By Nadine Kam

Sample entries at www.jimmychoo72.com.

Hey shoe lovers, put your head to work and you may win seven pairs of shoes and two handbags from Jimmy Choo.

The shoe company has partnered its Project PEP with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to support funding of the Simelela Rape Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, which provides victims of abuse with the HIV preventative PEP
medication (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) as well as other medical, counseling and legal support.

Proceeds raised by sales of a Jimmy Choo Project PEP capsule collection with punk rock print will enable the clinic to stay open day and night providing 24/7 access to treatment.

Sample entry by Tigzy.

To build awareness for the project, the public is being invited to submit photographs reflecting the PEP campaign slogan, “You, Your Shoes and 72.” The number reflects the time frame for administering the life-saving treatment, which must take place withing 72 hours of exposure to HIV.

Visit www.jimmychoo72.com to see more entries and enter. The deadline is Dec. 7, 2009.

Here’s a look at one possible grand prize, for encouragement. The overall winner will be given the ultimate Jimmy Choo VIP experience that includes a visit to the VIP Room at Jimmy Choo Headquarters to select seven pairs of shoes and two handbags of your choice. (Note that choices may be restricted due to availability and this offer does not include exotic skins or jeweled items.)

There will be 11 other place winners, with the second place winner receiving the medium sized Project PEP capsule collection Stevie bag below, valued at $795. One hundred runners up will receive a Project PEP Eco bag.

By Nadine Kam

Sommer Meyer’s Closet Fetish boxes are the pick of the day on stylist Rachel Zoe’s daily Zoe Report. That’s got to be great news for the local entrepreneur.

As the story goes on the Shoe Fetish Web site, Meyer came up with the stylish red boxes after amassing 250 pairs of shoes. Having odd-sized boxes can be messy looking, so just by coming up with a uniform design and a slot for placing a photo of the shoe for easy retrieval, she made every shoe diva’s life more pleasant with a closet organization system that makes a stack of boxes easy on the eye!

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
A model and photographer from the Open Air 8X10 Fashion Show bring pedestrians into the fashion picture.

I received an email from the Extremely Hungary organization that jogged another N.Y. memory. The pro-Hungarian group hosted a fashion/art project on 6th Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd streets, bringing the fashion shoot to the street by photographing passersby with models dressed in creations by Hungarian designers in an event called the “Open Air 8X10 Fashion Show.” You can see some of the resulting images by visiting their Flickr stream.

Open Air photos

I’m afraid I got caught up in the moment and was one of those who posed for them, but had the sense of mind not to sign the release form that would have allowed the photo to be unleashed who knows where around the world. I did give them my email address to receive the photo, but didn’t think they’d be organized enough to figure out which email went with which photo.

It was a fun idea that brought a lot of people not normally interested in fashion into the picture.

Nadine Kam photos
Polaroid images of some of those who stopped to pose on the street.

Here’s a DIY idea for updating your old shoes. One of the models was wearing a pair of black slingback wedges dressed up with various pieces of colored leather and fabric.

By Nadine Kam

Associated Press photos

Shoes have risen to extraordinary heights in every way — size, design, price —over the past few seasons, but these pointe-shoe styles shown by Alexander McQueen during his Paris show earlier today are downright scary. It makes every painful stiletto up to this point seem wearable.

Would you wear it?

On the Alexander McQueen runway.

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.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Outside the Bryant Park tents after the Gottex show, Sept. 14.

In New York, fashion isn’t limited to the runways.

Outside the Koi Suwannagate show:

Inside the Catherine Malandrino show at Chelsea Art Museum:

Japanese media outside the Malandrino’s show:

The tamer side of Patrick McDonald:

At Max Azria, Sept. 15:

The uniform of New York fashion week: Very short skirt or shorts, very high strappy bondage heels and motorcycle or boyfriend jacket. Below, front-row footwear at the Jill Stuart show, Sept. 14:

At the Malandrino show:

Jason Wu’s models in their own clothes before the show:

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By Nadine Kam

You may not be able to slip your toes into $2 million heels, but you can imagine it a little better when ogling a pair of $2 million tanzanite-and-diamond evening sandals on view at The Wedding Ring Shop from May 3 to 5.

More than 185 carats of tanzanites and 28 carats of diamonds went into the sandal, which made its debut at the New York Public Library in January 2007 as the winner in the “Fashion Accessories” category of the Tanzanite Foundation’s “Celebration of Life Jewelry Design Awards” for 2006. Take a look at other winning designs here.

The design is a partnership between award-winning fine jewelry designer Eddie LeVian and Stuart Weitzman, shoe designer and founder of Stuart Weitzman, Inc.
The Wedding Ring shop is at 1181 Kapiolani Boulevard. Call 945-7766.

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If you’re looking for something to do right now, check out the Rock Shop @ The Loft, 115 N. Hotel. The First Friday event continues to 8 p.m., offering wares by Anné, Meesha, Shop Blaine Ashley, Sola B, Dork and Cloth.

Also this weekend, just about every store will be offering sales in anticipation of Mother’s Day. May 10 is the big day so better get busy.

Celine: Drop by the Ala Moana boutique at 2 p.m. May 2 for a peek at its new soft, summer Pillow bag.

Cottage by the Sea: Hosts a summer trunk show featuring Velvet clothing (15 to 50 percent off) and Gabbybella jewelry (15 percent off), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 2 and 3. Also, enter to win a $200 shopping spree all weekend long, with no purchase necessary. The boutique is at Ward Warehouse. Call 591-9811.

The Place: Hosts a Mother’s Day trunk show of handmade jewelry by Ann Sandhu, and handpainted silks by Keiki Fujita, as well as 15 percent off the shop’s entire stock from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 2. Place, A Design Atelier by Philpotts, is at 40 S. School St. Call 275-3075.

Shasa Emporium: In Thursday’s print ed. I mentioned the Jewelry by Cari Mother’s Day trunk show going on from noon to 4 p.m. May 2, with 20 percent off the designer’s sterling silver and 14K gold jewelry. But while you’re there, you can also check out new arrivals, including ki-ele jewelry by Marylea Conrad. You’ll get a free shell ring with every $30 purchase while supplies last. Also, buy $50 of Moopiland stuff through May 3 and you’ll get a free mousepad. The boutique is at Kahala Mall. Call 735-5122.

Split Obsession: Buy two T-shirts and get one free from 10 to 7 p.m. May 2, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 3. The offer is valid for men’s, women’s and children’s tees. The free T-shirt must be of equal or lesser value than purchased shirts, and all sales are final. (Promotion excludes some brands, including Moopiland, Super Good and Martin Hsu.) The shop is in the Koko Marina Shopping Center.

Macy’s Ala Moana: Remind mom to Fi(GH)t for the Cure with a complimentary fitting in a Wacoal or b.tempt’d bra. For every woman who participates, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research and community health programs. Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal bra, shapewear piece or b.tempt’d bra purchased between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. May 2.

And don’t forget to check out these new limited-edition tees by Anna Sui and Koi Suwannagate. Sales of the $60 shirts will benefit OCA’s scholarship programs serving Asian Pacific Americans. The collaboration was done in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Kawaii Kon’s Lolita fashion show is over, but you can catch two more days of Lolita style, anime dressup and cosplay this weekend at Hawai’i Convention Center.

I’ll be posting more from Kawaii Kon later, but just wanted to let any Lolitas out there know that some of the designs featured in today’s Lolita Fashion Show will be offered for purchase tomorrow during the event at Hawai’i Convention Center. Who could resist a yummy cupcake purse or cake hat like the one in the photo? Lauren Lee will also be there taking orders for her custom dresses.

You can also check out Lolita accessories at “Ever After Creations,” table 45 near the photo booth at Artist’s Alley.

You can find more information about the event at www.kawaii-kon.org

Also going on:

Alliway’s Spring 2009 Nest collection is being offered at 25 percent off through Saturday. Everything else in the store is 15 percent off. The boutique is at Ward Warehouse. Call 589-1141.

Enjoy discounts Easter Sunday at Valerie Joseph, Ala Moana Center.

Stuart Weitzman fans have the opportunity to preview the Fall 2009 shoe and handbag collections and place orders for the styles. Check it out from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Ala Moana Center boutique. Call 941-4371 for more information.

By Nadine Kam

Doh! I missed a Saturday email, so sorry if I’m letting you size 6 shoe fiends down, but the Stuart Weitzman Ala Moana boutique has a current season sample sale going on, starting today, of sizes 6 M only for $109.

For those who can’t afford to pay $400 or more, there are about 250 pairs of evening, fashion, everyday shoes and sandals available, and about 100 pairs of boots.

Shoes are THE accessory for spring 2009.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
The storefront minutes after the Miu Miu name was added at far right.

Miu Miu opened its doors at Ala Moana Center this morning and I had to make the tough decision of rolling out of bed at 7 a.m. for the 8:30 a..m. blessing, or stay home and convalesce. I don’t know, maybe standing in the rain last week at the Royal was too much for me, combined with the stress of appearing in two traffic courts at the same time Monday. (Totally dismissed, of course!) I was moving at that typical local uncle’s glacial pace by Wednesday, and stayed home completely on Thursday.

I was awake anyway, before the alarm went off, and was debating the merits of going out in the rain again, or staying in bed, and bed was winning. I could always go later in the day, because the store will be there, but then I started thinking about parking and how nightmarish it would be any time after 9 a.m.

I wanted to snag a space in the sweet spot just beyond the new addition, behind and between Nordstrom and J. Crew-on-the-Island, which makes it easy to traverse the mall in any direction.

One of Miu Miu’s mosaic design dresses.

By the time I got there at 9 a.m., I found I could have stayed in bed because the kahu was late and wouldn’t be there until 10:30 a.m. Prada area manager Joseph Incao took charge and welcomed employees and first customers into the store. The blessing would have to wait.

It’s funny to me how these stores remind me of the process of sending newspapers to print at the last second, in that I’ve seen so many instances in which they’re always fitting the last tiles just before the guests arrive. With luck, you don’t see the menehune behind the magic, but this time the menehune were in plain view: Roberto Stefanini, Franco La Rosa, Rudi Malisani and Simone Gazzetti, who had come from Italy a month-and-a-half ago to work on the boutique. They were putting up one the finishing touches, the Miu Miu name on the storefront.

Prada area manager Joseph Incao, right, welcomes staffers to their new home.

One of the first shoppers inside the store was a woman headed to the airport, left, who couldn’t leave town without something from Miu Miu. She entered with large black suitcase in tow. (more…)