tiare hawaii: lost in paradise

jasmine

after catching glimpses of tiare hawaii's lineup of island beauties in shop update after shop update, i finally remembered to dash off a note to find out more about the bohemian collection from the north shore. the tie-dye gowns in sherbert hues are what first caught my eye, and the little gypsy in me who loves to get lost inside anthropologie is swooning over the girly details and whisper-thin fabrics designed to keep you looking pretty even when oppressing humidity and scorching heat arrives on shore.

designer jane hoskins was happy to share the beginnings of tiare which was inspired by the global loveliness encountered while paradise hopping around the world with friends. (oh, the perks of having a flight attendant bff!) while on holiday in bali, jane fell in love with the exotic island and discovered indonesia's striking textiles which have become the gorgeous foundation of every tiare offering.

the beautiful and packable garments are wearable from the beach to town with hand embroidered cotton voile, silk batik prints, and dip-dyed loveliness fulfilling tiare's go anywhere in style philosophy.

more favorites for happy island days after the jump . . .

eyelets & embroidery

crochet * pirate

teeny bikini * tie-dye ruffles

batik shorts

your pocketbook will also be delighted that styles from spring's lost in paradise collection are appealingly priced from $35 to $100.

alas, online ordering is not yet available so your best bet is to pay a visit to your neighborhood stockist (including drift in kaimuki, oskar's in kilauea, pueo in kona, and pink by nature in makawao). jane also kindly shared a tip that aloha 'aina at the royal hawaiian shopping center and san lorenzo in waikiki carry the entire collection in every single springtime color.

do you have a favorite tiare in your closet?

p.s. off island friends are welcome to send jane a note to inquire about placing an order or to locate a retailer near you.

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!

introducing acacia swimwear

naia

a recent facebook query made me realize that not everyone shares my preference for more modest swimwear silhouettes. then i happened upon the bikini bird blog (a maui-based must read for those on the lookout for pretty beach looks) and discovered the very ooh la la offerings by acacia swimwear which just may convince even the most demure among us to consider a cheeky backside.

the line was started by maui girl naomi newirth whose passion for homemade bikinis eventually led to a fashion degree at fidm. upon the launch of the debut collection from bali last year, naomi's friend lyndie irons (andy's missus who now calls kauai home) joined the acacia 'ohana in designing the most fetching bikinis and one pieces that would appeal to the readership of both vogue and the sports illustrated swimsuit issue.

acacia is all about wearable details and naomi and lyndie effortlessly employ bohemian fringe, sweet ruffles and coquettish crochet throughout their 2010 collection. all the pieces are designed for their "gypsetter" lifestyle with the very flirty bottoms inspired by the sexy cuts found in italy and brazil.

sage * quinn * olly

pretty linings * nihoa

marley * luka * missy

with fabric sourced from italy and custom printed linings sewn inside for a sweet surprise, expect to pay $176 for a bikini and $187 for a one piece.

order up your favorite style in acacia's online shop or pop into your neighborhood stockist (including guava shop in haleiwa and ginger & koi in kona) for a peek.

{mahalo bikini bird!}

heather brown: high tide peeks

one of my regrets from my last trip home was flying off the island before heather brown's new art show debuted at chinatown boardroom. lucky for us, gallery owner (& new mama!) jackie was kind enough to gather up glimpses of many of the original artworks currently hanging on the gallery walls. longtime readers may guess that i am just crushing over heather's collection of little birdies in all their pint-sized glory . . . aren't they even cuter repeated row after row after row?

the show is filled with an array of small and big waves with nary a surfer in sight. other pieces include paintings on reclaimed wood salvaged from a north shore bungalow, and artwork introducing a more realistic style of wave.

no. 472 * 441 * 473

no. 429 * 438 * 440

if you are off-island and spotted a new favorite for your personal gallery, you are welcome to email or phone the gallery for purchasing details. (fyi: the 6x6 mini paintings start at $400.) paintings are numbered but jackie also shared that you can name your painting and heather will sign the back to make the title official!

and, if you are looking for more gently priced options, screenprinted totes ($30) and prints on sugar cane paper ($40) round out the show offerings.

• show dates: now to sat, sep 25th
• where: 1160 nu'uanu avenue, chinatown
  
• gallery hours: tue to sat, 11a to 4p

{mahalo jackie! and congratulations on the addition of the very adorable little miss parker to your 'ohana!}

boutique week: drift

drift inside . . .

photos from drift have just arrived and i am delighted to post some of the first peeks inside the kaimuki boutique which just happens to be the new neighbor of our friends at shop toast! drift debuted last weekend after many years of retail daydreaming by bff's and newly minted shop proprietors ale klein and laura ivy who, with help from family and friends, modernized the interior with rehabbed castoffs and lucky discoveries to create a bright and airy space to showcase island designers and artists.

one of drift's shop exclusives are urgentina's super cute canvas totes appliquéd with sweet pledges of allegiance to town or country (neighborhood declarations can also be made for kaimuki and kailua). priced at $40, i predict these to be quite popular and cheerfully demand more neighborhood options, please! or, perhaps a two sided tote for those of us who heart both sides of the island.

in addition to their shop duties, ale and laura design an in-house jewelry line ($35 and under) along with a slipper collection embellished with seashells. and, with many of us watching our budgets these days, you will be happy to know that most of the merch is priced under $100.

local labels stocked at drift include d'angelo designs, khush, indigenous soap, sierra dew, tiare teiti, urgentina bikinis, vers hawaii; jewelry by lance gentry (who handpicks sunrise shells from haleiwa's shores) and stoney seas; plus artwork by vers creators matt ortiz and roxanne chasle and photography by taueva fa'otuista.

next time you find yourself in the area, do pop in to say hello and welcome the drift 'ohana to the neighborhood!

• where: 3434 waialae avenue, suite 4, kaimuki
• shop hours: mon to sun, 1p to 7p

p.s. a few finishing touches remain on the official website so click over to drift's facebook for shop updates.