roberta oaks spring/summer 2010

millie

my cousin's wedding invite just arrived in the mail which means it's time to start the official hunt for the perfect party dress for her summer i do's. preferably not too short, not too long, not too fussy for a morning ceremony yet not too casual for an evening reception, and - here's the kicker - sustainably made with a reasonable price tag.

sigh.

until then, i am content to browse the interweb and wistfully gaze at all the lovely frocks that do not quite fit my stringent list of requirements. one recent discovery are the new styles featured in oahu designer roberta oaks's spring/summer 2010 collection. the fabulously flirty millie is hard to resist with tiers of gorgeous ruffles rocking mini polka dots while the katherine maxi brings back bold florals in a modern mu'umu'u channeling little house on the prairie with a few artfully placed contrasting inserts.

katherine

birdie

also in the mix: updated colorways of customer favorites like the quaint and skipper along with a new jewelry line constructed of vintage car insignias upcycled into "grease monkey glam".

all of the featured looks are currently stocked in the online shop or click over to the website to locate your neighborhood stockist. and, oahu readers are invited to stop in and say hello when the doors are open at roberta's chinatown studio:

• where: 19 north pauahi street, chinatown
• shop hours: thu & fri, 11a to 6p

have you discovered a new favorite dress for summertime?

new peeks: meleana peapod

fans of meleana's gorgeous handbags will be delighted to know that the online shop has been freshly stocked with an updated selection of the peapod design. one look at the latest offerings and you must agree the happy peapod is the antidote to a long winter . . . especially for all the friends just shaking off cozy sweaters and celebrating the arrival of sunny season and the chance to wear all those pretty summer frocks waiting in the closet.

the bright tropical colorways and cheery florals are available in limited quantities in a mix of vintage and new fabric.

click over to the online shop to take a peek at the current inventory of patterns.

etsy scout: ccdoodle

today's etsy find has been hiding in my favorites for quite some time and a peek of the latest designs from ccdoodle were just too lovely not to share with the h|h 'ohana. the indie line first caught the attention of fans for its handmade screenprints based on honolulu designer christy chung's fancifully romantic and artfully abstract sketches applied on everyday basics.

simple silhouettes from alternative apparel and american apparel become lightly refashioned with sweet screenprinted kisses of flowers, birdies and butterflies, and assorted whimsy plus the occasional handsewn embellishment. the mostly o.o.a.k. looks (one-of-a-kind in etsyspeak) mingle with vintage flair by way of budget-friendly obi belts sewn from upcycled fabric discovered at local thrift shops. simply tie one on and, voilà!, a lovely way to whittle your waist and add a pop of prettiness to your outfit. 

rounding out ccdoodle's current collection are screenprinted onesies for little ones and dreamy pillowcases which add a hint of indie charm to tired bedding. and, all of ccdoodle's printed designs are made with water-based inks which is happy news if you prefer to avoid the sticky feel of traditional screenprints.

sweet dreams

am i the only one besotted with the juxtaposition of botanical prints layered on stripey backdrops in all its girly loveliness?

custom orders are always welcome and are typically ready within a week. brides-to-be stumped on that oft-repeated wedding day custom may want to consider ordering a vintage obi which would allow you to check off either something old or something blue.

oahu readers can find ccdoodle at split obsession and ai designs in kaimuki or simply click over to the etsy shop which is in the midst of a buy one, get one half off sale in the obi department:

• expires: sun, jun 27th
• fyi: convo christy prior to checkout to reserve sale obis and receive an revised invoice

and the winner is . . .

teena from pasadena who will be rocking heather brown's fabulous green with aloha tote all summer long.

many mahalos to all the readers who filled out my little survey! while i suspected that you all swooned for style and design, discovering that eco-friendly finds was third on your list of favorite features was a delightful surprise. let's hope our designer friends heed our call for more sustainable goods from hawaii!

if you simply must have one of heather's organic totes to call your own, you can scoop one up on heather's website as well as at mu'umu'u heaven's kailua outpost.

congratulations teena!

be back tomorrow with some fabulous big island design!

new peeks: fighting eel spring/summer 2010

zulu + ellie

goodness, somehow almost the first half of the year has slipped by without a fighting eel update so, while my oven is busy slow-roasting tomatoes, i gathered up a few of my favorite styles from the honolulu label's spring and summer collections.

the word from fe hq is that the summer palette was inspired by the gorgeous succulent garden tended to by co-designer rona bennett. summertime's shades are warm and sophisticated and taken from the kiss of color that adds a little depth to the pokey plant's bright green leaves. and, does anyone else agree that kcc's famous cactus garden appears to be the backdrop for summer's lookbook?

lately, patterns have been finding their way into my closet and fe's geometric bailey bone repeat for spring is making me quite happy. the pattern is sprinkled throughout the second spring lineup in an abundance of pretty silhouettes making it it tough to pick just one so click, peek, and pipe in with your favorite, s'il vous plaît!

jolie * dafne * jett

yoko + izzy

spring styles can be scooped up in the online shop and at your favorite neighborhood stockist while summer 2010 is expected to arrive in-store by early june.

and, of course, you know by now (but always worth repeating for new friends) to stop by fe's showroom for fabulous deals on past season looks:

• where: 47 north hotel street, chinatown
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 5p