By Nadine Kam

Tori Richard
The lovely Michelle Vawer on the cover of the Tori Richard holiday/resort catalog in a Kalena dress from the Sprinkles group set to arrive in the boutiques Nov. 17.

Backtracking all the way back to Sept. 25, I was at the Tori Richard fashion show previewing the holiday/resort and spring 2010 collections at the Honolulu Academy of Arts ARTS after DARK event.

I missed a lot of what was going on here while I was in New York, though I kept up with emails and when I was invited to the show, that took place the same day I was set to return home, I just said I’d be there, figuring I’d return home the same way I arrived in NY, hitting the ground running. My bf thought I was crazy. He said, “What? You’re going to get off the plane and go to a fashion show?”

My answer to that is “Why not?”

Of course, it always goes better in my head than in reality and I didn’t realize how long it would take to catch up, but here we are in November and it turns out to be timely as the first pieces of the holiday collection are arriving in the Tori Richard boutiques, with dresses running from about $98 to $198, and tops about $62 to $118. You can also find lookbooks and designs online at www.toririchard.com.

For both of the collections, designer Tamar Hassing Wong went into the company’s vast archives to bring back prints from the 1960s and ’70s to compliment the relaxed, leisure styles.

The bold prints fit perfectly with today’s strong graphic sensibilities. My favorite, though, was one of the newer prints, on cotton/silk voile, that’s inspired by centuries-old ikat weaving. The monstera leaf is a longstanding graphic design but this one brings back some of the lush ambience of 1940s and ’50s design, while the white-and-purple Iris color combination bring it up to date. Can’t wait for that one, coming up in spring.

Melody jersey knit dress from the Blooming group.

Island Ikat Tea Time dress in Iris color, from the Tori Richard Spring 2010 collection.

Coconut camisole in Jewel Box (1973) archive print, in Carnation color, also from the spring 2010 collection.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Brigitte Patton wears one of Kanna Yamauchi’s bridal designs.

Hui Makaala, an Okinawan scholarship organization whose goal is to promote the Okinawan culture and Uchinanchu spirit did just that during its annual fashion luncheon Oct. 18 at the Sheraton Waikiki.

It’s not often that they’re able to bring in a designer from Okinawa, but they hit the jackpot with the mother-and-daughter designers, respectively, Mitsuko Yamauchi and Kanna Yamauchi.

Mitsuko was the headlining designer here two years ago, and this year it was Kanna’s turn to show her designs for Yokang, a fashion collaboration that involves her husband, the artist and textile designer Hiroshi Tanaka.

Yokang designs were a hit at Hong Kong Fashion Week, and Kanna heads to Japan after Honolulu.

The fashion show was preceded by several performances by Dazzman Toguchi, Hooge Ryu Hana Nuuzi No Kai and Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii.

Then Kanna put on a display of handpainted/airbrushed garments reflecting Okinawa’s colorful aesthetic that fits in nicely with our own island surroundings. Her show was presented during Hong Kong Fashion Week before her arrival here.

Dancer Dazzman Toguchi in one of Yokang’s unisex hoodies.

There was a break in the middle of the show, when Mitsuko showed some of her bridal designs, as well as men’s shirts that were available for sale outside the showroom before and after the event. The show concluded with Yokang bridal designs.

There was so much packed into the show that I had some trouble editing down to fit YouTube’s 10-minute restriction. Videos can give the impression that what you see is what you get, so, just know that there was much more than could be shown.

You can read more about Yokang in my story that ran in advance of the show: http://hsblinks.com/134

Mens’ shirts formed a big part of a segment shown by Kanna’s mother Mitsuko Yamauchi, founder of Okinawa’s Fashion Room Madonna. This one is modeled by former city prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro. Equivalent to the aloha shirt, these shirts are also worn by businessmen in Okinawa.

A videographer at work.

Kanna posed backstage with Brigitte and Nicole Fox, right.

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By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Fighting Eel models with designers Lan Chung and Rona Bennett at right.

The Outrigger Reef on the Beach launched its new wedding venues and packages with an intimate event that showcased selections from its banquet buffet, as well as cake, cupcake, bridal bouquet and other services.
Adding to the ambience of the evening event Oct. 15 was a bridal fashion show by Fighting Eel, whose casual, romantic creations fit in perfectly with the theme of a destination wedding in Hawaii.

You can find out more about the bridal collection in my story that appeared in the print edition of the paper in August: http://hsblinks.com/135 

Justine Miguel in traditional white.

The fashion show took place on the Voyager Deck overlooking the beach. Tables were set up as if for an intimate wedding reception — the deck accommodates up to 60 people — and the open-air setting made it a pleasant, relaxing way to end a hectic work day.

The models walked through a flower-draped trellis, after the buffet dinner of assorted salads, fresh fruit, kalua pig, broiled fish, teriyaki chicken, and more.

Then after the show, guests helped themselves to a candy bar dressed up with colorful jellybeans, lemon drops, chocolate covered pretzels, Hershey’s Kisses and candy-coated almonds as a take-home favor.

Those who just couldn’t leave were then invited to peek into their spacious Suite 123, with multi-configurations to suit bridal party room needs.

Outrigger Reef photos
The living room of the bridal suite. No worries, if you’re already married, they have vow renewal ceremonies as well, open to all at 8 a.m. Tuesdays to Fridays. The suite opens to a lanai with a view of Diamond Head.

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By Nadine Kam

Too little, too lame, too tired for Paris.

It was a sad day for fashion on Sept. 9, when it was announced that Lindsay Lohan had been named artistic advisor for the house of Ungaro. Conspicuosly timed to the start of New York Fashion Week, the news was not well received and generated a negative buzz among editors and those working in the field. For any designer who has studied and worked to get where they are, and those who have not yet made it, it was a slap in the face.

Granted, there have been celebs with their own vision and creative instincts, who have made their mark in fashion. Think Olsen twins and Gwen Stefani, for a start. There have also been numerous collaborations that have worked our well for brands and celebs, but this was different. It was throwing a plum job to a washed up actress with no discernable fashion point of view beyond Hollywood trashy. That might have even worked in a boom economy, but on the Paris runways last week the new collection came off ticky-tacky and frivolous for these sober times and lacked the artistry associated with designers who have already proven they belong in Paris.

A bright spot was offered up by the Sydney Morning Herald, suggesting that Lindsay’s “insult” to fashion could result in companies seeking less input from celebrities. But that’s wishful thinking. Celebrities still seem to have the power to move brands. But I hope the brand owners can simply be honest and call these moves collaborations and give credit to the real designers who too often go nameless.

Due to the Lindsay association, though, we’ll probably all remember designer Estrella Archs name and I’m already wondering what she’ll do for the next Ungaro collection, hopefully without Lindsay.

Check out more opinions here:

LA Times

The First Post

New York magazine

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In happier news, Hilary Duff’s Femme collaboration with DKNY Jeans reflects her style while being on trend and perfectly suited to its young demographic, with each piece wearable, easy to mix and match and integrate with pieces every girl has, and coming in at less than $100 per piece.

Check it out: www.dkny.com

By Nadine Kam

Associated Press photos
Shown on the Louis Vuitton spring-summer 2010 runway in Paris today.

While a lot of attention during the European shows gravitated toward what was on the models’ feet, Marc Jacobs again showed he was ahead of the pack, by leading the Louis Vuitton show with ’shroomy afros appearing to be as large as the garments themselves. You can’t help but stare at the huge puffballs, that on top of the models’ skinny bodies also resembled dandelions.

Get beyond that, and you might notice the original suiting and tactile dresses.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
At the Gottex show, a model steps out in an assymetric ruched swimsuit in Desert beige degradé print with Desert grosgrain gold accent belt.

At some point, I’ll finish all my NY Fashion Week stories, though by now the London and Milan shows have ended. Sorry, I guess that’s the difference between keeping up with two or three events spread out over a week, and four to five a day.

Of course there’s a sizable market for swimwear in Hawaii, so shows by Rosa Chá and Gottex were a must. At Rosa Chá, new creative director Alexandre Herchcovitch showed a sunny array of yellows and vibrant oranges, exuding the heat of the Brazilian brand.

Meanwhile, at the Gottex swimwear show — full of rich creams, golds and ocean blues in retro-glam styles geared more toward poolside soirées than rough-and-tumble waves — I slipped from second row to an empty seat in the first row where, for once, my view was unobstructed.

There is a sweet spot when it comes to timing your seat move, after all the seated guests are in, but just before the standing-room-only crowd enters. The show planners always overbook because just as with televised sports, the designers don’t want to play to a batch of empty seats. Move too soon, and the person whose seat you’re grabbing may show up and roust you. Move to slow and available seats will be filled by quick-moving SROs. Worst case scenario, the seat holder shows up, an SRO has already filled your seat and is not likely to give it back.

Ochre brush print swimsuit with gold disk and precious stone embellishment worn with silk chiffon top with embroidered grosgrain gold accent belt. At right is the cobalt blue sea print lycra swimsuit with cobalt blue grosgrain gold accent belt.

The seat holder doesn’t show. Score! Problem is, I’m not front-row material. I’m too busy and fidgety, turning this way and that for photos, when the videographers in back of the house expect the front row to be motionless, save for turns of the head. Any other movement distracts from the show.

Nadine Kam video

It didn’t help when I reached for my video camera and my bag spilled over toward the runway. Luckily, the contents didn’t fall out, but then I couldn’t reach the handles, and rather than have my head bobbing toward the floor and right arm reaching out for the cameras to capture the struggle, I let it lay there for the show’s duration. In the photos you can see how close it is from the chairs to the runway.

I also take it personally when someone in the show’s control booth shouts, “Uncross your legs!” The leg stabbing out toward the runway also interferes with the video and camera shots. But then, there’s a lot of stirring in the audience and it turns out I’m not the only one uncrossing.

At left is Gottex’s Ochre degradé lycra swimsuit with Fade-out desert print silk kimono and Ochre embroidered gold accent belt. On the right is a Coral red abstract print side-ruched swimsuit worn with a Coral red abstract print silk caftan and red grosgrain gold accent belt.

The show opened with strong showing of sand and cream colors — for the most confident or fittest women — maillots and bikinis, including one-shoulder designs, then moved into sparkling sequined blacks which isn’t very practical, unless one plans to wear them as part of an evening ensemble.

There was also a segment featuring a beautiful cobalt blue sea print, and another showing a touch of red via faux coral necklace embellishment, print and faux coral charms.

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By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Flowers were handpainted on these pink dresses shown during Koi Suwannagate’s presentation at Gana Gallery on Sept. 16.

Thai designer Koi Suwannagate asked what if love were a flower in her collection of feminine dresses and gowns shown at Gana Gallery at 11 a.m. on Sept. 16.

Dresses were handmade and some handpainted, with jewelry also taking the form of gold and silver lotuses designed by Prinn Jewelry.

Music played during the gallery presentation was a spare, Asian-inflected whistled version of the “Theme From Love Story.”

I wanted to shoot some video but had forgotten to recharge my camera battery the night before. Just in case I could find an outlet on site, I brought along my battery charger. I spied several empty outlets while there, but each seemed to neighbor to an outlet with a light unit plugged into it. I imagined plugging in and short-circuiting the whole show. Those kinds of things seem to happen to me at home, but I have a feeling they’re much less forgiving here. So I refrained and simply snapped photos.

Designer Koi Suwannagate, center, talks about one of her designs.

The tableau included lilypad, frog and lotus constructions lining the gallery.

Handmade gold lotus earrings by Prinn Jewelry were shown with the clothing designs.

Shoulder details are in for fall and will likely continue into spring.

Bare shoulders and floral waistband on one of Koi Suwannagate’s gowns.

By Nadine Kam

Photos by Nadine Kam
After Norma Kamali’s presentation in the Apple store in SoHo, everyone followed the designer onto the street to see her pieces available now at NormaKamaliCollection.com, NormaKamaliBay.com and in Wal*Mart stores. She believes technology is democratizing the distribution and availability of fashion, and that consumers are no longer willing to follow designers’ and retailers’ traditional schedules

Only one event today, Norma Kamali’s “democratization of Fashion” presentation at the Apple store in Soho. I’m anxious to hear what she has to say because she is a swimwear pioneer and legend who is now blazing a trail in the place where technology and fashion meet. I’m interested in all aspects of technology because it is changing the way we live so radically and the things we do or don’t do now will impact quality of life in the future.

She held onto her white iPhone throughout the event and proclaimed her love for the device. I picked up one two days before leaving home — it’s a long story — and it has been a life saver, not only for email, Internet and phone contact, but providing me with maps and compass so I didn’t waste much time getting lost.

She started her tech track only a year ago, when retailers slumped on their buys. She decided to test sales direct to the public at wholesale prices and she said that made up the shortfall.

Now, this is the part that may change the rest of the fashion world. Technology has made communication instant. In Hawaii, we should know better than anyone, because the diss to Hawaii has always been that it takes a year before trends arrive to the masses. No more. We get the information the same time as everyone else thanks to the Internet, increasing visibility and desire so that more people are dressing up.

So, what she has done, rather than give knock-off artists time to beat collections to stores, is put everything shown up on eBay the day of her presentation in light rain on a SoHo street, knowing people will want what they see now, and not have to wait until six months from now. Maybe that’s why I was in Topshop afterward, trying on a pale pink feather skirt (feather idea Jason Wu, color story Erin Fetherston).

I was also shopping for things that will carry over to spring, such as tny silver sequins and a white cut-out sleeve top from Alexander Wang that I found at Aloha Rag.

The pace of retail, in light of technology may be too slow for consumers, so what happens next? Her presentation gave us something to think about at the close of Fashion Week. Exciting times.

Norma Kamali’s models show designs being sold at Wal*Mart and on eBay through the NormaKamaliBay.com app. All pieces are wholesale priced at $250 and under. It was about 60 degrees in the rain. One of the other swimwear models had chicken skin.

Kamali faces the press and her fans.

By Nadine Kam

Getty Images courtesy IMG
Dennis Basso’s champagne silk charmeuse top and champagne silk organza tiered skirt with ribbon detail.

Dennis Basso is mostly known as a furrier, but maybe the prospect of facing off with PETA again got to him because his show kept furs to a minimum while playing up starry night and Degas ballerina skirts that flared from fitted bodices with a twist.

Nadine Kam photos
One of Dennis Basso’s bare backs. Yes, that’s Fern Mallis across the way.

Nadine Kam video

The photos from Getty Images show only half the story from the front. Viewers expecting fully covered backs saw airy, sporty cuts cuts instead, open to a chill factor, hence creating the need for shoulder and partial back-warming boleros and shrugs of chinchilla, mink and broadtail. Anti- fur people will easily find other options to wear with his party dresses of organza, voile, crepe de chine, taffeta, silk jersey and silk charmeuse.For his collection, the designer received a standing ovation.

Getty Images

Nadine Kam photo

Getty Images
Gold diamond-dusted python bustier and bronz chiffon dress with gold ribbon across the model’s eyes.

Getty Images
The crowd cheers the designer.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Jill Stuart designs were shown in a runway show at the New York Public Library.

New York being the home of cool professionalism, there’s not a whole lot of drama or weirdness on the runways here, compared to that of Europe or L.A. While everyone loves a spectacle, these shows are about selling clothing to American women who generally can’t shake a Puritanical, practical streak. When shopping, I always overhear women telling friends, “I don’t have an occasion to wear that.” Who needs to wait for an occasion? Call a friend for lunch; that’s an occasion.

That said, Jill Stuart went bold with her show in Astor Hall at the New York Public Library behind Bryant Park. With fashion risk takers such as Cher as inspiration, her show was all about playtime and making a memorable entrance.

She started her show with clean, crisp white dresses before moving onto blacks, mixed black and white, then came bursts of metallic green, blue and pink.

Jill Stuart harem pant jumpsuit.

Black leggings, a touch of lace and metallic green.

The grand venue of the New York Public Library.

Mesh boots on the Jill Stuart runway.