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

Warner Bros. photos and illustrations

Just saw the preview for “Speed Racer.” Not really one for the kids; not for adults either. It’s totally about the creative set: game designers, animators, and believe it or not, the fashion crowd. Well, I had to look at something being that the story is simple, the dialog campy, the characters cardboardy, but the clothes they do work with everything that’s going on in CGI. Let’s just say it’s the first film that ever made me feel like running off to Hollywood to be a stylist on a costume crew.

The weird thing about the movie is that it is so futuristic yet it’s actually set in the early to mid-1950s. They reference a pivotal 1943 race when Speed was about 10 and the action takes place in his young adulthood. The costumes reflect the period with crisp polo shirts, sleek sheath dresses and other narrow, spare silhouettes. The early half of the film is full of bright primary and complementary colors and a lot of royal purple. In the final Grand Prix race icy silver, metallics and brocades dominate. Total eye candy. It was so retro, yet so contemporary it didn’t look much different from what’s on high-end retail racks today.

As I watched the credits scrolling I noted they had one vintage buyer on staff. What a great job, though I imagine it must have been difficult to come up with costumes that could hold their own against such a fantasy landscape.

Of course, being susceptible to images, I have a new inspiration for my summer wardrobe, and it’s not Christina Ricci, but the Korean pop star Rain as the racer Taejo.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam video

Belated post from April 13 Japanese Women’s Society Foundation fashion show, “Open Your Tansu.” Been filling in for someone on vacation, so it’s been a grueling three weeks doing two jobs+. Didn’t have much time to edit my video from the show until yesterday, tho’ I don’t know why it’s so pixelly. I swear it’s clear when I’m looking at it direct from camera to computer.

The show opened and closed with dancers from Iona Pear opening and closing a tansu set up on stage. Takeo and Eric Chandler, back from the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas, were first on stage to present their 2Couture designs.

After that, students from Chieko Yamaguchi’s Kimono Samba classes showed their creations. Emcee Pamela Young said they were so nervous they couldn’t eat anything before taking their turn on the runway. It’s a big stage when you’re a newbie.

The last time Yamaguchi was here in January, I asked her if any of her students had surpassed her. She laughed and said, “Not yet.” And after seeing her designs, I’d have to agree. From what I could see up close, her work involved more labor than she let on in trying to encourage people to take up needle and thread to transform unused kimono into street-ready, contemporary garments. She conducted a workshop in the days following the show, which had to be extended to allow students to finish their projects.

It was different from a typical fashion show, in which garments are put up for sale, in that none of the Kimono Samba pieces were available for purchase. It’s that whole “teach a man to fish” philosophy geared toward teaching skills others will also be able to pass on over time.

Speaking of passing on good things, I was seated on a table with Audrey and Ed Case, who brought living gardenia plants from Maui for all at the table. Just before Earth Day, it was a thoughtful gesture and good idea to get people to start thinking about green giving and planting as much as possible.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Jennifer Tunoa is Kurenai Yuuhi from “Naruto.”

Back from Kawaii Kon at Hawai’i Convention Center where the cosplayers were out in full, colorful force.

Strangely enough, I was in street clothes and they were looking at me like I was the
odd one. It was noticeable when I was getting names of some people and others were around me doing the “oohh,” purr-y thing. I felt like Dorothy in “Wizard of Oz” when she’s discovered by the Munchkins, who come out of the bushes to check her out. SB photographer Cindy Ellen Russell was there and filled me in: “They think you would be a great cosplayer because you’re tiny like the characters.”Hmm, come to think of it I already have a pink Betsey Johnson dress and corset that looks like a Misa Amane outfit.The event goes on to 9 p.m. April 19 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 20 if you want to check it out or be checked out.

Kanoe, front, is Suiseiseki from “Rozen Maiden,” with Chani, from left standing, Ursula, Cynthia, Amanda and Blair. Amanda, in red, is Shinku, the main character. Kanoe paid $300 to have his costume made by a dressmaker. I asked him if it felt weird to wear a dress. “Kind of,” he said, “but you get used to it.” Below, the original Shinku and Suiseiseki.

Ashley Silao is Misa Amane of “Death Note.” Her lenses look like one called “Red Wolf” from Exotic.lenses.com’s stock.

Theatrical contact lenses are part of the costume for many. The Contact Lens Co., was among the dealers offering every style and color of lens. The most popular is the white with black pupil “Zombie.” Lenses were selling for $40 to $80. Check out www.exoticlenses.com

I was tempted to get a pair, but I already wear normal lenses and they do need upkeep and cleaning, so I probably wouldn’t unless I had a specific event in mind. The woman there said once a month cleaning is recommended, but that sounded like too little.

In the dealer’s room, Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga — who I met online at Twitter.com — were behind the table showing their nemu*nemu books and T-shirts. At left, Krystine Nakano helped drum up business by strolling the grounds with a handmade, stuffed version of Anpan on her head. She has really great posture because that pup wasn’t secured. Other people had to tie their animals to their heads.
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By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Bianca Bennett models a raglan-sleeve dress designed by UH senior Courtnee Lee outside of Michael Hoyt’s Norae Shanty. Sitting outside is Jeff Nisbet.

Was on the University of Hawaii campus yesterday to do a story on the senior fashion show, “Absolute Fashion: All Bottled Up,” taking place April 27 at the Sheraton Waikiki. Tickets are $40 for the 11:30 luncheon fashion show, and those unable to attend can get a sneak preview at noon April 19 at Kahala Mall.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m easily distracted, so I couldn’t help but take a timout and step into Norae Shanty, located right between the APDM department at Miller Hall and the Art Building, where photos were being taken of the fashion.The shanty is the work of visiting Minnesota-based, Asian-American artist Michael Hoyt, who creates work to “build bridges within and beyond community.”

Inside, he was there with a laptap programmed with karaoke music in his version of the Korean norae bang. The bangs are isolated retreats that provide a more intimate experience than larger karaoke bars, which can possess a more competitive and embarrassing spirit, according to Hoyt.

The shanty was built here with materials donated by www.reusehawaii.org.

Inside, Brian Laura, Jeff Nisbet, Young-Joo (June) Lee, Kelli Mercado and Sarah Breiby were singing up a storm, and I have to say, not all that well. (You can see for yourself in the accompanying video.) But it truly was a welcoming, inhibition-lowering experience. They tried to scare me by forcing me to sing and blocking the entrance out, but they didn’t know that I spent about 5 years singing in bands, so it’s no big deal to me. I have to say, most people pick the deadliest songs in karaoke. Like, they wanted me to sing “Losing My Religion,” one of the longest, dullest songs in the world in karaoke time. I considered doing Incubus’ “Drive,” but went with the short, sweet “Closer to Free” by the Bodeans, something they could join in on with relatively little pain.

Nadine Kam video

I asked Hoyt, who’s set up Norae Shantys in Minnesota and Chicago, if he ever gets tired listening to the bad karaoke, and he said, “Not at all. I love it; it’s crazy!”

I arrived on campus at about 2:15 p.m. and Mercado was already in the shanty. When I asked her when I was about to leave if she had to be in class, she said, “I came here after my class ended at 1:30 and I’m still here!” It was 4:30 p.m. and by then she and Breiby were dancing around outside the shanty. “I’m not even drunk and I’m having fun!” Breiby said.

The Norae Shanty made its debut April 4 at First Friday, and will also be open 1 to 2 p.m. April 17, and 5 to 8 p.m. April 18. There is a possibility of extending hours by calling 956-5253.

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By Nadine Kam

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.

By Nadine Kam

Design by Humans artwork
March 25’s winning design at Design By Humans is Punktipus by New York artist Manki.

Fancy yourself a T-shirt designer? You can put your skills to the test at Design By Hümans, a Web site where artists around the globe put their work out to be rated in the site’s Shirt of the Day, Shirt of the Week and Shirt of the Month contests. A design winning all three categories could earn you up to $3,500 in cash and store credit, plus residuals from sales of T-shirts bearing your design.

An additional contest running through March 31 is the opportunity to design a T-shirt for the London-based electro-rock band Temposhark’s “The Invisible Line” tour. The winner will be chosen by the band and will receive $1,000 and “other goodies,” whatever that means.

Those with no artistic skills whatsoever can shop the winning designs or peek at a T-shirt 101 tutorial which outlines the color processes involved in applying designs to shirts.

T-shirts sell for about $15 to $24. You can also earn affiliate dollars by sending other people to the site, like this: www.designbyhumans.com

Up for vote are “Employee of the Month” by Casajordi from France, and “Lonely Luchador,” below, by Gaunty of Bilbao, Spain.

By Nadine Kam

Photo by Nadine Kam
Lunch is served at Neiman Marcus.

Neiman Marcus hosted a Giorgio Armani Spring 2008 fashion show Feb. 29 to benefit The Contemporary Museum.

They did a lot of shuffling to clear floor space for the event, which also featured a lunch served with precision by dozens of waiters who entered the room single file, carrying two plates per person, presented in sync. On the menu was olive bruschetta topped with greens and grilled shrimp panzanella salad. Dessert was a Meyer lemon white chocolate tiramisu with seasonal berries.

The Armani collection was polished and understated, with tailored jackets in varying lengths for women who appreciate classic style. Muted neutrals were shown with an occasional splash of bright red and green, and navy blue. You can see part of the show on the video:

Video by Nadine Kam

After the event, guests walked over to the Armani boutique area to get a closeup view of the designs.

There were many artists in the house, as well as patrons of the arts. I was seated next to Balcony Gallery’s Jodi Endicott, who is beginning to show work from the Kailua gallery at a special Salon event during First Fridays on Nuuanu Avenue. Check it out from 5 to 9 p.m. March 7 at the Hawaii Times Building, 928 Nu’uanu Ave. Great news for those too lazy to make the short trip over the Pali to Kailua.

By Nadine Kam

After the C.S. Wo party Saturday night, I moved on to the Peter Lik Gallery at Waikiki Beach Walk, where the photographer had arrived for a surprise visit on short notice.

Lik has been traveling the globe opening galleries from New York to Dubai over the course of a year, but as you can see, he’s kept his macho Outback fashion sense!

Nadine Kam photo
Peter Lik, right, with Mario Frittoli, the celebrity chef of Japan’s Luxor Ristorante who has set his sights on the Hawaii market.

Waikiki Beach Walk is so popular that it was hard to find parking. Valets set us over to the Outrigger, who tried to send us to another hotel, which sounded like an ordeal, so we just went to the DeRussy lot, which is a lot less of a hassle than dealing with the wait of using the valets.

After the party, Japan celebrity chef Mario Frittoli, his hosts and Masako Nashimoto and Anthony Gambino of Nashimoto & Associates decided to check out Nobu’s. I was kind of tired so declined an invitation to join them. I found out from Anthony later that they bumped into another celeb at Nobu’s later that night … a post-concert Sting.