new peeks: stacia fall/holiday 2009

low-slung cardi

september may still be sweltering in hawaii and the west coast but fortunately more temperate weather is only a page flip away on the calendar. happy news for those of us who swoon for cozy knits! while the rest of the world may think hawaii is only about beach side playdates, readers who have ventured up to a chilly cliffside lookout, big island mountain town (hello volcano!) or upcountry maui know every island wardrobe needs a stylish cover to keep the chicken skin at bay.

i've written before of la-based label stacia designed by oahu girl stacy johnson and, after all this time, we finally had a chance to meet up during edwin ushiro's opening reception a few weeks ago (along with the lovely misa hamamoto who designs a gorgeous eponymous jewelry collection). we dished about the hawaii fashion scene and growing up in the islands while stacy and misa clued me in on the designer's take on bringing their collections to market.

with autumn approaching, it seems like a fine time to share stacia's fall/holiday 09 collection which is composed of luxe-y knitwear designed to complement warmer climates. stacy employs variations of lightweight jersey knits in an ever changing palette of multicolored space dye to flatter every figure. new for the season are stacia's ecoknits which blend bamboo and soybean (which she considers a cashmere substitute) sure to delight fashionistas on the elusive hunt for sophisticated and sustainable style.

more peeks below . . .

buttoned cowl * cocoon

willow

a peek inside the studio

island fans crushing on the new designs will have to click over to the online shop for more peeks at stacia's autumn offerings since, alas, only one hawaii boutique is currently posted on stacia's extensive stockist list. select styles are currently on sale so enjoy that little tidbit of consolation while you wonder when island shopkeepers will come a-calling.

fortunately for la la land residents, this past summer stacy opened the doors to her santa monica studio where customers are welcome to stop by and shop the latest looks. sign-up for the mailing list to be notified of in-house trunk shows and sample sales where you can scoop up past season designs at a deep discount.

• where: 1307 ½ pico blvd, santa monica
• fyi: by appointment only

p.s. stacy also maintains one of the best designer blogs around sharing her inspirations and insights on the evolution of a collection from color forecasting to the sketch pad to posting behind-the-scenes adventures from stacia photo shoots.

new peeks: lily lotus fall 2009

dragon v-neck

momi from lily lotus kindly sent along peeks of the yoga lifestyle label's gorgeous fall 09 collection recently. the honolulu line's mantra continues to keep the wearer's well-being in mind blending style with comfort so you can go from the studio to the street without any fuss.

this time around there's an abundance of goodness from the always popular karmic bling to cheeky new graphics and a sweet mendhi design in a charming nod to yoga's roots. for those who prefer to practice their asanas wrapped in more simplicity, autumn offerings also include stylish tanks and wraps cut from bamboo knit (naturally anti-bacterial) in a cozy palette perfect for autumn's approaching cool down.

more peeks below . . .

buddha is my omboy + gigi mendhi

bamboo racerback

bamboo wrap

in addition to bamboo, many of the designs are offered in eco-friendly 100% organic jersey and everything continues to be made in the usa.

fall 09 styles can be found in the online shop (u.s. orders over $100 receive complimentary shipping) as well as at one of the many neighborhood stockists. or hele over to the lily lotus boutique and say hello!

• where: 1127 12th avenue, kaimuki
• shop hours: mon to sun, 10a to 5p

{update | 2011: lily lotus has relocated over the ko'olaus and can now be found at kailua town center, 609 kailua road, suite 102}

happy anniversary alliway!

since its opening two years ago, alliway has become honolulu's sweet spot to scoop up irresistible indie finds from around the globe in addition to its lovely in-house jewelry lines.

designer/shopkeeper allison kim-czerniak is also known for showing lots of love to local designers and will be sharing the spotlight with shop favorites crave jewelry, ecolicious, grumpy girl, kat uno, mayapapaya & miemiko atelier during this week's second anniversary bash.

everyone is invited to friday's celebration filled with raffle prizes (every 30 minutes, natch) and bargains galore via the 3-2-1 sale - 30% off alliway & backstreet designs, 20% off handbags & 10% off all other merch. guests will also be among the first to preview alliway's fall 09 collection priced just right for the night.

• when: fri, sep 25th - 4p to 8p
• where: alliway, ward warehouse
• fyi: first 50 people score a free gift bag

congratulations alli!

pau hana at pacific home

noelani designs

just a quick note to let oahu readers know that pacific home will be hosting an evening of style & design featuring jewelry from adove, ani young & noelani designs tomorrow night.

mingle with the designers while you take a peek at the latest looks and decorating trends for home sweet home.

• when: thu, sep 24th - 5:30p to 8p
• where: 420 ward avenue
• fyi: pupus & drinks on the house!

fresh impressions

tropical blossoms

my first peek at mozaic paper's letterpress offerings arrived in my mailbox compliments of lei ann, the lovely kama'aina shopkeeper of seattle's momo. the delightfully cheery note card turned out to be part of the first run collaboration between the in-house graphic designers from honolulu's design logix (co-owned by lei ann's sister carrie) and electric pencil's print house who cranked up a recently acquired letterpress machine for the project.

what began as a holiday surprise gifted to clients soon became a creative lark for the designers when the company decided to produce a series of letterpress stationery for sale. the first two offerings, illustrated by designer lori nuha, feature gorgeous island botanicals that pop off the paper via two color impressions of delicate blossoms like hibiscus, tiare and ohia and tropical ulu, palapawai and red ti leaves.

tropical leaves

happily, the mozaic paper online shop is now open for business and the everyday notes have just arrived at soha in kahala mall.

individual note cards are priced at $4.50 while sets of three to six cards range from $12 to $21.

{mahalo lei ann!}