This is a detail of a hand-carved, vintage African elephant ivory and sterling silver mermaid brooch, circa 1950’s, created for Ming’s by Hawaii artist Isami Doi. The mermaid is holding a pearl against a sterling seaweed background. Below, a Ming’s peony brooch.

I haven’t gone to the Hawaii All-Collectors Show for a while, mainly because it’s a dangerous place for me to be. I like vintage things a lot because I absorb from them the essence of another time and place.

That makes it seem like this time and place isn’t good enough, but I don’t think that’s the case. I just naturally gravitate to what’s different, which is also what propels me to simultaneously seek out the next new thing, the next trend. It’s like restless hunter-gatherer energy. I don’t understand people who can be still and content.

This time I might have to go to the show because Linda Lee will be there to conduct her free Ming’s jewelry identification and appraisals session. I wrote a story about her a while back, and ever since, a lot of people nationwide have been interested in getting in touch with her. So many people have pieces of Ming’s jewelry that have been passed on to them and they just want to know more about the individual pieces, as well as the company and its founder Wook Moon. Linda will be available during show hours in the display area. Here’s are links to a couple of my stories about Ming’s (sorry I can’t link you, the Wordpress feature is still not working):

http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/19/features/story01.html

http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/19/features/story02.html

Show hours will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 18; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 19. General admission is $4, with $2 entry for children 7 to 11. If you MUST be first in line, you can enter early on Friday for $15 admission. You can download a $1 off coupon at www.ukulele.com/collect.html

Other highlights:

>> Hawaiiana dealer Don Medcalf, of Hawaiian Islands Stamp & Coin, will be giving free informal verbal appraisals of early Hawaiiana from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday and 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday in booths 321 and 322.

Robyn Buntin wares

>> Robyn Buntin of Honolulu reports its storage warehouse is overflowing with decorative objects, books, magazines, knick-knacks, furniture, and other collectibles and will be offering up bargains during the event.

>> Oahu Anime Explorer & United Anime will have members on hand to display some of their favorite cosplay costumes, anime models, posters, and other collectible items in booths 205 and 206.

Here’s the video for the Aloha!Alice story in the paper. It’s great how the Internet allows anyone with a creative streak to connect with a niche market.

Maybe I’ll start a photo shop at Etsy.com. A friend told me that any business started on 8/8/08 can’t fail!

Bravo photos
From left are some Season 5 “Project Runway” contestants, from left, Kenley, Jerry and Wesley.

Season 5 of “Project Runway,” the last with Bravo before it moves to Lifetime, starts up tonight. You can go to www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway to check out the latest crop of designers.

My sister emails from New York that she helped one of the contestants, Kenley, with her application last year and though she didn’t make it at that time, the judges liked her and welcomed her back this year.

Don’t know if she’ll make it though. Right now, all I can look at are their influences, and hers — Coco Chanel, Betsey Johnson and Edith Head — are all across the map. There’s no coherence to the mix.

Other designers had the usual suspect list of influences, veering toward the theatrical: Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano. With these candidates, I picture bombast and a lack of taste and sophistication.

I’m curious to see what Jerry from Montana (influences: Martin Margiela, Rick Owens and Calvin Klein) and Wesley from Massachusetts (influences: Jeanne Lanvin, Marc Jacobs and Cristobal Balenciaga) will do.

It’s been noted on Twitter that no one from Hawaii has made it onto the show. Sorry, I’m not surprised.

You can go to http://fashionindie.com/category/style/before-they-had-stylists/

Sorry I couldn’t light it up for you, the Wordpress link function isn’t working right now.

Joker T-shirts are featured in the window at Hot Topic. (Sorry about the reflections but they were behind glass.)

With the long-awaited debut of the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight,” this weekend, Hot Topic is offering a promotion in which those who spend $20 on any Dark Knight merchandise from the store will receive a voucher good for $8 off your ticket to see the movie. That would be pretty close to seeing the movie free if you were planning to pick up some merch anyway.

They say the voucher will be accepted at Consolidated and Regal Cinemas here.I was walking by the store and of course the image of Heath Ledger as the Joker caught my eye. I had been waiting to see this movie since it was announced that he would play the Joker. It makes me sad now. If he were alive today, the T-shirts would be great marketing; now such things feel a little macabre and exploitive. I’m know I’m going to miss him forever.

After quietly marrying last August, Travin Makinano and my Midweek compadre Yu Shing Ting finally had their dream reception and renewal of vows on the lawn of Waikiki Aquarium the evening of July 12.

As the invitation read, the ceremony was one with “no gown, no bouquet, not even a cake,”and I suppose, for a style editor, that just wouldn’t do.The bride wanted a green wedding so ono Hawaiian food was served on recycle-able paper plates and had small bouquets made of a mix of real and keepsake plastic flowers. Guests also received small paper hearts studded with wildflower seeds to sprout at home or wherever a touch of color or greenery is needed.

The bridesmaids — all 10 of them — plus maid of honor were dressed in green ruffled strapless dresses by Fighting Eel, while the ushers and best man wore aloha shirts from Hawaiian Moon. The bride looked beautiful in a simple, strapless white gown with a shirred bodice and small train that Travin dutifully lifted off the ground as she walked.

Congratulations Yu Shing and Travin!

Photographers had to stand back to get the entire wedding party in the picture!

A few more photos follow. (more…)

Nadine Kam photos
A look at Club Monaco style in mostly black and white, with seasonal color accents.

Club Monaco opened its doors July 11 and I think I was the second customer, which caused Joline Tang and Desiree Yamamoto of PacRim Marketing and Crystal Yamasaki and Char Chang of the Bennet Group to make fun of me. Yeah, we all know shopping is an occupational hazard from working in the vicinity of all these boutiques.

I can look impulsive but I’m not a frivolous spender. I tend to study everything available before making a single purchase. Being no richie, not even close, I look for what will deliver the most in terms of versatility, longevity and wow factor, as well as pairing with what I already own. It’s the Club Monaco philosophy as well, so I’m naturally drawn to their “blank slate” designs. You can do anything you want with them in terms of mixing them into your own wardrobe without looking “branded.” These points were lost on some Hollister-branded kids who came in to make fun of the clothes. (more…)

If you’re wondering whether to go long or short this fall, it looks like either way, you’ll have plenty of options.

Gucci’s Frida Giannini showed both lengths during the collections yesterday as part of AltaRomAltaModa week, in Rome. (more…)

Two of the entries in the Design a Coach Tote contest. At left is huynh2u’s Juicy Tote, and at right is Charmed by Coach by rachellenicole.

OK designers, time to put your skills to work again. This time, Coach and Brickfish.com have teamed up for a contest for those who want to try designing a Coach tote.

These contests really show the kind of concerns that designers deal with every day. As consumers, it’s easy for us to vote on designs with our wallets, as we decide what works for us and what doesn’t. But when you’re looking at a blank piece of canvas, well, where do you begin? Do you start with traditional Coach iconography of its logo horse and carriage, scarf prints and purse charms? Do you use the platform to send a personal message of peace, love or hope? Or do you start from scratch with your own style? Given the strength of the brand, it probably wouldn’t be wise to veer too far astray from its iconography, but coming up with an original twist is the trick. (Think Louis Vuitton, still the leader in this regard.)

Last I checked, the Classic B&W submitted by jlmullinax was the No. 1 vote getter from the million who have checked out the design entries. At right is Pink Lilies by mellistsa, a nod to breast cancer awareness.

You can check out the 1,200 or so entries by going to:

http://www.coach.com/CoachClique/
www.brickfish.com

Top prize for the winner is a party at Coach, a $2,500 Coach shopping spree, and $500 scholarship or cash prize.

A runner up will win a $1,500 Coach online shopping spree and $250 cash or scholarship.