MiShMaSh Shop Opens in Chinatown

There was a new hot spot at First Friday in downtown Honolulu last week. But there was nothing new about the items that drew shoppers inside.

MiSHMaSh Shop officially opened on Smith Street last Friday with a collection of vintage clothing, jewelry, bags, toys and home accessories that are anything but the same-old, same-old.

Owner Nicole Eliza Franco has loved thrifting her entire life; through her years at Temple University, while planning events for the music industry in New York, and after her spontaneous decision to move to Hawaii three years ago. Selling her finds was never in her plans. Then, in July 2010, Franco, along with fellow vintage aficionados Tiffany Tanaka and Aly Ishikuni came up with the idea for the now-popular monthly Art & Flea market at Fresh Café. It was there that MiSHMaSH Shop was born.

Much like Art & Flea, Franco’s brick-and-mortar store has been a labor of love. The key word here is labor. She and her boyfriend, Sean, did everything from painting the floor (she’s still not pleased with the result) to building shelves and thrifting for furniture. The result is a surprisingly spacious showroom for her treasures.

Franco is passionate about every era of classic clothes and is dedicated to matching her finds with new owners. She cleans every item, repairs what she can, and sorts the unique pieces into inviting and easy-to-navigate racks of dresses, tops, skirts, bowling shirts, and even swimwear.

That means even casual treasure hunters will stumble across unexpected delights. Above the cocktail dresses are classic rock records turned into clocks. Just below a display of Rubik’s cubes and a Barbie and the Rockers board game, you’ll find beaded bags and a pair of cowboy boots. Sparkling brooches and beaded fringe necklaces in a display case sit above a collection of 1920s and ’40s cameras and right below a stash of funky-shaped sunglasses. A copy of Frank Sinatra’s 1938 mugshot stares at you when you plow through piles of books and if you don’t look up, you may miss the ’60s skateboard just overhead.

That’s what makes shopping at MiSHMaSH fun. In fact after spending an hour chatting with Franco, I was just about to leave when both of us got sucked into sifting through a basket of Teen-Beat-era ’80s pins. Her choice: Corey Hart collectibles. Mine: Wham! with both George Michael and Andrew Ridgely. (Fortunately, she’s not the type to kitsch and tell.)

Everything is priced below $100. When each one-of-a-kind piece disappears, Franco has a lot more at home just waiting to be discovered. Fortunately for you, she’s made the hunt easy.

1164 Smith St.; Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m.; Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Weekends are by appointment only. E-mail mishmashshop@gmail.com.

 Read more about the new MiShMaSh Shop on LeiChic.com.

 

Posted on Sunday, August 7, 2011 in Permalink