sunset on the beach

the graduate cardigan

while islanders can continue to wear all the pretty looks tailor-made for tropical temperatures, the mercury has begun to dip on my side of the pacific and i am once again coveting cozy coverups for chilly days and nights spent by the california seaside. it's not often when a collection captures my fancy from head to toe, yet this fall began to look much more fetching after spotting quiksilver's qsw line which invited kaua'i-raised and sf-based artist & designer serena mitnik-miller to be their muse.

in addition to opening up her closet filled with vintage to inspire the w's design team, serena stepped into her studio and sketched out the most gorgeous prints to be translated into jersey, silk and woolen wearables. the mix of toasty geometric cardis, intriguing silk slips, and reinvented toppings perfectly capture the indie coastal lovely, the oft forgotten companion of flirty beach goddess and luxe resort bohemian.

my wishlist is smitten.

more to adore after the jump!

water dress

the neighborhood cardigan * sea of waves tee

nouveau deco dress

the cardis may hint of winter bonfires on the beach and rainy days spent curled up inside with a favorite book and a mug of hot cocoa, but the charming silk dresses will certainly make an effortless transition upon summer's return.

the entire autumn 2011 collection can be peeked and ordered on quiksilver's website while sf friends can shop select styles at general store, the delightful boutique curated by serena and her hubby mason.

• where: 4035 judah street, sf
• shop hours: mon to fri, 11a to 7p & sat/sun, 10a to 7p

{photo credit: quiksilver}

typecast: jeff canham designs

more design goodness for you! with the exception of the official hapa | hale facebook page, i remain a steadfastly intermittent and somewhat reluctant fb-er when left to my own devices yet must follow a dizzying number of designers and shops to scout local possibilities to share with the h|h 'ohana. i can only suspect that my google reader shudders every time i log on with all the unread posts vying for my attention.

while catching up with greenroom (the petite surf gallery in waikiki), a passing reference to one of their featured back in town artists being a local boy made my day. earlier in the year, i serendipitously stumbled upon sf-based designer jeff canham's website and was delighted to browse his collection of creations which range from old timey signage to handpainted wooden collages (scallop-y waves . . . be still my heart!). at the time i did not realize that he grew up in the islands, but once this little tidbit hit my radar i did the happy dance for the chance to share a peek inside the portfolio of one of my favorite designers.

shall we scroll through a few selections which make me smile?

are you swooning over the jack johnson album billboard too?

a seattle baby by birth, jeff spent most of his childhood on oahu surfing waikiki before studying art at the university of oregon upon graduation from punahou. bfa in hand, he soon became art director at surfer magazine and, upon saying aloha to pursue freelance life, eventually found his way up the coast where he settled in san francisco.

after accompanying a friend who was having a sign made for a new surf shop (the now iconic mollusk), jeff immediately began an apprenticeship with the sign writers at new bohemia where he practiced his lettering and discovered a natural knack for hand painted signage.

the signs are what first caught my eye and i love how they playfully capture a bygone era when mom & pops outnumbered chain stores. isn't it especially nice to see a long lost craft from the past enjoying a small renaissance?

jeff's limited edition honolulu and waikiki prints (only 100 of each) were made especially for the greenroom show so hele over if you hope to make one (or both) yours:

• where: 2350 kalakaua avenue, waikiki
• shop hours: daily, 9a to 11p

raise your hand if you are crushing over jeff's designs too!

a peek inside general store

it's back to the west coast for today's mainland week discovery. i first happened across a mention of san francisco's general store in sunset magazine last fall which briefly noted shop proprietor & artist serena mitnik-miller's childhood ties to kaua'i. the carefully curated shop, which serena and hubby mason st. peter opened in early 2010, sounded like a little haven for design geeks so the mister and i made our way to its outer sunset neighborhood during our holiday getaway to the bay area.

the spare design of the shop interior combined with the handmade mix of merchandise was a pleasant antidote for my lingering winter cold. within minutes of our arrival, i was delighted that we agreed on the perfect clock (made in japan!) while i happily scooped up the elusive travel size bottle of jasmine scented hair powder along with a pair of pastel washi tape. somehow my wish list had magically manifested on the shelves within the tiny storefront . . . a very rare occurance for me.

with a few crushworthy objects left behind for another trip, i was most impressed with serena and mason's cultivated eye for thoughtfully designed goods. since we are slowly dispensing of no longer loved things in our small space, general store's wares reinforced our notion to live with less and fill our surroundings with well crafted designs that bring happiness to our day.

curious to see more?

wood stamp

malibu

i have also become quite taken with serena's artwork composed of minimalist wood stamp prints and quiet photographs of the sea. low-key and graceful reminders of keiki years spent exploring the islands and her adopted hometown of san francisco. (fyi: a current inventory list is available on request.)

for those not able to pop in and say hello, an edited selection of pieces from the general store inventory can be ordered in the online shop. and, bay area friends are advised to sign-up for the mailing list to stay posted on pop-up events and art openings hosted by the shop.

• where: 4035 judah street, sf
• shop hours: mon to fri, 11a to 6p & sat/sun, 10a to 6p

new peeks: malia mills rtw 2010

mui ne

i have been feeling a bit besieged by the online web lately (hooray for path, the new anti-social network. be still my heart), yet, despite intermittent twitter checks, a malia mills sales tweet somehow found me through all the a.m. noise. the new ready-to-wear styles have been languishing on my virtual inspiration board so to make amends for my tardiness, a few of my favorite styles have been gathered up for your viewing pleasure!

asymmetrical hemlines, handy pockets, snaps and ties. further study is required to notice the small yet welcome details incorporated by the island raised, nyc-based designer who turns simple silhouettes into versatile frocks to slip over your swimsuit then styled as you please to explore the city.

who wants to see more?

my woman from tokyo

isabella

hello 40% off!

bianca . . . very bond girl!

getaway bag

with holiday travel upon us, don't you just want to stuff all your carry-on essentials into the generously sized getaway bag?

and, hooray for all the garments being made in the usa. (a detail always noted when saving something to my wishlist. if more peeps made purchases by recognizing american produced goods equals more jobs for fellow citizens perhaps our economy would be in less dire straits.)

oh yes, the sale. 40% off on a handful of past season ready-to-wear styles scattered between the dress and pants departments. email or call to place your order. offer ends sun, dec 5th.

malia's mini style empire can be found in nyc, the hamptons, and along the california coast. island readers are still out of luck but there's always the online shop and the promise of sizing assistance by the in-house fit specialist.

p.s. the official blog has become a favorite read if only for peeks of the company dress code. enjoy!

joie studio x shop toast

honey bunny

tina from joie studio recently sent along peeks of her recent collaboration with shop toast! the charming honey bunny first popped up at uniquela's xmas fair as a springtime preview, but just took up residence in the online shop a few weeks ago. we first met another shop toast creation splashed across their cheerful gift crates earlier in the year, and now the letterpressed emoticons double as sweetly designed shorthand to note your happy news or apologies if you have done someone wrong.

joie's antique presses, a golding pearl & vandercook, have been in constant production over the summer with many of the new designs requiring multiple passes through the machinery to print the two to four color illustrations. in addition to the shop toast cards, hawaiian style greetings inspired by tina's island home have arrived online along with a cheeky robot design destined to be pinned on the cubicle wall of your favorite geek.

cheeky cheery faces

hawaiian style

you can scoop up all of the featured designs in joie studio's etsy shop, and the shop toast note cards should be ready for your purchase at the kaimuki storefront this week.

also, cali readers up and down the coast have a few chances to meet tina over the next two weekends. (hint: word is a toast surprise is in the works for sf.):

{bizaar bizarre j-pop summit}

• when: sat, sep 18th - 11a to 6p
• where: japantown, sf
• tix: free admission to one & all!

{second annual l.a. printmakers fair}

• when: sat, sep 25th - 9a to 5p
• where: international printing museum, 315 w. torrance blvd, carson
• tix: $5 general admission / $4 students