eLuxury.com photo I now have the adult version of this 3.1 Phillip Lim children’s clipped feather swing skirt. (It’s not actually feathers, but fabric.)
It was with great sadness that I discovered a 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt for $250 on eLuxury, after I had paid more than $300 on sale. I was relieved to find it was a children’s skirt I was looking at, though if I had known there was a children’s size available, I definitely would have tried to squeeze into the 9/10 or so.
Maybe the sales gods just haven’t been with me, because I had eyed a black See by Chloe top at Nordstrom when it opened. It was more than $400, and now, it was gone. All the See by Chloe and Phillip Lim stuff were gone. I was kind of mad that my boyfriend had told me earlier not to get it, not because of the price, but because it had a rather large bow in front and he hates extraneous, fussy, frilly things — which I guess makes me wonder why he likes me.
It’s not like he runs my wardrobe or anything, but if he speaks I must listen because when it comes to clothes, he’s generally right. A guy with a good eye can be your best shopping ally because he’s less likely to indulge your fantasy life and dress the real, often dumpier you.
It’s a fact that in a dressing room I’m another person, so I come out with some choices that are good for someone else, and pretty bad for me. It helps that I’ve sought the opinion of one of our photographers here, Craig Kojima, who was pretty brutal. So now when I try things on, I always hear his voice saying, “That does nothing for you.”
If you’re about to make a mistake, just say those words and see if they’re true or false. Something worth buying will make your body look better than it really is. The no’s will be obvious. Something marginal will be just OK, neither excellent or bad on you. It’s the marginal things that pose the greatest problem, because they could be easily be yesses. But if you can say, “It does nothing for me,” and walk away, you could end up saving a lot of money, though it still doesn’t stop me from falling in love with individual pieces, rather than the way they look on me.
I wish I could be one of those with classic, appropriate adult style day in and day out, but I have a feeling I’d be bored.
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.
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…)
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.
Nadine Kam photos A model wears one of Monique Zhang’s creations at the C.S. Wo Chinese New Year celebration.
C.S. Wo welcomed the Year of the Rat Feb. 16 with another of their grand celebrations combining food, drink, fireworks, cultural and fashion displays.
On view were the colorful couture garments of Monique Zhang, of San Francisco’s Cicada boutique, presented during a fashion show that preceded the evening’s lion dance. Several lions were needed to bless guests scattered throughout two floors.
Among those who came to see Zhang’s work were local designers Jeanne Chun, Bill Chow and Bernard Foong, who is currently working on Maui but has plans to set up shop in Honolulu. He wore an elegant Mandarin-style robe of his own design.
Monique Zhang, center, with Gloria Untermann, left, and Ethel Oyang.
Also showing her new creations was jewelry designer Julie Wong, who works with semi-precious and precious stones. I was particularly taken by one pair of multiple-strand dangling earrings and realized why when informed the stones on them were black diamonds. Very nice. Colored sapphires were also sparkling charmers. I ran away before becoming too enamored.
Bill Chow dressed for the party in a Moschino jacket with Versace trousers and belt, Paul Smith 100-button tie and a shirt of his own design.
Midweek style editor Yu Shing Ting and Travin Makinano brought 4-month-old Koen Kaimalieokalani Makinano to the party. Yu Shing showed me his urban-style booties, and she’ll probably see to it that he’s wearing the latest gear until he’s old enough to dress himself.
During her stay in Honolulu, Monique fitted several women, like Winona Machado, in her designs. She’ll have a lot of custom work to do once she returns home.
Photo courtesy Cicada Designs by Monique A model is draped in iridescent silk taffeta and organza utilizing applique, stitchery and dye techniques.
On the Style pages today, designer Monique Zhang talks about her love of fabric and how she starts her creations with couture fabric she manipulates with several surface treatments, going beyond most designers who rely on readymade fabric.
