under a gypsy spell

the kiss

with the first day of february and its flutter of romance upon us, it seems only appropriate to share the winter collection of dreamy underpinnings made by gypsy. i've been passing notes back and forth with kate ruggiero, the girl behind the line, since before the holidays and am delighted to finally introduce the locally made lovelies.

the first hints of gypsy began when kate, who followed her heart to hawaii a few years ago, was gifted a sewing machine for her birthday. after reconstructing her own unmentionables in hopes of a flirtier fit, friends soon began making requests for their own pairs of handmade bottoms.

while the cheeky silhouette remains the same since its official debut last summer, kate spends her off-time scouting out vintage and contemporary fabrics and introduces a fresh palette of delicates each season. for winter's wild heart offering, muted tie-dye and peekaboo lace mix with bright, playful patterns.

arms around you

breathless

daydream * among the wildflowers * misty roses

every offering is limited so just remember there will be no repeats since a fabric is retired once it has sold out. kate also shared that a bandeau bra will arrive later this month with 2011 also conjuring up the line's first dip into swimwear.

the current collection of underpinnings are priced from $24 to $38. find gypsy in the online shop or enjoy a peek at island stockists guava shop in haleiwa, olive in kailua, shasa emporium at kahala mall, and pink by nature in makawao.

{photo credit: daeja fallas}

go fish

spied this lovely fish tote on fighting eel's facebook. love the bright pops of cheery yellow and happy design!

$42 in-store.

sketch artists

tools of the trade * ocean of peace

the arrival of my winter cold meant very little shopping was done on my trip home last month. after a leisurely lunch with friends at uncle's fish market, i mustered up just enough energy for a quick stroll around chinatown and popped by super citizen to peek the shop's eco-friendly goods.

my plan was to nudge the mister over to the super soft organic tees by vers, but, happily, he was immediately drawn to the very cool screenprinted designs all on his own. the newly released tools of the trade tee with its collage of surf necessities was quickly snapped up while the ocean of peace tee was the perfect gift for our dear friends' two-year-old cutie who delighted us with his sweet declarations of "aloha" and "malasada!" during his first trip to hawaii.

lady logger * pen belt

malolo & love tree

the hand drawn designs are from the sketchpad of local artists roxanne chasle and matthew ortiz who produce each organic offering in small editions. the pair founded vers with the intention of crafting wearable art made for everyday, and their detailed depictions of waves and nature (along with the occasional irreverent design) will be a happy find if you also happen to be on the lookout for sustainable style.

prices range from $20 for toddler togs to $35 for grownup tees. although the online shop is not taking orders just yet, you can browse the gallery of designs for your wishlist then shop locally at super citizen in chinatown, drift in kaimuki, and aloha 'aina in waikiki.

take a peek and share your favorite vers!

kealopiko x hinu holiday

your favorite kama'aina elf has been busy curating her virtual stacks for the island style gifting guides that will be launching later today, but this lovely new collaboration by kealopiko and hinu jewelry deserves its own separate shoutout.

two of my favorite designers decided to whip up a pupu hinuhinu gift set inspired by the shells found on hawaii's shores. the pupu ala organic scoop tee screenprinted by kealopiko coordinates perfectly with hinu's sterling silver leho necklace. definitely a wishlist keeper if only to help out those clueless sweeties who lack the gifting gene.

the limited edition set is priced at $100 with tees available in sizes small to xxl. enter the code below at checkout and save 10% off your order!

• secret code: hawaii nei

new peeks: umee resort 2010

ruffled wrap * tailored sarong

chances are you have caught a glimpse of umee's recently launched resort collection lingering amongst my wonderful advertisers wooing you in the sidebar. or, perhaps you happened across the classic hawaiian shirtdress when it debuted earlier this year which was the first hint that designer deena white tearney was planning to branch out from the label's bridal beginnings (remember the little black mu'umu'u featured last year?).

island lovelies yearning for effortless everyday style will be pleased while browsing through the new lineup which is filled with sophisticated separates and charming dresses designed to go anywhere. with an eye on keeping it pretty but practical, deena seems determined to offer kama'aina the chance to dress up like the ladies from her home state of texas but with a minimum of fuss.

hints of island life have been translated into contemporary polynesian prints, tailoring traditional pacific silhouettes, and offering natural fabrications like cotton and silk to keep you cool when the humidity attempts to oppress your style.

classic hawaiian shirtdress

island dress

polynesian shorts

happily, deena is also dedicated to producing all of umee's apparel in hawaii. hooray for keeping it local!

the price tags ranges from $39 to $160 but hele over to the online shop today to knock 25% off sitewide in honor of cyber monday (plus enjoy complimentary shipping on u.s. orders!). you can also find umee styles stocked at the kahala resort and the bridal boutique.

p.s. other one day sales include 25% off catherine weitzman jewelry (secret code: share) and 24% off at maui thing (secret code: monday; expires 12a hst).