sneaker pimps

i have a feeling that the fella's favorite shop when we hit the islands this summer will be kicks/hi. this is the place to go if you love sneakers. and i'm not talking about your kids' keds but super cool kicks for sneaker aficionados looking to score limited edition, old school style sneakers.

they have even collaborated on limited edition sneaker designs like the aloha dunk with nike. the masterminds behind kicks hawaii are pchs grad ian ginoza & his friend eddy haus who opened up their first shop a few years ago and recently opened another location at the new ward gateway in town. online shopping isn't available yet so if you're not lucky enough to live in (or visit) hawaii hopefully you're near saint alfred, their sister shop in chicago. 

janet jewelry

lady luck + danger boy

while public school kids were making paper trays in woodworking & key chains in metal shop, the students over at punahou were dabbling in silversmithing. this is one of the more interesting nuggets i picked up at janet jewelry's website. island girl/jewelry designer janet masamitsu is based in nyc now where she creates a nice mix of affordable pieces like these lady luck earrings (perfect for that next trip to vegas).

in addition to sterling silver styles, janet also designs limited edition pieces like the triple drop smokey quartz necklace and many of her pieces can be customized. she also designs stuff for guys like these danger boy cufflinks that captain jack sparrow might fancy (arrr!). shop online or visit her boutique when you're in nyc.

bring on the bliss

accordian + mini guitar

if you're a girl who covets very trendy, very expensive handbags (you know who you are) then it's high time you checked out punahou grad bliss lau's collection. bliss went to parsons (yep, that parsons, project runway fans) in nyc and has a devoted fashionista following (lucky, wwd, elle & so on). her lambskin leather bags  are handcrafted and have a cool, organic profile inspired by the shape of musical instruments.

alas, it doesn't seem like any shops in hawaii carry her line but, then again, if you're a handbag junkie your pocketbook might be better off if you join bag borrow or steal instead.

jersey love

 

i always pack a mix of clothing when i go home yet it seems like i always fall back on the ubiqitous shorts/capris & tank top/tee combo. these modern jersey styles from up & coming island designers fighting eel would certainly add a bit more ooh la la to the old wardrobe.

wouldn't the dress drop (above left) look super cute with jeans? lucky for me & you, fighting eel can be found at a number of boutiques across the states and online. rafael hawaii and active endeavors seem to have the best selection of the online boutiques, however some of fighting eel's more popular designs seem to be selling out since receiving some high profile ink in lucky and the new york times as well as the honolulu advertiser.

shangri la

shangri la courtyard + playhouse

since i have a curious fascination in seeing how the other half lives, i am ever the sucker for historic home tours like hearst castle. imagine my delight when the doris duke estate, a.k.a. shangri la (isn't that one of the most evocative names?), was opened to the public a few years ago.

the estate is just not something you would expect to find in hawaii which makes it all the more fabulous. the morrocan vibe is something that really should be experienced in person and anyone with an interest in art, architecture & design would enjoy exploring the diamond head estate on the guided tour offered by the honolulu academy of arts.