I never thought I’d be so happy that fall’s here, but it’s been a brutal summer. This past weekend Macy’s held a Fashion’s Front Row runway show unveiling hot fall trends, from hats to heels. A couple of my must-haves:…
A handful of Hawaii fashion bloggers and industry peeps were invited to Furla in Waikiki to identify handbags we thought would be the IT-bags for Fall 2015. Truth be told, handbags are as much about style, as about function, and…
Polo players Nic Roldan of Team Mercedes and Juan Bollini of Team Porsche arrived in helicopters in the middle of the Honolulu Polo Club field in Waimanalo, setting the stage for Saturday’s luxe event. The highly anticipated polo match presented by…
Extreme humidity and heavy morning rain didn’t stop thousands from attending the “Hawaii Five-O” season six premiere at Sunset on the Beach on Saturday. As emcee Billy V. told the crowd, “It seems to be raining everywhere on the island,…
Photographer: Ross D. Hamamura – RDHphoto.net HONOLULU Fashion Week returns this fall as a three-day event, from Nov. 20-22, that highlights international and local designers with runway shows, VIP events, pop-up boutiques, exclusive merchandise and more. Super exciting… Fern Mallis…
Reyn Spooner unveiled its Hawaii Food & Wine Festival collection Wednesday night at its Ala Moana Center store. Original prints from two Hawaii Island artists, Dietrich Varez and Eddy Y, were used to create men’s and women’s tees in a design…
Keala Patterson, Miss North Shore 2015 Royal Hawaiian Center presented its RSTYLE Enchanted Garden Party and fashion show Thursday night, showcasing this season’s hottest fashions. Apparel, jewelry and accessories were selected from a number of popular boutiques: Anteprima Wirebag, Allure Swimwear, Aloha Aina…
With fall just around the corner, I got an up-close look at some of Neiman Marcus’ hottest fall trends from Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni and Eileen Fisher. A trunk show and a runway show last Saturday previewed looks for when…
Major humidity and light showers didn’t stop the fun factor at August’s First Friday. The 7-foot-tall (in platform boots) Sister-Mister from Scarlet Honolulu, (the new LGBT hotspot formerly occupied by Soho Mixed Media Bar) was out and about spreading cheer…
Friday night’s Lux at the Trump White Casino Royale party celebrated the 50th birthday of event host extraordinaire Paul Klink. Attendees dressed in their hottest white ensembles and had a chance to beat the heat on the open deck overlooking…
Goodwill Hawaii has produced a mega runway show for the past four years, and Thursday’s Goodwill Goes Glam fashion show at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall was the biggest one to date. The Royal Fashion Show, produced by Kini Zamora and styled…
In the first few minutes of the “The Gallows” I thought, “Oh no, not another movie filmed entirely on a hand-held camera.” But as the story unfolded, I got hooked. Blumhouse Productions brought “old school” back with this flick, just…
My grandfather, who lived off of School and Kino streets, was a regular at Kenny’s Restaurant. Even after he was unable to drive, he’d walk to St. Theresa church three times a week, and on the way back home, he’d…
At Saturday’s inaugural Hidesigncommune marketplace at Kaka‘ako Agora, emerging and established Hawaii designers showcased their collections on hanging racks, industrial displays and in the fashion showcase. Event director Reise Kochi styled the fashion show and brought his edgy flavor and keen…
On Saturday evening, designers will converge at Kakaako Agora for an innovative design and retail event, Hidesigncommune. At this inaugural event, 19 new and established Hawaii designers will feature their collections in a fashion and product show. The event is free, takes…
Manscaping. Merriam-Webster defines it as “the trimming or shaving of a man’s body hair so as to enhance his appearance.” It’s also a hot trend these days for everyone from male models to the everyday Joe. Back in the day,…
Diner en Blanc, an elegant pop-up picnic that takes places in cities across the globe, unfolded Saturday evening at this year’s secret location – Ko Olina. Launched in Paris a quarter of a century ago, Diner en Blanc requires all…
To truly understand the Hawaiian language, you must know what “kaona” is; the hidden and deeper meaning of a word or phrase. To fully appreciate Manaola fashions, understand that behind every creation, lies a story. Hula practitioner and designer Carrington…
Barrio Vintage puts on one fashion showcase a year, and it’s usually epic. There’s already buzz about this year’s Psycho-Tropic theme chosen by partners Bradley Rhea and Jonathan Saupe: 1960s and ’70s tropical psychedelia from a time of sensory freedom…
Hailing from laid-back Kailua has shaped Laura Darrah’s sense of style. She’s a Punahou graduate with an MBA, a self-taught handbag designer with business savvy. She + Lo, the line of casual-chic, often convertible handbags she co-founded, has been picked…
Photo by Tina Mahina. Driven, inspired and confident: three words that describe Jeanne Kapela. The 20-year-old was crowned Miss Hawaii 2015 Saturday at the Hawaii Convention Center, after winning the swimsuit and talent competitions with a lyrical dance performance. Paul…
Growing up, air travel was such a fashionable experience. I remember my mom getting me all dressed up, even if it were just for inter-island travel. I also remember the glamorous flight attendants who were always perfectly coiffed and super…
“The moon shines all around her when she sleeps the clouds stand beside her when she weeps… a thousand miles away still I would recall the beauty of Mauna Kea.” Robert Cazimero set the tone of this year’s MAMo Wearable Art Show with his…
The 2012 a cappella surprise hit, “Pitch Perfect,” was true to its title, literally pitch perfect. So needless to say, I knew going into the sequel that it would be hard to live up to the first flick, but the…
Photo by Shot55 Photography. Five years ago, the words ‘Goodwill’ and ‘glam’ would rarely be uttered in the same sentence. Over the past three or four years, that all changed. It’s pretty much expected now that Goodwill Industries of Hawaii…
Every bride wants to feel special on her big day, wearing a dress that expresses who she is on the outside and inside. Kini Zamora’s new Romance Collection aims to do just that. He teamed up with local bridal salon WhiteHOT…
UH Manoa’s Fashion Design and Merchandising Program celebrated its 49th year with an impressive senior fashion show at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Prince Kuhio Hotel on Sunday. It began with the theme Axis — the intersection of lines creating a…
From left: Mixed media artist Julia Sorensen; urban street artist Beethoven; 808 Urban founder John “Prime” Hina; fine art photographer Andrew McHowell; and urban street artist Jesse. “In this world of constant texting and having our faces frozen to digital…
The Honolulu Community College’s Fashion Technology Program presented its annual fashion show on Saturday, this one called, Juxtapose – Central Park After Dark. Each of the 10 senior designer collections were inspired by the Big Apple, from the Street Bangerz…
“Little Boy” takes place following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in the fictional, coastal California town of O’Hare. Eight-year-old Pepper Flint Busbee (Jakob Salvti), who is extremely small for his age, is constantly bullied. He takes comfort in his only…
The ’70s revival is upon us, with throwbacks in fashion, music and culture all the rage. So when I heard about a local ’70s band making a comeback, I was intrigued. R&B, blues, funk, original brass bands, jazz, mainstream pop,…
Peter Kendall Clark and Buffy Baggott as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. Photos by Thee Photo Ninja. The 2014-2015 Hawaii Opera Theatre season ends strong with the dark and twisty tale of “Sweeney Todd.” This Stephen Sondheim classic draws you in…
Sassy meets sweet is what you’ll find on the runway at Saturday’s Honolulu Night Market. It makes total sense that Angela Matsuo, owner and designer of Love at Dawn and Lynn Dagan, designer-in-chief at Chief Hawaii, will join forces to showcase…
It really feels like summer is already here, which is a great excuse to get your wardrobe ready. So what hot trends are coming our way? I got together with wardrobe stylists Kyle Kagamida, Kim Smith and Therese Wahl and…
Last Friday, wine lovers converged for Downtown Uncorked: in Full Bloom at Cafe Julia. Tickets were reasonably priced — $30 — for wine tasting, sake, live music, culinary treats and an opportunity to bid on seasonal wines. There were easily more…
Mu’umu’u Heaven, a popular eco-chic boutique that closed its doors in Kailua, has opened in Waikiki as a pop-up until the end of June. The new space at T-Galleria is larger than a typical pop-up; it’s more of an exploratory…
Photo by Eli Schmidt. Lynne O’Neill, one of the most sought after runway producers and directors is back in Hawaii to help plan the second HONOLULU Fashion Week. As part of The Study Hall monthly series, O’Neill will touch on…
Jake Mizuno shows me tees from Plate Lunch, a local brand based on Maui. Some people are born with that adventurer gene, you know the type – can’t sit still for long, and they light up when they talk about…
Mega crowds gathered recently to watch Ala Moana Center’s Shop a Lea runway shows featuring spring fashions. Designer, wardrobe stylist and director Amos Kotomori produced almost a dozen of them, his models showing off Kotomori’s signature touch of a single…
Luxe fashion previews, signature drinks and delish bites from Hawaii’s top restaurants were all part of the invite-only Passport to Luxury event, held Friday evening at Ala Moana Center. More than 1,000 VIP guests received “passports” that could be stamped at…
The modern opera “Siren Song” is now playing in Our Kaka‘ako in a new performance space created inside a warehouse at 445 Cooke St. The opera opened Friday and runs through March 29, for five more shows. Described as a…
Model Citizen features inspirational individuals in fashion, art and entertainment who utilize their talents for the good of the community. Kini Zamora, fan favorite and finalist on Lifetime’s “Project Runway” season 13, has been paying it forward since returning from…
Sips, sweets and shopping – that’s what you can expect tomorrow night at Kahala Mall. Starting at 5 p.m. Stop by and get your free personal key and passport to get started. I suggest you get there early; there’s a…
Painter and sculptor Kahi Ching admires Yi Lin Hu’s work. Photo by Harry Yu. There’s so much more to fashion photography than flowing dresses and gorgeous models. Astute fashion photographers are familiar with design, textiles and different fabrics – to…
Fashion Week is over, at least in New York, but the show goes on for five Hawaii transplants. All have made a name for themselves in one of the biggest, most competitive fashion markets in the world. What else do…
Vivienne Tam and Miss China 2014, Karen Hu, backstage before the show.Flying back to Honolulu was bittersweet for me. I was sad that the NYC Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was over, but grateful for the experience – especially the one that I…
On day four of my trip to New York Fashion Week I hit the runway shows for Son Jung Wan and Hervé Léger by Max Azria. The weather outside Lincoln Center was about 10 degrees, so Son Jung Wan’s 2015…
This week’s Trend Report fashion show at Neiman Marcus featured 2015 spring collections, showcasing the trends of new bohemian, spice market, mix don’t match and white on white. I’ve attended Neiman Marcus runway shows for many seasons and it always serves as a fashion…
“You are fashion rock stars, you are beautiful just the way you are!” Belted out by Mark Tango and Estel Day, the fashion and music duo of Mark and Estel, these words closed out their runway show. Performance has been…
Fashion blogger Amanda Stevens is at the 2015 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York for a look at some new collections being unveiled on its runways. She’ll share the latest looks and catch up with designers backstage. Check back for more from Fashion…
