By Nadine Kam

Paula Abdul is the latest of celebrities who have turned their material goods over to eBay for fund-raising. In this case, she’s teamed up with Auction Cause for an auction with 10 percent of proceeds helping the American Humane Association’s Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) program. Benefits will also be going to Petco and the Guide Dogs of America.

The “American Idol” judge is the national spokesperson for the program, which works with domestic violence shelters to allow women to bring their pets with them.

eBay
Paula Abdul’s eBay auction includes this Viveinne Westwood black bustier with a bid of $52 as of 5 p.m., with 23 hours left for bidding.

A quick look at some of the pieces reveals that stylewise, she’s informed by the ’80s, with a love of prints, leggings and corsets. She’s also all over the map with a mix of flowy boho, trendy and structured designer pieces. The melange has the range of a Century 21 store. She also favors browns and muddy hues, and well, you know what she wears on the show and on the red carpet, some pieces available here in petite XS and size 2.

Designer items include pants, jackets, suits and dresses from the likes of Dolce and Gabbana, Pucci, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Zac Posen, St John, and more. Pieces are starting at 99 cents, and don’t seem to be bid up very high, typically at $26 to $56 with 23 hours left to go.

Each item won will come with a thank you letter hand signed by Paula. Listings will be added through summer, til her closet is empty. Check out www.ebay.com/paulaabdul

I probably won’t be bidding on anything, but it’s kind of fun to be a closet voyeur.

Dolce & Gabbana black lace, pink slip dress, at $81 with eight days left to go and reserve not met.

Matthew Williamson silk-wool jacket bid up to $31.01 at 5:26 p.m. July 8.

By Nadine Kam

If you’re a spontaneous person, ready to pack and leave for Vegas at a moment’s notice, Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa at Ala Moana Center has just added a Vacations-Hawaii five-night charter package for two (value: $1,198) to its Earth Month silent auction.

The flight will depart at 1 p.m. April 30 from Honolulu to Vegas and return at 11:15 a.m. May 5 (departing at 8 a.m. Vegas time). The winner will spend five nights at the Fremont Hotel with three meals daily, and airport transfers are included.

At least one guest must be a Hawaii resident or active military based in
Hawaii, and guests must be 21 years or older to receive meal coupons.

To bid, send an e-mail to ikaikacomm@hawaii.rr.com with your bid (minimum is $125) today, April 23. The deadline is 5 p.m.

Provide your name, age, telephone number and address. The highest bid received by 5 p.m. will win the trip. The winner will be notified by Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa, and directed to Vacations-Hawaii for their tickets.

Like this one, other auctions, continuing through April 30, will benefit the Surfrider Foundation-Oahu chapter. Stop into the salon to bid on services, Aveda products, restaurant gift certificates and more.

By admin

Nadine Kam photos
elle Couture Jewellery’s creative director Lance Ishibashi and KCC’s Carol Sakihara at the opening of her students’ exhibition Friday night.

By Nadine Kam

elle Couture Jewellery creative director Lance Ishibashi made room in the new 909 Kapiolani jewelry boutique to share the floor with some talented young designers from Kapiolani Community College over the weekend, with the opening of an exhibition that will be on view through Jan. 29.

Lisa Shiroma’s copper “Star” necklace with satin ribbon.

I enjoyed looking at the pieces and entertained the thought of owning some of them because they are so different from what’s in the marketplace, which tends to follow big trends. Unfortunately, only a handful are actually available for sale, at a maximum of about $330. Given the class project nature of the work, many of them have sentimental attachment to the pieces they created, and you can’t put a price on that.

I loved Mia Takara’s brushed silver “Bear Fuzz,” but unfortunately, she’s not parting with it. It started as a ring with claws that wrap around the finger, but she found it difficult to attach the two pieces.

The students have access to limited tools and materials, but the show just proves how these are not handicaps when imagination is at work.

Since my story ran in the paper Thursday, some generous souls in the community have already offered donations of jewelry findings to the KCC program headed by artist Carol Sakihara. I’m sure more assistance would be welcome.

Jeremiah Skurtu with an “Industrial” ring he created. It was so large, they had to develop a special casting method for it. Below, he also wore a skull ring he created while attending high school in Texas.

(more…)

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
The moon shined over Saturday night’s Starlight Ball and one of its go-go dancers in the Henry R. Luce Pavilion.

Stars were hidden by a layer of clouds during the 2009 Starlight Ball Saturday, but the full moon was out and the afternoon’s rains stopped just in time for the party to begin at 7 p.m. There was only one moment where guests had to run for cover of the Honolulu Academy of Arts covered courtyards.

The theme of the Prada-sponsored Art After Dark event was “When Cool Was King,” paying tribute to Vegas and the Rat Pack era. Outside, showgirls greeted guests and inside, guests were invited to bid on silent auction items to benefit the academy-affiliated Art to Go, an after-school community arts program geared toward Hawaii’s underserved youth.

One thing less to bid on: Lesli-Ann Yano was already wearing her Prada Tessuto stones necklace.

At the head of the auction item list were Prada’s new Paillettes evening bag, Tessuto bag, Tessuto stones necklace with Swarovski crystals and Tessuto stones earrings.

I took as many pictures as I could between snacking on ravioli from Ruth’s Chris Steak House, scallops from RumFire Waikiki, duck from Twist at Hanohano, and ahi and purple sweet potato from E&O Trading Co. Those flush enough to dine under the tents were treated to dinner by Chef Mavro. Unfortunately, I had eaten a giant cookie before arriving was barely able to check out Hokulani Bake Shop’s cupcake bar, which allowed guests to choose their cupcake, frosting and sugar sprinkles, an edible form of art-making.

It was all rather sedate and dignified until dinner was over and the dancing began. That’s when the jackets started coming off and rather than the sounds of the Rat Pack, the music was all fun ’80s like Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough,” Madonna’s “Material Girl,” B52’s “Love Shack” and Klymaxx’s “Meeting in the Ladies Room.”

Someone decided the sculpture in the Luce Pavilion should be dressed for the occasion.

Taking a break from dancing were, from left, Prada Hawaii Corp. area manager Joseph Incao, Joanna Bielawski, Hisako Tominaga, David Andreoli and Emilio Nazario.

Elvis and the showgirls were there to pose for pictures with guests. (more…)

By Nadine Kam

Swann Galleries
Visionaire issues are “albums of inspiration” reflecting a collaboration of artists, designers, writers and photographers. Each issued is unique, built around a theme. At front is a deluxe monogrammed portfolio by Louis Vuitton, created to house a particular issue.

For those interested in collecting a piece of fashion history, New York’s Swann Auction Galleries is hosting a Photographic Literature and Photographs Sale on Dec. 11, spotlighting issues 1 to 50 of Visionaire (Lot 267), a collection of the extraordinary art and fashion publication — artworks themselves — worth an estimated $25,000 to 35,000.

Visionaire features artist collaborations and elaborate packaging for each of its uniquely themed issues. Each issue is conceived as “an album of inspiration,” incorporating the work of renowned artists, designers and photographers, crafted specifically for the publication. Among the designers and brands who have participated in the creation of the publications are Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, and François Berthoud, along with photographers such as Mario Testino, Mary Ellen Mark, Bruce Weber, Nan Goldin, Nobuyoshi Araki, and James Nachtwey.

The issues have typically employed multiple materials, including a luxurious Hermés leather travel pouch containing postcards from around the world, a Tiffany’s box (the post-9/11 “Love” issue) with an Elsa Peretti heart, a Levi’s One-Pocket Sack Coat, Diana Vreeland’s newly disclosed memos, the first battery-operated publication, and an inkless issue. The issues were created between 1991 and 2007.

The auction will also include such imagery as Herb Ritts silver print “Madonna, Hollywood (1986),” edition notations 8/25, in pencil, estimated to sell for $4,000 to 6,000. (Lot 388)

Other works up for grabs:

Weegee’s “Woman in Ruffled Bikini / Acrobat,” two silver prints from the late 1950s to early ’60s, estimated to sell for $2,000 to $3,000. (Lot 359)

Édouard Boubat’s “Paris” (Lovers), silver print with the photographer’s signature, dated 1960; printed in the 1980s, estimated to be worth $2,500 to 3,500. (Lot 364)

Brush up on more photo history at www.swanngalleries.com

By Nadine Kam

Photos by Nadine Kam
Peter Shaindlin with Bud League of INspiration, in front of one of Shaindlin’s nude figures, covered for our PG readers. Bud mixes Energie with an Armani Collezione jacket and a little tattered, shredded cloth “for a little effect.”

Honolulu Design Co., Stage restaurant, HonBlue, Bouvier Productions, Matthew and Louise Evins, and our other co. HI Luxury, sponsored “Body & Soul,” a photographic exhibition and auction celebrating the human figure June 12.

On view were framed photographs by Nic Gariaeff, and 4-by-8-foot images by Volcano artist Chiu Leong and Peter Shaindlin. Who knew the Halekulani chief operating officer is also a budding artist? “It’s just a hobby,” he said humbly.

Father and daughter Chiu and Asia Leong in front of one of his clay-covered figures.

While there I caught up with the lovely jewelry designer Asia Leong, who was also there as a photographer to support her dad. She’s back home from her other life in Paris and says she’ll be here for a while. What would be weird for most people to know is that I’ve written stories about her twice but never met her due to the magic of the phone interview. I just recognized her from her photos, and with her dad there as one of the featured artists, put two and two together.

The invitation called for über-chic attire, and people were asking, “What does that mean?”

Not much here, where a come-as-you-are attitude prevails. I, for one, wasn’t about to go home and change, and just wore my teal BCBG work dress. But I did have some fun clothes spotting.

From left, Michele Henry, Malie and Walter Moran. Michelle is wearing an ostrich feather-trimmed dress from BCBG.

From left, Charlotte Hutton Cox, INspiration’s Donna Sakamoto in a dress from Adore, and boots, and Austin Cox.

Charlotte Cox’s black dress was simultaneously simple and chic, and when I asked about the label, it was even cooler when she reached down the front. I was like, “Oh, you’re wearing it backward.” Done that before when I either think the back is prettier than the front, or it’s so low cut in front, I prefer to wear the back forward, but the dress by Amsterdam designer Percy Riaus can actually be worn five ways.

She said she looked at it five times before trying it on, hoping that it wouldn’t fit. Of course it did and she couldn’t resist taking home her ultimate black dress. The museum exhibition developer just moved here and is looking for a job, BTW. She has a good eye …

The statuesque artist Dana Forsberg, was, like photographer Elliot Takane, impressed by the large-scale images created with the help of HonBlue. Forsberg is wearing an ensemble by an Argentinean designer.

By Nadine Kam

Paco Rabanne’s chainlink armored mini dress, circa 1967, is among the pieces up for grabs via eBay Live June 10. Bidding for this piece will start at about $6,000.

Those who appreciate vintage fashion might enjoy taking a look at the garb up for grabs via eBay Live’s “Passion for Fashion and Fine Textiles,” an auction taking place June 10.

Found it by accident while doing one of my standard searches for Ossie Clark and Lanvin and hit the Mother Lode of European fashion, 1920s through 1980s. What a pleasant surprise. Usually, I feel lucky if I see one beautiful, collectible piece.

I have a love of vintage clothing that dates to my teen years. It was the most tangible way for a girl from Waipahu — pre-Internet — to feel connected to the larger world, past and present. After running my own vintage/consignment boutique here and scoring my own vintage Pucci and Lanvin dresses, I became particularly enamored of the work of European designers done in the 1930s through ’40s, and 1960s through ’70s.

I read that ’40s and ’70s inspired H&M’s Fall 208 collection, described as “sharp, androgynous, elegant.”

You can own Jerry Hall’s Antony Price white lace wedding dress dating to her 1990 marriage to Mick Jagger. Bust 34, waist 26 inches. Who knew she was so tiny? She looks like a big girl standing next to Mick.

Ossie Clark snakeskin coat, circa 1967-68. Bidding starts at about $700. Fits a 34-inch bust. People were tiny back then, before they started pumping up at gyms and supersizing meals.

The auction also features tapestries and garments from the 1700s, and it appears that Jerry Hall is emptying her closet of clothing circa her life with Mick Jagger, including her wedding dress, which is starting at about $300.

Even if you can’t or don’t want to buy anything, it’s fun to look at the pieces and certainly would be beneficial for any alleged student of fashion to see. (more…)

By Nadine Kam

Goodwill Industries
Metallic denim dress created by Ricky Lizalde on auction to benefit Goodwill Industries.

There are a handful of Hawaii designers trying to get onto “Project Runway.” The good thing about a show like that is, even if you lose, the name-recognition factor will continue to open doors long after the last episode airs.

Of course, Christian Siriano was bound to be a star. But if you thought you’d seen the last of Ricky “Crybaby” Lizalde, think again.

The California designer has created a collection in celebration of Levi’s “501 Day” and in support of Goodwill Industries. Sales from the auction of the Ricky Lizalde pieces will help fund Goodwill job training programs that benefit hundreds of thousands of people each year. The auctions end May 19 and May 20, and include the metallic denim dress (size 2-4) and the denim engineer cap. Last time I checked, the prices were $248 and $68, respectively. Go to www.shopgoodwill.com.

As much as I hated the hat during the season, it’s such a signature of his that he probably would be able to market them in any color and material forever.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Many guests came prepared with their own masks.

Started Saturday night at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Starlight Ball, themed “Circo di Notte,” where it was a night of mystery and masquerade, with stilt walkers, jugglers and DJs, plus food in six courtyards by a whole slew of restaurants, including Cassis, E&O Trading Co., Michel’s at the Colony Surf, Pacific Club, Kevin’s Two Boots, and more.

One of the prosthetic/makeup artists from Prosperity Corner said he spent all day fashioning the horns glued to his head.

One of the booths was manned by Hokulani Bake Shop. Funny, I had eaten a Hokulani cookie and some homemade chili before leaving home, so wasn’t hungry. My boyfriend was like, “I don’t know why you did that,” as he snacked on E&O’s steak pupu.

Men were dressed as well as the women.

So we walked around, checked out the auctions, including the sponsor Prada auctions. Then I had to ditch the boyfriend so I could get over to the Indashio show being sponsored by our company at Honolulu Design Center.

When he got home, I found out he had bid on and won the biggest painting up for auction, and it looked much bigger in our tiny house than in the museum. I was like, “Why’d you buy that for?” But, since we were hanging art at midnight, I brought out a couple paintings I had bought at last year’s Showcase and was hiding from him.

Guests also entertained themselves on the dance floor, with balloons overhead.

By Nadine Kam

Footwear addicts will get a laugh out of “The Shoes of Salvation,” a mini book by Edward Monkton, deemed “poet, artist, philosopher and interesting fellow,” on his book jacket.

In about 30 pages of handwritten text and rough sketches, Monkton seems to be a guy who gets it, offering the shoe’s point of view as to why a woman would want to spend all her cash on Manolos or Louboutins that pinch and hurt, rendering her nearly unable to do the one thing shoes were created to do. That is, walk. Or is it?

I’m sure you know one or two women like these, the ones impossible to go out with because they always have to sit down! I really hate that … unless mine are the feet hurtin’.

The book is $9.95, available at www.edwardmonkton.com or www.andrewsmcmeel.com and would be a cute gift for the fetishists that walk, or hobble, among us.

Be the first to post your comment on how much pain you will or will not endure for the sake of beautiful shoes and I’ll send you my one copy of the book.

In other shoe news:

Stuart Weitzman will be hosting a Celebrity Shoe Auction next month to benefit ovarian cancer research.

The designer has asked celebrities to design and autograph a Stuart Weitzman pump to be auctioned off at www.stuartweitzman.com from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, 2007.

The celebs were asked to create a design reflecting their personality and interests. For instance, Charlize Theron designed the shoe to reflect her roots in South Africa, while Molly Sims and Queen Latifah decided to honor their current projects, creating “Las Vegas” and “Hairspray” -themed shoes, respectively.

Other participating celebs include Courteney Cox-Arquette, Hayden Panettiere, Kelly Ripa, Kyle MacLachlan, Marcia Cross, Nicolette Sheridan, Sharon Stone and Vanessa Williams, among others.

Doggie troubles

If you’re tired of your pet gnawing on anything from your rubbah slippahs, Chanel pumps to Nike Dunks, just got word of a product that might put an end to that.

Dog behaviorist Kathy Santo offers Don’t Chew Dare, a natural anti-chew product with a scent that repels your dog, but not you. It contains such organic bitter tasting herbs as patchouli, sandalwood and peppermint leaf along with imported essential oils: clary sage, spearmint and rosemary extract.

Her Web site says it’s non-toxic, but you should test it first before using on fabrics, keep it out of child reach and need I remind you to avoid splashing it in your eyes.

It’s $13.95 for an 8-ounce bottle, available at www.kathysanto.com.

Lastly, if you missed my Aug. 23 Honolulu Star-Bulletin story on what goes into the making of some Louis Vuitton shoes, check it out at http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/23/features/story01.html