fighting eel fall 2009 - take two

lily

clicked over to fighting eel today and what should i find but the second round of fall goodness!

while i am one who finds herself grumbling about retailers pushing xmas goods before halloween trick-or-treaters have come a-knocking, i can't help but crush over the cheery and festive stripes popping up throughout the collection. with its playful modern spin on a holiday outfit, the multicolored sweetness reminds me of zooey deschanel singing and strolling her way through elf's winter wonderland.

fe's fall extension also continues to rework the 80's via geo's edgy and punky strappy back while a repeated wave pattern, which first appeared in designer rona bennett's art prints before being reappropriated into a textile, creates a flowy abstract graphic made to woo the stylish girls who surf set.

more peeks below . . .

milly

vida

geo

word is that many fall 2 styles are already selling out so hele over to the butik (co-owned by fe designer lan chung) for first picks, or click over to the stockist list to locate your favorite neighborhood boutique. of course, you can continue to shop past season styles at the fe showroom:

• where: 47 north hotel street
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 5p
• fyi: cash or credit only

p.s. the latest fall looks will arrive in fe's online shop in the next few weeks, however select styles from round one of fall 2009 can now be scooped up!

monster mash challenge

happy october! chinatown boardroom issued a ghoulish challenge to local and mainland artists to conjure up creatures made to mix and mingle. jackie, cb's fabulous gallerista, kindly sent along a sneak peek from monster mash, a group art show which opens to the public tonight (costumes encouraged!).

featured artists include ryan higa, pegge hopper, may izumi, jeff lamm, miss mindy, otto, kat reeder, rich richardson, cade roster, masako schwalbenitz, dave tanji, mike watanabe & robert watanabe.

a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the hawaiian humane society.

• opening reception: tonight, oct 1st - 6p to 8p
• where: 1160 nu'uanu avenue
• show dates: today to sat, oct 31st
• gallery hours: tue to sat, 11a to 4p

fighting eel bridal collection

sophia

today, i am happy to present a wedding day proposal from paradise compliments of fighting eel!

the honolulu label recently premiered its first ever bridal collection filled with lovely looks designed with the island bride in mind. designers lan chung and rona bennett have been working on this extension for quite some time digging through fe's style archives to find a handful of looks to revive in wedding day white (with one notable exception: the gorgeous new sophia, shown above).

the results are simply stunning. the entire beach-friendly offering is crafted in the same comfy jersey knit as fe's main line and special attention seems to have been given to small details like the view from behind as you step down the aisle. i suspect the clean lines will find plenty of fans in brides-to-be who dream of picture perfect style with a minimum of fuss.

more peeks below . . .

canoe

karma

loca

fiona * molly * lily * ziggy * sienna

also included in the new collection: fe's signature style in 15 silhouettes for your wedding maidens. the mix-and-match frocks offer plenty of versatility with three different lengths (short/tea/floor) and sixteen colorways available for quite a few possibilities to coordinate the wedding party's look. plus, your ladies-in-waiting will appreciate the chance to rock something wearable after the ink is dry on your marriage certificate.

budget conscious brides will also welcome the reasonable price tag (bridal: $175 to $250 & bridesmaids: $150 to $200). sizes range from xs to xl.

currently, the bridal collection is available by special order only at fe's showroom.

• where: 47 north hotel street, chinatown
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 5p

p.s. enter to win a fe wedding gown and up to four bridesmaids dresses over at the star-bulletin (deadline: sep 25th).

gidget goes glam

the ever expanding offerings of swimwear designed in the islands seems to have a style for almost every look - sporty, luxe, sexy, sweet, and, with the introduction of 1979, retro pinup silhouettes with a vintage twist. with a fondness for a bygone era that slipped away as more people discovered paradise, designer suzanna kuhlemann jumped into the family business (sister pia helms soozou) to bring back a more demure sensibility to the islands' beaches.

no longer loved mu'umu'us and aloha shirts are rescued from closets to be transformed by suzanna and local seamstresses into 1979's vintage line which offers limited edition suits (only two or three are made per garment) that highlight curves like it was done way back when. the styles are sweet yet wearable and a happy find for anyone wistful for bikinis designed to leave a little something to the imagination.

for those not inclined to rock a vintage look on the sand, suzanna has followed up with two more collections after finding the challenge of designing with only a slip of fabric too irresistible. the signature lineup translates retro styles with textiles more readily available, while the focus of the nylon collection nips in curves with a higher waist silhouette and utilizes modern stretch fabric for more support.

more peeks below . . .

vintage looks

retro meets modern looks

a peek inside etown

1979 swimsuits are currently offered in sizes small, medium and large with xs and xl options expected shortly. custom swimwear orders are also welcome, and, happy news, you are invited to recycle your own vintage aloha wear into a new-to-you suit.

the vintage collection ($120) is available exclusively at mu'umu'u heaven's kailua flagship, and the signature ($149) and nylon ($129) lines will be making their debut at the opening of etown (shown above), the chinatown studio space shared by suzanna and pia, which will be welcoming one and all on first friday.

jewelry from meesah will also be in studio as will photography from deaja fallas and ethan boone.

• when: fri, sep 4th - 6p
• where: 1164 smith street, chinatown
• shop hours: tbd; check website for details

p.s. suzanna will be passing out 15% off coupons during the opening party so hele down and say hello!

show & tell: stix flix

temple of blue : mariko merritt

alas, the stix flix show hosted by chinatown boardroom last month has left the gallery walls, but i was delighted to discover prints for sale on the cb blog. the scoop behind the show is that invited local and international artists were asked to put their spin on the iconic surf movie poster and the offerings are printed perfection for any surf shack.

more peeks below . . .

on the crest of the wave : yusuke hanai

beyond beyond : rona bennett

in full trim : heather brown

price tags range from $30 to $650 with a portion of the proceeds donated to accessurf hawaii which helps kama'ainas with disabilities enjoy a fun-filled day in the ocean (btw, the honolulu non-profit needs your kokua to raise $25k by the end of august in hopes of receiving a dollar for dollar match by the pierre and pamela omidyar fund).

most of the above limited and open edition prints (exception: mariko's lovely temple of blue which has sold out) can be purchased on the chinatown boardroom blog as well as stix flix designs by christie shinn, rich richardson & manny pangilinan.

or, hele down to chinatown boardroom and say hello:

• where: 1160 nu'uanu avenue
• gallery hours: tue to sat, 11a to 4p

{mahalo jackie!}