weekly sales sheet

 berrysprite cupcake + tangerine

to celebrate her birthday, holly of berrysprite is having a week long sale and has sweetly offered all h|h readers the 20% kama'aina discount on her adorable handmade creations. simply enter the secret code in the message box at checkout and wait for the revised invoice.

• secret code: yay hawaii
• when: now to fri, jul 18th

kicks/hi is having a sale just for the ladies this weekend. score 20 to 75% off all women's clothing & shoes (excluding the in-house line of w's tees).

• when: now to sun, jul 13th
• where: kicks/hi - ward + makaloa

also this weekend, shasa emporium kicks off their semi-annual clearance sale with up to 80% off style staples like ella moss, la made & susana monaco. stop by saturday for the kisa kosmos trunk show which will be in-store with a preview of their fall 08 collection (free gift with purchase).

• when: now to sun, jul 13th
• where: shasa emporium, kahala mall
• trunk show: sat, jul 12th - 12p to 5p

p.s. bluefly has a small stock of malia mills bikinis and coverups marked down 40%.

sig zane summer 2008

2008 has been declared the international year of the reef and one way you can do your part to help save hawaii's coral reefs is to scoop up sig zane's limited edition kai palaoa design. the ancient hawaiian art form of 'ohe kapala (traditional bamboo stamps used to create tapa) inspired the bold pattern which celebrates both the creation of the reefs and the way of life the reefs sustain for all the creatures who call the ocean home (or consider the waves their home away from home).

a portion of sales from the collection will be donated to support the educational programs of the national oceanic & atmospheric association's national marine sanctuaries hawaii division.

be sure to take some time to click around the online shop which is stocked with lots of new goodies from pretty pillows to stylish leather goods and adorable keiki wear (how cute is that l'il dress!).

or stop by sz's hilo or wailuku outposts:

• big island: 122 kamehameha avenue, hilo
• shop hours: mon - fri, 9:30a to 5p & sat, 9a to 4p

• maui: 53 north market street, wailuku
• shop hours: mon - fri, 10a to 5p & sat, 10a to 3p

the haunted works of edwin ushiro

when we met * since time only meant . . .

a few weeks ago, i stumbled upon a collection of artwork in an online gallery and instantly felt a connection to the small kid time escapades and plantation town backdrops of one artist who i just knew had to be from hawaii.

it turns out that edwin ushiro, the la-based artist behind the canvas, is a local boy who grew up on maui and left for the mainland to study illustration at pasadena's art center college of design. after graduation, he joined the ranks of kama'aina working behind the scenes in hollywood (storyboard artist, visual effects consultant) while continuing to use a mix of mediums to recreate scenes evocative of many an island childhood.

art always becomes a bit more intriguing when you discover the maker's perspective and edwin's work is a yet another reminder that looks can be deceiving if the viewer doesn't go beyond the first glance. a few clicks around his website revealed that just below the surface of these seemingly idyllic paintings lay the spooky worlds whispered about around campfires and sleepovers. those same obake stories that chill(ed) many of us to the bone sparked edwin's fascination with the paranormal which have become the inspiration behind many of his pieces.

when everything really mattered

edwin's fan base has grown after only a few appearances at galleries around los angeles and his newest work will make its debut at his solo exhibit, while tides guide you back home, at project:gallery in culver city this weekend.

red dots seem to be a familiar sight when edwin's art hits the market, however his work seems to have somehow slipped under the radar of the hawaii art scene. hopefully, that will be remedied soon but until then a few clicks will allow you to take a peek here - buy prints here - and order wallpaper here (all the way from spain so beware the exchange rate).

so/cal readers are invited to stop by project:gallery and join edwin at the opening reception saturday evening. hope to see you there!

• when: sat, jul 12th - 7p to 10p
• where: 8545 washington blvd, culver city
• show dates: sat, jul 12th - sat, aug, 9th

p.s. stay in the loop via edwin's blog.

wall of soh

wallpaper has made a grand return to the pages of design glossies and honolulu's multi-talented kaypee soh recently rolled out a new line of wall decor featuring his fabulous modern tropical designs. the new collection of wallpaper and wall murals are produced with a matte finish and both styles are removable (happy news for renters!).

selections range from subdued yet sophisticated repeat patterns of palms and pineapples to bold graphics with an island pop à la andy warhol.

there are 14 designs in all and each pattern is available in 3 colorways to complement your space (contact kaypee for details on custom colors and sizes).

stop by the so'mace gallery to take an in-person peek at the entire collection.

• where: 1115 young street
• shop hours: tue - sat, 10a to 6p & sun, 10a to 4p

designer at large

as anyone who has made the shop rounds knows all too well, finding the perfect piece to furnish your space can sometimes feel like the design version of mission: impossible. i count my lucky stars that my fella daydreams about furniture design and, if not for his hectic production schedule and lack of workspace, he would happily spend all his free time sketching and building something to my exact* specifications.

[you are, imho, either a big or an aidan girl and, while big's bank account is enticing, the one who makes a custom chair just for you, refinishes your floors, and cuddles up with the occasional bucket of fried chicken wins my heart every time]

if you don't happen to have an in-house aidan at your beck and call, you will be happy to discover art/design student brandon large who recently sent along a few peeks of the latest creations to come out of his workshop. with less than a year under his tool belt, brandon has been building a collection of pieces perfect for the smaller living spaces typical of the urban dwellings found throughout honolulu and its suburbs.

primarily self-taught, brandon started out as a painting student and counts artists like donald judd, australian architect harry seidler, and traditional japanese design among his influences. the result: furniture with a clean, modern aesthetic that are his calling card into the cozy but growing world of island design.

brandon crafts all his furniture out of clear pine and redwood, sews all the upholstery by hand, and, in a nod to sustainability, cushions are repurposed from thrift shop finds. fans of modern design will love the budget friendly price point which ranges from $130 for a small table to $800 for an upholstered chair.

no official website yet but brandon's designs have been known to make an appearance at the honolulu art collective showcase during first friday.

for more details.