Nadine Kam photos
A look at Club Monaco style in mostly black and white, with seasonal color accents.

Club Monaco opened its doors July 11 and I think I was the second customer, which caused Joline Tang and Desiree Yamamoto of PacRim Marketing and Crystal Yamasaki and Char Chang of the Bennet Group to make fun of me. Yeah, we all know shopping is an occupational hazard from working in the vicinity of all these boutiques.

I can look impulsive but I’m not a frivolous spender. I tend to study everything available before making a single purchase. Being no richie, not even close, I look for what will deliver the most in terms of versatility, longevity and wow factor, as well as pairing with what I already own. It’s the Club Monaco philosophy as well, so I’m naturally drawn to their “blank slate” designs. You can do anything you want with them in terms of mixing them into your own wardrobe without looking “branded.” These points were lost on some Hollister-branded kids who came in to make fun of the clothes. (more…)

Two of the entries in the Design a Coach Tote contest. At left is huynh2u’s Juicy Tote, and at right is Charmed by Coach by rachellenicole.

OK designers, time to put your skills to work again. This time, Coach and Brickfish.com have teamed up for a contest for those who want to try designing a Coach tote.

These contests really show the kind of concerns that designers deal with every day. As consumers, it’s easy for us to vote on designs with our wallets, as we decide what works for us and what doesn’t. But when you’re looking at a blank piece of canvas, well, where do you begin? Do you start with traditional Coach iconography of its logo horse and carriage, scarf prints and purse charms? Do you use the platform to send a personal message of peace, love or hope? Or do you start from scratch with your own style? Given the strength of the brand, it probably wouldn’t be wise to veer too far astray from its iconography, but coming up with an original twist is the trick. (Think Louis Vuitton, still the leader in this regard.)

Last I checked, the Classic B&W submitted by jlmullinax was the No. 1 vote getter from the million who have checked out the design entries. At right is Pink Lilies by mellistsa, a nod to breast cancer awareness.

You can check out the 1,200 or so entries by going to:

http://www.coach.com/CoachClique/
www.brickfish.com

Top prize for the winner is a party at Coach, a $2,500 Coach shopping spree, and $500 scholarship or cash prize.

A runner up will win a $1,500 Coach online shopping spree and $250 cash or scholarship.

Nadine Kam photos
At So Good Jewelry, from left, are Alen Kaneshiro, Reid Higashi, Kris Muranaka, Christopher Otto, Kristin Imose and Jonah Nakaza-Koizumi. Kris and Kristin wear jewelry off the racks.

So Good Jewelry celebrated its one-year anniversary June 27 with a friends and family party at its Waikiki Trade Center location. Guests were greeted with champagne and strawberries, and all the girls received Alen Kaneshiro and Christopher Otto’s version of the lei, clear necklaces to match what they were wearing! I went home with a lovely clear heart on a long gold-tone chain.

Their costume jewelry, in every style imaginable, is affordably priced and makes sense for those who want to accessorize without paying the high price of gold, and these days, even silver.

They’ve done well in Waikiki, where the concept also makes sense for visitors who can’t bring all the right jewelry with them. They can easily pick up something at the store if it helps them feel more complete.

Happy 1st b-day!

Check it out at 2255 Kuhio Ave., ground floor. Call 926-9588.

Maggie Li and Julie Ann Aragaki try on matching rhinestone headbands. Both wear the necklaces given to them at the door.

The headbands are not only for women, Jerrell Kaeo tries one as a hatband.

Kalie Hoang kept busy ringing up sales.

 June 20 is the first day of summer! What will you be doing? If you have no plans, there’s always a sale to clear out the spring merch:

Photo courtesy Fighting Eel

Fighting Eel and Ginger 13 are teaming up for a sample sale from 5 to 8 p.m. June 20 at the FE headquarters, 47 N. Hotel St., second floor.

Check out discounted styles for a $2 entry fee that will be matched and donated to the American Red Cross China Relief Fund.

Sales are cash only. Call 524-1472 or email info@fightingeel.com for more information.

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Photo courtesy mixmix

mixmix Ala Moana is offering a 40 percent discount on every collection, and for great deals on designer clothing, head out to the boutique’s 1133 Bethel St. location (544-0011), now serving as an outlet since their big move to 1440 Kapiolani (945-3131), across from the Bank of Hawaii and Nordstrom. (more…)

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.

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.

Nadine Kam photos
Rie Nomura, left, and Harumi Yoshizumi showed up at the opening with their own Anteprima Plastiq purses, purchased 2 and 5 years ago respectively. The plastic wire-mesh purses hold up over time and are great for travel because you can toss them around with little harm done.

Went to the opening of the Anteprima Plastiq boutique at Ala Moana Center Friday morning to see what shiny new purses they’re carrying. I have to admit I didn’t understand the appeal of the knitted wire bags as little as four months ago, but they really grow on a person like a lot of what’s new in fashion.

Who doesn’t love a pony?

Designer Izumi Ogino, who started the Milan-based line, is so creative and adds all kinds of whimsical details to the basic bag forms. Since last season, she’s added a lot of sequin and bead work to her collection. People with more classic tastes were pointing out their favorite bags and asking mine. I’m such a Jekyll/Hyde person that I can veer from the very classic to the goofiest stuff out there, so of course I was drawn to one purse with orange duckies all over, and another Western-style purse with plastic ponies sewn on.

Also checked out the grand opening Hawaii exclusive, a green wire tote with four-leaf clover embellishment. This might be one for the Vegas addicts. Crystals from the clover, interspersed with charms in the shape of horseshoes and lucky 7s. At $690, a purchaser’s gotta be pretty lucky to begin with.

Video over the cash register showed Ogino’s clothing designs. I wish those would come here too. Her garments are simple and pretty with a lot of ease. Perfect for Hawaii.

Next up for Anteprima Plastiq is expansion to Guam, and figures, Las Vegas.

Heading out later, passed by J. Crew, where I saw this cute dress on the manikin. A stylist recently told me she was sorry J. Crew opened here because everyone would discover her little secret as far as finding stylish clothes at relatively affordable prices. I can see why. This metal jacquard Zoey dress is $198, but the way prices have headed, this would easily be $400 to $600 elsewhere.

J. Crew Zoey dress. It’s pinned in the back, so fuller than it appears.

Adore, at Kahala Mall, has just launched its own blog to fill shoppers in on new arrivals, such as these slim, functional card cases and wallets prominently featured in Oprah’s O magazine.

You can check out other new items at shopadore.wordpress.com

They don’t list prices, so you’re gonna have to go there or call 737-0608.

Nadine Kam photos

Went to the Design Within Reach grand opening party at Ala Moana Center April 10, where the top question was: “What’s your favorite piece?”

Oh, how to choose when every piece of furniture is so beautifully minimalist, elegant in addition to being comfortable. And, with a roomful of people, it’s kind of hard to look at everything, though the chandelier of Murano glass ($3,200, above) definitely caught my eye. Love the color and ornate silhouette, even if it’s not quite a match for my 1920s Liliha cottage!

Lesli-Ann Yano brings Miuccia Prada’s latest collection to life. She’s with Steve Simeone, left, and Prada’s Joseph Incao. I have last spring’s sunny yellow version of the purse Yano is carrying and we both love the style because of its retro mini suitcase vibe.

Lesli-Ann Yano also caught my eye when she walked into the room in head-to-toe Prada. Lucky girl is associate buyer for Prada Hawaii so it’s her job to wear the line. She also has to go to Milan twice a year. Tough job Lesli-Ann!

Kihan, from Chop Salon, cut her hair and shared a tip for getting those choppy bangs. His choice of fancy tool was a child’s blunt scissors. Gotta try that, my bangs grow so fast.

Afterward it was on to Doraku Sushi for the opening of Kevin Aoki’s latest baby, a kick-off event for “Destination: Groove Dance Hawaii.” I guess I stayed at DWR too long because when I got to the Royal Hawaiian Center restaurant, John Berger was leaving and said the party was over. It seemed too early so I kept going and found there was still food, desserts—damn I got distracted and never got the vanilla ice-cream topped brownie—drinks, and of course, lots of dancing. It got pretty steamy in there!

Guests left with a gift bag that included a freshwater pearl necklace from Anna Meng’s Meng Dynasty. Very nice and looks so great on black.

Carlos Chang and Elyse Hironaka were among the dancers on the floor. Carlos has his own dance event planned for summer. Dancers are often forced into the role of designer for lack of readymade costumes, so Hironaka designed her own Bedazzled dress.

Christine Yasunaga was the evening’s gracious hostess, and was lucky enough to win a piece of art donated by Gary Hostallero, who achieved fame painting images of samurai, but has since moved on to fashiony images of tattooed women. I missed the fashion show by Anne Namba, but Gary said he and the local designer are collaborating on a project that will incorporate some of his images. Look forward to seeing it.

Dance instructor Carlos Chang gave Vivan Stackpole an impromptu dance lesson, telling her which way to turn and spin, making it look as if they’d danced together before.

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.