By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Among things I brought home from New York were a cropped sequin top from a flea market, a black sequin skirt from Loehmann’s and black sequin vest from H&M. I plan to wear them all together. Just kidding.

Packing for New York was easy. Figuring it would be good to represent Hawaii I brought along six Fighting Eel dresses, a Maggie Coulombe black wrap dress and cocoon wrap from Maggie Coulombe, a wool wrap from Jeanie Chun, Allisonizu denim pencil skirt and shorts, and hand-painted purple fish scale tote/clutch by Hazel Lee, keeping company with other items by Phillip Lim, DVF, Missoni, Rebecca Taylor and jewelry by Marni.

The trip was going to be pricey so I didn’t want to go there and feel like I needed a bunch of clothes, so my aim was to bring things so beautiful I wouldn’t be tempted to go overboard shopping.

Just before I left, though, I was struck by this nagging notion that I should have sequins and pulled from my closet the silver shrug, colorful bolero jacket and black tube top, below, that could be worn with casual basics. It was crazy because I only travel with one small carry-on suitcase and didn’t want to bring anything extraneous. In the end, I just brought the bolero jacket that I had cut down from a thrift-store dress, figuring I could wear it with jeans and a tank top.

I don’t usually wear these things at home because Hawaii sunlight being what it is, you’d end up looking like a disco ball walking down the street. To my delight, sequins were everywhere during Fashion Week, worn on jackets and vests of attendees, as well as on the runways, where touches of silver sparkle were everywhere. On the streets, the black sequins added a touch of gloss to matte black, just the antidote to breathe life into a city palette of neutral gray concrete and cement, as well as cloudy skies. It rained early during the events, and though temperatures averaged about 70 degrees, it did dip to 49 degrees a couple of days.

During Fashion Week, there was little time to shop, or eat, and when it was over, it had been seven days since I’d shopped. The first stop was Century 21, where I didn’t see much. I bought a dress and sweater top that I immediately wanted to return, but never had a chance to go back. After that, it was H&M where I saw fall’s green mini skirt that I absolutely had to have. Only problem was they were out of small sizes. I tried two other H&Ms in SoHo, and finally asked a sales person if there would be anymore. He said the display had already been out two weeks, so they were probably all gone. Two weeks! If there’s a retailer doing well, it’s H&M due to their combination of low prices (mostly $34.95 and under) and more-than-decent quality for the cost.

This is the green skirt that almost got away at H&M. You can dress the model with the Fashion Studio feature at www.hm.com/us. I just used it to also show one of the faux fur vests that were flying out the door; a bit impractical for us in Hawaii.

I also checked out Zara, which was showing heavier winter garb, so that was easy to resist when remembering that I would be coming home to 80- or 90-degree weather.

Sequin layering in a TopShop image.

After that, I tried two more H&Ms on the Upper East Side, thinking there’s probably less traffic there. But no, there were none there either. I was growing desperate because time was running out, so I had a salesperson try calling another store. Just then, a girl was returning a green skirt, which she said fit too tight at a size 10 and there was no way she was going to go up to a size 12. (The sizing of the Euro brand is unforgiving when it comes to American vanity sizing; their 6 is equivalent to our size 0 or 2, and 8 is a 4.) That was too big for me, but I tried it on anyway. I had to hold out for a 6 or 8 and eventually found an 8 in one of three busy Midtown branches, where I also found the small version of the black oversize top with animal pattern in gold sequins, below.

I also came home with this gold sequin top from H&M.

I ended up buying a whole lot of sequins and not much else, though I did find the one thing I wanted to get, a black jacket ($59.95 at H&M.) The two other things I bought were a black dress shirt and purple skirt from Uniqlo. And the last thing I was looking for before leaving was a sequined beret, but I figure I can find that anywhere.

The one piece that got away was a lightweight matte silver retro jacket from Topshop. Where other pieces I found were all less than $40, the jacket was $270. I had to think about it. I’m still thinking about it now that I’m home, and don’t see it online. Bummer. I really like it, but I’m still non-commital. I can’t imagine getting that much wear out of it. I have a partial picture of it below, on the left hanging in the TopShop dressing room while I also tried on a gold scalloped beaded jacket I don’t need. It’s always fun to try on, though.

In the dressing room at Topshop.

It was kind of sad to be going straight from Fashion Week to H&M, but it’s a problem designers and retailers face in the current economic climate. To even it up a bit, I did pay $300 for an Alexander Wang top at Aloha Rag, of all places, and that was due to seeing all the whites and cut-out designs on the runways, and the fact there is nothing similar available this fall, but for the new frugalistas, H&M has the prized combination of style and practicality that makes them hard to beat. Especially when you’re not quite sure you need one more sequined top.

By Nadine Kam

Polyvore.com collage built around 3.1 Philip Lim’s draped neck T-shirt. Click on the box to be directed toward the items.

Let’s say you’ve had to slash your spending to pay off past bills. There is a way to shop around without spending, and get almost as much satisfaction.

I’ve been watching Polyvore.com for a while, but was too busy to try it out. Well, a run through Neiman Marcus last week gave me incentive to try it out.

During the Last Call presale I noticed a Marni flower necklace I had admired since spring was still available. I actually wanted the pink, but that was gone, so I had to settle for the blue — it’s more versatile after all — at a third off its original $695 price tag. Yay!

But it’s always one of those restrictive deals. That meant I would have to postpone any current season buys, so bye-bye 3.1 Phillip Lim black-and-gray striped T-shirt. I notice a lot of designers have been addressing the economy by offering more affordable creations, affordable for Philip being $195.

Polyvore.com allows you to put your artistry at work, creating collages of things you want but can’t afford. It’s also a fun way of putting your styling skills to work on paper, in building fantasy collections. It’s the contemporary equivalent of playing with collage or paper dolls and will help build your artistic skills as well.

My boyfriend took a look at my first collage, and when I told him, I can’t afford any of this, he said, “That’s good,” because it was a little to rock ‘n’ roll costumey for his taste. Not that I’d wear it public, but it’s fun to imagine. I think any collage I put together will always have high heels, for instance, but I avoid them in real life. Too painful. I long ago crossed over the threshold from where people believe you must suffer for fashion. I like being comfortable.

I built my second collection around the Philip Lim shirt. Polyvore allows you to pull images off shopping Web sites across the Internet. They also provide a few essentials in various categores: bags, shirts, dresses, jeans, accessories, etc., for those who don’t have time to go searching all over. The idea being, if you like something you see, clicking on the object will take you to the home site where you can make your purchase.

Unfortunately, the T-shirt was the least expensive item in my collection, so I can only gaze at the Lanvin purse and Fendi platform shoes. But at least I can see how they might go together.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
At Kawaii Kon Saturday, Monchalee Steiger is Kanu Unchou.

If I return to Kawaii Kon next year, I gotta get myself a costume. Walking among those dressed as their favorite characters, it felt strange to be walking around in mainstream clothes. No. 1 rule of fashion after all, is to dress to the occasion, or bring it, in your own unique way of course.

I cover so many fashion stories, but it’s hard to parachute into the anime/manga/cosplay/Lolita worlds because they have a language and depth all their own, which can’t be learned in a couple of days. I tried to get it right.

Bryce Saito, left, is Suzaku from “Code Geass.”

Look around and you’ll always find drama at Kawaii Kon.

Christian Martin in character as M. Bison, from “Street Fighter.”

Yes there are human beings in there. Won Park, left, and Danielle Tubania are Transformers.

Capturing the moment.

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By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Finale of the Lolita Fashion Show at Kawaii Kon.

There was a lot of lace, eyelet, ribbons and bows during the Lolita Fashion Show that took place Friday as part of Kawaii Kon 2009 at Hawai’i Convention Center. It was fun to watch the creations stitched up by Lauren Lee, as well as Japan brands such as Angelic Pretty and Victorian Maiden and Innocent World.

They showed the range of Lolita style, from gothic to sweet to country Lolitas and elegant gothic aristocrats, as well as demonstrated how to get the Lolita look from traditional stores while shopping on a budget, sourcing pieces from Payless Shoes, Charlotte Russe and Forever 21.

Why, you may have all the pieces for a Lolita outfit in your closet and not even know it! I know I do. That may just be because the shape of the garments are particularly suited to petite figures. It’s one of the few incidences where short girls rule on the runway!

You can learn all about Lolita style at http://lolitafashion.org/ which covers topics ranging from “Anatomy of a Lolita Outfit” to debunking “Lolita Myths.”

A blue belle, thanks to Angelic Pretty.

Lolitas on stage had to compete with Lolitas in the audience, like Salem Sipes.

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By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Bessie Fujioka, Junior League of Honolulu president Chris Lau and Debbie Lau got into a tug of war with this Cole Haan purse. Janice Choate-Zavakos joined the fray seconds later.

People can go crazy when there’s a sale. The situation was a little more civil when the polite women of The Junior League of Honolulu hosted the 5th annual Sacs in the City fundraiser April 4, but you could feel anxiety in the air when it was near closing time for the silent auctions.

Dior
Marion Cotillard with a Lady Dior in Dior’s ad campaign.

“It’s gonna get bloody for the Dior,” said Emmy Kasten, who outbid me on said Lady Dior. I made the starting bid for The Lady Dior, at $680 for a purse that retails at $1,950. The one shown was black, which would not have tempted me, but the offer was to choose your own color. The Dior has been on my want list for at least two years.

Emmy was also bidding on a Gucci tote and had Noreen Kam (no relation) guard the bidding sheet while she waited near the Dior, though she called it quits after bidding went over $1,000.

Sacs is all about love of the handbag. There were dozens of luxury and casual purses, totes and clutches up for bid during the silent auction, most starting at a third to a quarter of retail price. Funds raised will benefit the JLH community projects: My Story to help adolescent girls, Kids in the Kitchen to promote nutrition, the HerStory women’s issues conference, and Impact Honolulu short-term projects geared toward children and families.

Balenciaga

I had scooped up my grail bag at Neiman a couple of weeks ago, a Balenciaga City bag like the one above, except in the Mandarin orange color, so even though purses are my weak spot—to me they’re like portable, practical works of art—I felt pretty certain I wouldn’t be tempted to bid on anything. The first thing I spied upon entering the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom was a Cartier evening bag I had admired in the store, at $1,680, offered at a starting bid of $585. Hmmm. At the time I had decided I’d rather save for the Love bangle. That was before the stock market crash when I actually had some spare change. So I kept moving.

A little while later, I ran into Denise Nakano, who was already carrying a very nice Miu Miu, yet pleaded, “Don’t outbid me.”

“I don’t even know what you’re bidding on,” I said. I couldn’t make any promises until I knew what we were talking about, and it just so happened hers was the only bid, thus far, on the Cartier. She must be psychic.

I don’t know if she won, but it did pick up more bids later. It’s tough to compete with the purchasing power of Junior League members and some of the dynastic names in the crowd, like Wo and Watamull.

The Cartier.

Manuheali’i models on the runway during the fashion show segment.

Here’s some video:

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By Nadine Kam

Amy Davis illustration
Peyton wears c.neeon dress, retro ’90s leather boots by Loius Vuitton, and silk skull scarf by Lucien Pellat-Finet, only because she has “waaaay too many by Mr. McQueen.”

Sometime Honolulu resident, artist and crazy rock ‘n’ roll chick Amy Davis sends word that she just started a new blog for Paper magazine, called Couture Voyeur. Voyeur is such a good word for the legion with a passion for fashion, but not the means.

It’s similar to her past Paper column, Style Fiends, but instead of “various hipsters styled out in très très delish avant fashion,” this time, she’s just reimagining one, Peyton, from week to week.

It’s a visual mashup of all the fashion, accessory and cosmetic finds that fill her eyes and head, emerging through her always fabulous illustrations. That’s one way to “wear” the best of the best when you don’t have the moolah for all. I told her I gotta get me some illustration skillz.

I look forward to viewing more of her finds.

Here are more views of c.neeon for spring/summer 2009:

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Valerie Ragaza-Miao, who’ll be competing as Mrs. Honolulu in the Mrs. Hawaii USA pageant on May 23, draws numbers for dozens of prizes during an advance screening of “Confessions of a Shopaholic” last Thursday at the Consolidated Theatres, Ward Entertainment Center.

As expected, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” offered lots of eye candy, and I’m not just talking clothes. Actor Hugh Dancy was also great to look at, and after catching a preview with my friends we all agreed later that his character was the equivalent of the perfect man: smart, good looking, nice smile, ambitious, rich but not snobby, confident enough to ignore the notion of the obvious trophy girlfriend/wife, understands fashion but again, not snobby or obsessed about it.

Dream shopping from the movie.

Mr. Dancy

Sigh. If you fit the bill, I know at least a dozen women who would love to meet you! You don’t even have to be rich. Money is just the icing on top of all other fine traits.

The preview was also a party for friends and fans of Valerie Joseph’s Valerie Ragaza Miao, who, before the film began, offered dozens of door prizes for those who made Foodbank donations. Some, who didn’t know about the drive, wrote checks on the spot.

In spite of the frivolity at the film’s surface, it offers a starting point to talk about the intersection of desire and ability to pay. The National Endowment of Financial Education has a site Spendster.org that lets visitors confess their own shopaholic tendencies, believing the admissions actually do help people face their weaknesses.

You may have a problem if you have a tendency to:
>> Buy things you want without thinking about whether you can afford them at the moment.
>> Buy things often to cheer yourself up or reward yourself.
>> Struggle paying your bills because you always seem to be living on the financial edge.
>> Tend to keep buying more of your favorite things even if you don’t have a specific need for them.
>> Feel intensely deprived, angry or upset if you have to put off buying something you really want.
>> Turn excessively to credit cards to buy wanted items.

Here are some suggested cures from Spendster:

>> DO prioritize: Often, we fall prey to retailer’s persuasive displays and instead of buying only what we need, we end up with a cart full of all kinds of other stuff. Before you head out to the store, make a list and keep to it.
>> DON’T remove the tags: They’re itchy and scratchy and poke you in weird places, but resist the urge to rip off the tags until you’re sure you are going to keep the item.
>> DO wait 30 minutes before making a purchase. Sometimes if you leave it, you might not want to go back to buy it.
>> DON’T make it easy: Take only the cash you need for the day. Leave your credit cards at home and freeze them if you must. Tell a friend about your situation and empower him or her to tell you “no” when you feel the urge to spend needlessly.
>> DO return it: If it’s a recent offense, dig out your receipt (tip: keep all receipts in a designated pocket of your purse or checkbook for easy recovery) and head straight back to the store. If you feel that you’re unable to return to the “scene of the crime” without either spending more or exchanging for a lower-priced item, ask a spouse or friend to run the errand for you.
>> DON’T pretend it never happened. Denial is a powerful tool, but admitting your spending mistakes allows you the insight to not repeat them. Visit a Web site like Spendster.org for some cathartic reflection. While you’re there, learn from other people that have posted their splurges.
>> DO look to prevent future binges. Plenty of nonprofit organizations have been established to help consumers get a better grip of their finances and budgeting.

Get more advice at www.SmartAboutMoney.org with a search for “compulsive shopping.”

By Nadine Kam

Leanimal photo
Leanimal Gezane dress, $480 at Etsy.com

If you have any stalker tendencies at all, the Web will bring it out by sheer ease of finding information on people online. I’m not really stalking, but have been a little obsessed with the designs of “Project Runway’s” Leanne Marshall, sadly haunting her Etsy shop in hope that she would add something new.

Because she’s been busy with the show, her shop’s gone empty, but now that Fashion Week has ended, I checked it out again and saw that she recently added a white Gezane dress, for $480. Rats, pretty soon she’ll probably be selling in the $600 to $800 Christian Siriano / 3.1 Philip Lim range.

I like all the details in her designs, though she sometimes has a tendency to go overboard, which has been a problem on the show. Self-editing will come over time, but when she’s on the results are amazing.

Leanimal designs sold before she became famous :

By Nadine Kam

Bravo
Rachel Zoe, left, and her assistants Brad and Taylor.

The latest must-see TV for the fashion set, especially anyone with stylist ambitions, is Bravo’s “The Rachel Zoe Project” that airs Tuesday nights.

I know, I know, she’s the stylist so many seem to hate and she’s an easy target with her high-profile Hollywood glam-boho style, and all the celeb dressing, in her own image. I just read where a New York Times reporter reviewing the show said Rachel is “a pox on humanity—exploiting an aesthetic of dissipation, invading our collective consciousness and spraying it with dummy dust.”

Them’s pretty strong words, but my feeling is that the woman deserves a lot of respect because styling is tough work. It’s extremely stressful to have the responsibility to both client and for her, A-list designers. There’s been a lot of political talk lately about putting lipstick on pigs, and the fashion equivalent is putting the wrong designs on the wrong bodies. Major designers are very careful about their image and few people are able to earn the trust of both clients and the designers, which makes me think there’s a lot of sour grapes in the criticism out there.

One legit piece of criticism is the sameness of the red carpet because of stylists’ fear of a misstep. But consider the celebrity client. They’re not out to challenge anyone with their fashion sense. Their only concern is looking pretty, and for the vast majority of the American audience, pretty and extravagant is as good as it gets.

Rachel Zoe inspects some of the water damage on Episode 2. Wonder how the designers reacted on seeing the episode.

What’s funny is her deadpan reaction to the most dire circumstances. On last night’s episode, her studio flooded and thousands of dollars worth of designer gowns were sitting with their hems in water and colors running. A lot of sh** happens in styling and you try to prevent it and cope as much as possible without freaking out, which gets you nowhere. (more…)

By Nadine Kam

Rebecca Taylor look for Spring 2009. Nice shoes.

New York Fashion Week starts tomorrow, so I am moaning at my desk, wondering why I decided not to go while beauty bloggers try to offer some consolation, telling me on Twitter, “Don’t worry, we’ll spare you the sore feet,” and “Hopefully, we’ll cover it so you’ll feel like you’re there.”

Well, yeah, now I remember the sore feet bit, and I guess that could be equated with childbirth, painful but the pain is forgotten by the time the next one comes around.

I am sure if I were there I would be moaning about the distance and the timing of the shows and why I am killing myself trying to get to as many shows and parties as possible, when, of course the answer is, “You only live once,” and it’s not every day you can share space with Diane Von Furstenberg, Damien Hirst and the Olsen twins.

Check out the schedule here.

I have the feeling that the Spring 2009 garments to be shown will be exceptionally pretty because, given the state of the economy, designers will have to work extra hard to entice people to buy.