florencia arias fall/holiday 2010

zoe * eva

surprise, surprise . . . a saturday post! my brief getaway combined with our tardy thanksgiving pushed my posting schedule a little more than anticipated, but i just couldn't let the week slip by without introducing you to honolulu designer florencia arias.

florencia's eye for bold prints first caught my attention earlier this year, and the recently debuted holiday 2010 collection continues to delightfully intermix striking patterns with solid modal jersey. the line's flirty style embraces formfitting silhouettes, mini hemlines and peekaboo backs along with bright pops of colors referencing the designer's argentina roots, southern california fashion studies, and adopted island home. 

chloe * olivia

fall 2010 loveliness

the label is happily made in hawaii with the price tag topping out under $100. working with smaller quantities of fabric makes sell out risk high as evidenced by the sparse selection of the fall 2010 lineup which is already sold out in quite a few styles.

if your sunday afternoon is free, florencia will be previewing her new designs during a holiday trunk show at drift tomorrow. enjoy 10% off holiday looks plus past season styles will be marked down 20-to-50% off.

• when: sun, nov 28th - 4p to 6p
• where: drift, 3434 waialae avenue, suite 4, kaimuki

unable to stop by and say hello? holiday 2010 should arrive in the online shop soon or pop by your neighborhood stockist to browse the collection.

new peeks: malia mills rtw 2010

mui ne

i have been feeling a bit besieged by the online web lately (hooray for path, the new anti-social network. be still my heart), yet, despite intermittent twitter checks, a malia mills sales tweet somehow found me through all the a.m. noise. the new ready-to-wear styles have been languishing on my virtual inspiration board so to make amends for my tardiness, a few of my favorite styles have been gathered up for your viewing pleasure!

asymmetrical hemlines, handy pockets, snaps and ties. further study is required to notice the small yet welcome details incorporated by the island raised, nyc-based designer who turns simple silhouettes into versatile frocks to slip over your swimsuit then styled as you please to explore the city.

who wants to see more?

my woman from tokyo

isabella

hello 40% off!

bianca . . . very bond girl!

getaway bag

with holiday travel upon us, don't you just want to stuff all your carry-on essentials into the generously sized getaway bag?

and, hooray for all the garments being made in the usa. (a detail always noted when saving something to my wishlist. if more peeps made purchases by recognizing american produced goods equals more jobs for fellow citizens perhaps our economy would be in less dire straits.)

oh yes, the sale. 40% off on a handful of past season ready-to-wear styles scattered between the dress and pants departments. email or call to place your order. offer ends sun, dec 5th.

malia's mini style empire can be found in nyc, the hamptons, and along the california coast. island readers are still out of luck but there's always the online shop and the promise of sizing assistance by the in-house fit specialist.

p.s. the official blog has become a favorite read if only for peeks of the company dress code. enjoy!

new peeks: roberta oaks holiday 2010

beth

i must apologize for my lack of posts lately but purging my nest and digital life have become my top distractions in hopes of starting with an emptier canvas in the new year. hopefully, now that it is written for all to see my grand plans will be a success!

you may have noticed a brief mention of roberta oaks' first ever holiday collection in last week's scoop, and i gathered up a glimpse for those who have yet to click over to the official website to preview. the glittery group of metallic knit minis promise to sparkle just a little brighter beneath christmas twinkle lights. not to mention the pretty new frocks look quite cute paired with tights.

peek the cap sleeved claire (my favorite) and the holiday edition of the always lovely quaint after the jump!

claire

quaint

construction details like a soft lining of bamboo and organic cotton will be very welcome news if you have ever suffered through an uncomfortably scratchy encounter with an unlined metallic garment.

there are five silhouettes offered in a shimmering palette of copper, gold and silver joined by cheery red and green, the always sophisticated black, and a bright pop of cobalt. (note: colors vary depending on style.)

you can peek the holiday collection (average price tag: $160) in the online shop or visit roberta's studio for a little help to find the perfect holiday cocktail dress.

• where: 19 north pauahi street, chinatown
• shop hours: thu & fri, 11a to 6p (open 'til 9p on first friday)

p.s. roberta will be joining project runway finalist andy south on the judging panel for the bella project's rule the runway fundraiser on nov 16th.

introducing vakker blomst

considering my styling skills are woeful at best, the throwback hair pieces created by vakker blomst are wooing me with the possibility of adorning my strands with an old world, romantic reminder of the age of innocence. curious about the origins of hair fascinators, a quick google revealed that they began as an alternative to the fancy and pricey offerings of milliners with variations of feathered ornamentation decorating the hair of ladies through the centuries from royal courtesans to flirty flappers before falling out of favor with the arrival of the beat generation.

lucky for the modern island coquette, april, the maui stylist who launched vakker blomst on a whim, began making tropical confections for herself and friends after finding herself underwhelmed by the selection of available accoutrements. before long strangers were approaching her in hopes of purchasing the plumage straight off her head. with ladylike fashion making a comeback of late, the addition of a few strategically placed feathers, seashells, and petals seem like the most delightful way to dress up an artfully askew, thoughtfully mussed side 'do.

or perhaps it's the influence of the one new show deemed worthy enough to be added to my watch list this fall.

each design is handmade from pieces to pin in your hair to extravagant feathered headbands to slip on when you find yourself in a style pinch. pieces are priced from $20-$50 for ready-to-wear looks while custom styles embellished with fancy jewels can go up to $350.

the latest offerings can be found in the online shop while maui readers can find vakker blomst stocked at karina in lahaina and sophia grace at the grand wailea (and opening soon in paia).

p.s. click over to vb's facebook to see fascinators styled on devoted fans.

{via sophia grace maui}

project runway recap: the finale, part 2

andy south spring/summer 2011

now that everyone has had a few days to process the unexpected upset of the project runway finale and heaps of candy to medicate any regrets, let's review local designer andy south's spring/summer 2011 collection and send happy congratulations his way on being hawaii's very first PR-finalist to show at new york fashion week!

on the small chance that the show is still lingering on your dvr, i'll resist sharing the big reveal until after the jump where you can peek the finale runway looks, show links, and the dreaded spoiler.

hooray andy!

after presenting a gorgeous mix of provocative styles episode after episode, andy opted for a refined, ladylike look much to the consternation of the judges. and, while only a few pieces matched my personal aesthetic, the collection as a whole looked quite polished and wearable for a certain style set.

despite the judges concerns over the surprising lack of warrior chic in his collection (which resulted in an immediate dismissal to the ranks of the previously auf'd), can we all agree that the fashion gods will continue to smile down upon andy? i predict his much adored, edgy frocks will be happily rocked by the beautiful people around town while his elegant separates are style perfection for asian sophisticates from hawaii to hong kong.

with the interweb's collective shudder at gretchen's win, it seems quite telling that the tally from the seenon sale (now over if you missed the mention in friday's scoop) broke down to mondo's offerings selling out, andy scoring sold out banners on half his looks, and the winning collection selling the fewest styles.

{insert innocent whistle here}

before we bid aloha to S8, enjoy the final behind-the-scenes peeks from the show.

andy: make it work! | judgement day | video diary | designers dish | S8 highlight reel

and, for my fellow team mondo fans - were you also baffled by nina & michael's rationalization in favor of gretchen's all knowing crystal ball o' fashion?

p.s. mahalo nui to all the readers who stopped by to chat during the season! it was great fun for me, and hopefully i will learn the magic trick of wooing more of you (and you and you!) to shake off your anonymous reading habit and click over to comment and meet new friends.

{photo credit: barbara nitke, lifetime television}