina Public Library is hosting a “Teen T-Shirt Patching Party” in celebration of its Teen Summer Reading Program, from 2 p.m. July 18.

The free craft class will teach teens 12 to 18 how to add rock-star flair to their T-shirts with materials provided or brought in.

Teens are invited to stay after the class for snacks and a lucky drawing. Interested teens are asked to register at the library reference desk or to call the library at 377-2456.

Aina Haina Public Library is located at 5246 Kalanianaole Highway. Call 377-2456.

By Nadine Kam

Gifts for guests from Aston Waikiki Beach Tower and Martin & MacArthur.

Aston Waikiki Beach Tower is celebrating its 25th anniversary by bringing the gifts to its guests, including a $2,500 shopping spree at Neiman Marcus for one lucky guest, who will be surprised at check-in. To qualify, the guest must stay at the condominium resort during its celebration months of October and November 2009.

If you have any trepidation about spending that money, just invite me along. I’ll have no trouble urging you on!

There will be other gifts as well. Each traveling party (one gift per room) will be presented with an exclusive, handcrafted, Martin & MacArthur Koa wood wine stopper and corkscrew set. And every 25th registered guest will receive a custom Martin & MacArthur Hawaiian Koa wood platter valued at more than $500. The round platter includes a display stand to showcase its gleaming colors, from near black through reds, orange and russet tones to yellow and gold.

For information about booking a stay in the luxury condominium resort, visit www.AstonHotels.com or call toll-free 866-774-2924.