Nadine Kam photos
The happy couple, Yu Shing Ting and Travin Makinano.

After quietly marrying last August, Travin Makinano and my Midweek compadre Yu Shing Ting finally had their dream reception and renewal of vows on the lawn of Waikiki Aquarium the evening of July 12.

As the invitation read, the ceremony was one with “no gown, no bouquet, not even a cake,”and I suppose, for a style editor, that just wouldn’t do.The bride wanted a green wedding so ono Hawaiian food was served on recycle-able paper plates and had small bouquets made of a mix of real and keepsake plastic flowers. Guests also received small paper hearts studded with wildflower seeds to sprout at home or wherever a touch of color or greenery is needed.

The bridesmaids — all 10 of them — plus maid of honor were dressed in green ruffled strapless dresses by Fighting Eel, while the ushers and best man wore aloha shirts from Hawaiian Moon. The bride looked beautiful in a simple, strapless white gown with a shirred bodice and small train that Travin dutifully lifted off the ground as she walked.

Congratulations Yu Shing and Travin!

Photographers had to stand back to get the entire wedding party in the picture!

A few more photos follow. (more…)

Nadine Kam photos
From left, going for the long look, were Spa Hawai’i Magazine & Directory editor Kapua Inglis, Modern Pacific Weddings and Events Regan Schultz, and SHMD creative director Tiare Friedman. Kapua and Tiare wear Maui designer Tamara Catz designs from Persimmon on the Big Island. Schultz is in Nicole Miller, which she carries at her 3620 Waialae Ave. showroom.

A little much-needed rain didn’t spoil the July 3 premiere party for Spa Hawai’i Magazine & Directory. It’s one of those great ideas, where, considering all the spas that have sprung up in the last decade, you go, why didn’t I think of that?

The party on the lawn of the fabulous Moana was presented by Regan Schultz’s Modern Pacific Events, an extension of her Modern Pacific Weddings for those who want a party without that nuptial component.

Roxanne Vogelgesang and Bo Alexander. Roxanne said she likes the long look, but says the extra fabric does make it harder to walk.

When I arrived, I couldn’t help but notice the fashion statement being made. If there was any doubt before that the maxi, or currently, patio dress is back, it seems that women are indeed willing to go long. I wanted to take photos of lots of them, but at about 7 p.m. it started to get dark really fast. When the rain started, the party simply scooted over a couple yards indoors and under cover of the lanai.

While there, spa specialists were also introduced to products and services offered by Makana Esthetics Wellness Academy, Malie Organics from Kauai, the online beauty and skincare company Artistry, and a sneak preview of soon-to-launch Pure & True Organic Beauty. (more…)

Photo courtesy Ann Kagawa Lee

A few months ago I put a notice of a toilet-paper wedding gown contest in the paper and it’s paying off for finalist Ann Kagawa Lee, who already won a trip to New York for final judging of her creation at the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! museum.

That’s so great! It was an oddball kind of item, but having been inspired by a T-paper gown game at The Wedding Cafe and The Bridal Boutique at the time, I figured that creating toilet-paper wedding gowns is just one more of our citizenry’s many talents.

Putting things in the paper involves some guesswork as to what people will want to read/what they should read, but it’s worthwhile if an item does get the right person to respond.

Go Ann!

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Russell Tanoue is putting out the call to vote for dancer Mark Kanemura.

Speaking of talent, a more traditional kind involves the Fox reality competition, “So You Think You Can Dance?” Photographer Russell Tanoue has launched the campaign to vote for local dancer Mark Kanemura, who’s made it into the top 18 so far.

The program airs at 7 p.m. today, the 18th, with the voting period following the show, and elimination tomorrow at 8 p.m. It’s one of my favorite shows because the dancers are so talented and the choreography is amazing.

The girls have taken a back seat to the guys in past years, but look really strong this year. The guys are more technically trained than ever, but better watch out!

www.junkoyoshioka.com
Junko Yoshioka designs wedding gowns and evening wear and we’ll be seeing her creation for Loretta Ables Sayre Sunday night.

There’s a lot of downsides to fame, but one of the perks is being dressed by designers in garments made just for you.

Loretta Ables Sayre, nominated for a Tony for her role as Bloody Mary in Broadway’s “South Pacific,” will be attending the Sunday awards ceremony in a full-sweep gown by Junko Yoshioka, made of chiffon and silk faille, in teal. The awards telecast will be at 7 p.m. on KGMB/CBS.

Don’t have a picture of it, but you know how stars love to keep us surprised.

Junko has also dressed Jessica Alba, Helen Hunt, Claire Forlani, and Courtney Ford for her wedding to “Superman” Brandon Routh.

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…)

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
This Paloma Blanca satin charmeuse capped-sleeve sheath gown with empire lace bodice, sash and brooch is $1,875.

The Wedding Cafe and The Bridal Boutique teamed up to play host to 75 brides-to-be, their friends and a handful of supportive grooms-to-be at the “27 Dresses” Couture Wedding Gown show Sunday night. The event had the vibe of a giant bridal shower with desserts, wine, and fun and games from beginning to end.

As usual, guests lined up early and were eventually greeted inside The Bridal Boutique, 614 Cooke St., by the music of Ben Vegas and Maila Gibson, who is a great singer. I’m hyper-critical about that because I sing and I can never figure out how, on “American Idol,” after auditioning thousands and thousands of wannabes, they come up up with such mediocre talent in the top 24. Listening to Maila outside the door, I thought I was listening to a recording and Tanna Dang, of The Wedding Cafe, later told the audience that she booked Ben and Maila for her wedding as soon as she set her date, before making any other arrangements. They are that good.

Before the show, guests lined up for dessert.

From there it was onto wine sampling compliments of Wine the Experience and desserts from Aloha Cakery, such as Heavenly Haupia Squares, Hawaiian Honeymoon Brownies and Strawberry Dream Wedding Cake. My favorite was the Cloud 9 Cream Puff.

Of course, everyone came to see the wedding gowns modeled by friends of the hosts, to show how gowns fit brides of every size. But the star of the evening was 5-year-old flowergirl model Kaylie, who put on her best attitude, even doing a backward stroll down the runway to Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”

Cheri Cabillon, left, is looking forward to an October wedding, while Belinda Sanchez has set a date in September.

I took an empty seat next to Cheri Cabillon and Belinda Sanchez, two of the most stylish in the house. I asked Sanchez if she was in the fashion biz. “No,” she said, “but I’m French.” She said she didn’t want a traditional wedding dress, and had originally searched for something “couture or funky” to suit her style sense, but once she tried on a wedding cake sort of dress, she was hooked by that traditional image.

Once the show started, she had to remove her jacket. “I’m getting hot, this is serious business,” she said.

Can’t have a shower without toilet-paper games, with Maryn as blushing bride. (more…)