project runway recap: race to the finish

andy south couture & rtw

finally squeezed in a viewing of last week's episode of project runway! the challenge was to whip up a couture fashion look to accompany a makeup palette finish from show sponsor l'oreal. except the producers decided to throw in a last minute, complementary ready-to-wear design that also needed to walk the runway the very next day. a bit unfair to the designers, if you ask me. did anyone else wish one well-made style had been presented rather than half-done couture and slapped together rtw?

after last week's brutal runway crit, andy south rose to the challenge and sent out head-to-toe warrior chic separates rocking muted metallic accents accompanied by a sexy little black dress with a subtle dose of shimmer. on the other end of the rainbow, ivy higa opted for bright and whipped up a gown and cocktail dress translating hawaii's gorgeous ocean waters into chiffon waves.

more peeks, links & a spoiler (fair warning!) after the jump below.

ivy higa couture & rtw

designers' sketchbook

andy: make it work! | judgement day | video diary

ivy: make it work! | judgement day | naeem kahn's take | nina garcia's take | video diary

the designers dish is a little less dish-y since only two were deemed safe enough to skip the judging in this round.

do you think it was time for ivy to be auf'd? or would you have sent home another designer in her place?

{photo credit: barbara nitke, lifetime television}

aloha friday scoop

facebook & twitter friends got the word this a.m. about letarte's surprise one day 20% off storewide sale at the paia boutique so hele over if you live nearby!

• when: fri, sep 24th - now to 8p
• where: 24 baldwin avenue, paia

kailua readers still have a few more hours to pop into kai and scoop up your favorite wishlist items for 10 to 20% off.

• when: fri, sep 24th - now to 5p
• where: 776 kailua road, kailua (above kimo's surf hut)

on saturday, kealopiko is co-hosting an end of summer sale filled with the latest goodness including the new pareu collection.

• when: sat, sep 25th - 10a to 3p
• where: bess press warehouse, 3565 harding avenue, kaimuki
• fyi: parking in the municipal lot across the street

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and the winners are . . .

eileen from vallejo, lehua from waimea & merissa from honolulu! malie organics' pikake body polish will be on its way to all three lucky ladies to bliss out over the sweetly scented spa treat.

mahalo to all who tried their luck and for all the delightful notes that accompanied your entries. since pikake is beloved by so many, i thought i would post a glimpse of the full pikake collection so you can preview all the possibilities for your malie wishlist.

on that note, you can find the collection online (priced from $28 to $69) and at malie's flagship boutique on kaua'i and its california outpost in the lovely seaside town of san clemente.

• kaua'i shop: 2-2560 kaumuali'i hwy, kalaheo
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p & sat, 9a to 2p

• cali shop: 1448 north el camino real, san clemente
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 5p

and, of course, at malie's extensive network of island, mainland and international stockists. japan friends also have their very own online shop.

congratulations eileen, lehua & merissa!

p.s. the star-advertiser just shared tips on growing pikake in this week's garden section. not only was pikake princess kaiulani's favorite flower, it is also drought-resistant and ideal for leeward gardens just in case you have a nice, sunny spot to plant the petite blossoms.

{mahalo dana, lindsey & the malie 'ohana!}

modern philosophy 101

eat, pray, love & believe

honolulu jewelry designer lisa gouveia of modern philosophy recently shared her minimalist, karmic wrist wraps which i became quite smitten with after my first peek (inevitable really when the mystical scorpio is your zodiac sign). the beginnings of the line started in college when lisa, who grew up on maui, crafted bracelets to be worn as a reminder to seek out calmer moments in between stressful study sessions.

a post-college spiritual journey through asia inspired the budding designer to further explore teachings on meditation and the healing properties of power gemstones. along the way, her own life and design philosophy began to take root, and upon returning to the islands the collection of gemstones sourced during her travels became interwoven with the lessons learned overseas to create pieces designed to give the energies of its wearers a positive boost.

the simplicity of the leather wrapped design creates layers of boho glam promising to heal your heart, strengthen your intuition, or help you find clarity (among many other possibilities). a lovely and tantalizing proposition, no?

always a silver lining

mini meditation

multi color moonstone

as you may notice, i was instantly drawn to stones with paler hues which seem like a fresh and pretty restorative after a summer of gray on my side of the pacific. darker shades are also offered, and, if you have a specific area to address, lisa is happy to design a custom combination to bring balance back into your life.

a quick check in modern philosophy's etsy shop revealed designs priced from under $20 for an evil eye bracelet to just over $100 for pieces in the luxe collection. take note that in addition to being wrapped around your wrist, some strands can also double as a belt or headband depending on its length.

and, mark your calendars for october 1st when lisa will be kicking off a twitter giveaway for a chance to win one of five $50 gift certificates!

edwin ushiro: preceeding sunday

to counter imponderability

hello all! edwin ushiro recently sent a preview of his new show in the great northwest so if you call seattle home definitely make your way to belltown and the roq la rue gallery to check it out. for those who just discovered h|h this year (welcome welcome!), edwin is a mixed media artist from maui who now calls los angeles home. his muse still reaches back to childhood when chilling obake stories of creepy specters who haunt the islands from the land to the sea and all points in between were traded at sleepovers and over campfires.

a casual glance may only see carefree, innocent scenes of small kid time, but i like to think that the many layers worked into each piece act as an unspoken reminder that all is not as it seems. even though i spook easily, i always find edwin's depiction of childhood in hawaii comforting despite the whispers of grisly circumstances lurking beneath the surface. for the preceeding sunday show, kaena point's gateway to the spirit world (shown above) and a temptress apparition luring unsuspecting paniolos to their demise are among edwin's latest collection of local legends.

that said, the idea of passing by the most spine-tingling depiction on a daily basis is too much for my faint constitution to even consider (much to the chagrin of my mister who always seems to covet the scariest obake tale come to life), however more wistful remembrances of days gone by along with sweeter hawaiian myths do pop up every so often.

all signals configuring to a position . . .

tingling sensation of adorable reminiscentia . . .

the 1921 wall

a muffled concept of what we considered ubiquitous

isn't edwin's contribution to the lost underground art project fabulous? (lauren gregg's charlie is also quite delightful, btw.) the piece was already sold by the time it crossed my radar, but happy to see a local artist get some love from one of the islands' all-time favorite tv series filmed in hawaii!

a few pieces from edwin's seattle show (co-starring yoskay yamamoto) already have a red dot, however purchasing inquiries by phone or email are welcome.

• show dates: now to sun, oct 10th
• where: roq la rue gallery, 2312 2nd avenue, seattle
• gallery hours: wed to sat, 1p to 6p & by appointment