fighting eel summer 2008

puka

a quick peek of fighting eel's summer 08 collection is sure to perk up those monday blues. fe continues to reinterpret island style with updates on the flirty designs that have become a staple in closets from hawaii to hollywood. i am loving fe's more modern approach to tropical which takes aloha friday to a whole new level of sophisticatio, and a sweet nod to the lushness of the designers' hometown paradise can be found in the rainbow of colors saturating the collection.

corsica

anouck

sienna

and, a simple twist in foolproof jersey is perfect for the beach bound island bride who prefers to say i do in a pretty silhouette versatile enough to be worn after the wedding day.

p.s. the fe atelier is now open to the public on thursdays so when in chinatown stop in and browse past collections which have been marked down 30 to 80% off.

• when: every thu & fri - 10a to 5p
• where: 47 north hotel street
• fyi: cash & credit cards only

kealopiko spring 2008

pua aloalo + wiliwili

the kealopiko 'ohana recently stocked their latest releases in the online shop. i always love reading the descriptions behind kealopiko's designs which are little lessons in botany and hawaiian history . . . artful shorthand for sharing knowledge of the islands' original inhabitants (peeps, plants & animals) one tee at a time.

parents take note: kealopiko's keiki collection has finally arrived and is filled with sweet dresses, playtime tees and adorable onesies rocking many of the same hawaiiana designs that grownup fans have come to love.

opihi dress + pinau tee

moi + hihimanu onesies

in addition to the online shop, you can scoop up kealopiko goods at the bishop museum gift shop and soleil. they will also be at the merrie monarch festival this weekend (details to come) and will be setting up shop in the eco village during next month's kokua festival.

click rewind to learn more.

shop notes

it seems while my fella and i jockeyed for computer time during the wga strike that wst4u (sister company to queens candy shop) launched an online version of their ebay store to bring discounted designs from the likes of alice + olivia, l.a.m.b., marc jacobs & rebecca taylor to the people 24/7.

everything is brand new and priced to sell (a quick price check turned up earl jeans for $33), but you have to act fast since sizes and styles are limited.

in other news, liana from the mixed plate blog recovered from her move to the bay area and has recently re-opened her online keiki boutique punk-n-pie. my friends and i were obsessed with the outsiders growing up so it's nice to see ponyboy and his buddies get a little love via the freshly stocked greaser jeans. stay gold!

obama 'ohana

while the campaign goes on and on (and on), more good stuff from the land of obama.

1 - butigroove recently released what has to be the best tee bar none for hawaii supporters. snap up one and join the obama 'ohana (w's shown above; m's tee can be found here). a portion of sales goes to the obama campaign.

2 - you may have heard how the first run of shepard fairey's super limited edition obama poster sold out like that and then skyrocketed in price. now you can get your hands on his latest incarnation made for the artists for obama series (and at a much more reasonable $70). it's limited to 5000 prints and 100% is earmarked for the campaign.

sticker versions of shepard's hope design can be had over at sticker robot.

3 - the economy may be tanking but a small spot of hope can be yours each time you break out the obama holliday wallet. (20% of sales are donated to the obama campaign)

and, if you loved the i want to barack your world valentine card featured in the super tuesday spectacular, get ready to do the happy dance since it is now available in a year round design.

p.s. only caught snippets and the cable news spin on obama's more perfect union speech? watch it uncut online and judge for yourself.

return to diamond head road

the humble pareau has been tagged for a glamorous makeover by big island designer stacy porteus. in an effort to revive the turn of the century glamour favored by the cosmopolitan guests of waikiki's grand resorts, stacy founded diamond head road offering up old world meets new world luxurious silk wraps that can go from beach to bistro with a few simple twists.

each wrap is handmade in bali where artisans apply the ancient batik process (a labor intensive wax resist technique) to create the intricate patterns on pure silk textiles. the result is a subdued take on the beachy cover-up complete with a handy how to guide revealing all the tricks you need to transform the wrap from a simple scarf to a sophisticated sarong.

the one size fits all wrap comes in a set (coordinating clutch, silk fan, and a coconut buckle) with a luxe price tag to match, however the silk wraps are washable and with proper care should last many seasons after their swap meet substitutes have been relegated to the rag pile.

shop online or take a peek at the stockist list which includes the ala moana nordstrom & halekulani.