Noa Noa

divine, airy, dreamy ...

I am totally enchanted by the NoaNoa website design, its summer looks, the aesthetics it represents and everything (well, I haven't seen its price tags yet). The flash-only website doesn't allow me to download any picture. By visiting NoaNoa website by yourself, you will know what I mean. Check out their look book and high summer line presentation.

NoaNoa is a brand for women and girls with NoaNoa miniature for little girls. Similar to Cinnamon Girl, Noanoa design for mother and daughter, but it does not promote the "uniform" concept. If Cinnamon Girl of Honolulu is overly feminine and floral, NoaNoa has the right mix of femininity and masculinity, catalyzing into a well-balanced creation. For example, it balances solid color with prints; pants are as thoughtfully designed as dresses.

The company is headquartered in New Zealand, though it started from Denmark and sells mostly in Europe and Canada. I wish one day it will come to the USA. For some reasons (trade barrier or market strategy, I could only guess), some good European brands stop at Canada and never step onto the vast consumer kingdom of the USA. For example, another Danish brand Vero Moda is all the rage in China and it is not in the USA.

I love the way NoaNoa dresses a woman. Its models wearing flat shoes says a lot about the brand. It's women-centric, not distorting any part of the natural human body to please men. Or we could say, NoaNoa has a different beauty ideal than the mainstream American overly sexual and highly commercialized women image.

NoaNoa women celebrate their womenhood in comfortable clothes. Unlike the current above-the-knee hemline trend, NoaNoa has varied hem lengths. The neckline and shoulder area are elegantly exposed (and covered). I especially love the harem trousers. Must be super comfortable and easy to move in that you don't need to pay attention not to showing any body parts undesirable for the public to view. The silhouette is not all that dangerously curvy, returning modesty to women.

When the runway designs as well as mainstream merchandise sculpt women into beauty queens, NoaNoa is a fresh breeze that releases women from high expectations of looking "perfect" and revives women in its naturally beautiful form. Maybe I am getting older and feeling distanced from the contemporary American women's clothing. This New Zealand brand appeals to my sense of beauty and balance.

Dolce Honolulu

"Fun, colorful and comfortable", Christie, the owner of the store, described her first boutique in these three words. With her Ralph Lauren trained fashion sense, Christie created the cozy cute store that shines in the Ward Center with its vibrant colors, quality fabrics and trendy styles.

Dolce, the sweetie

Dolce Honolulu (a blog-style website by Christie to share her fashion tips and observations) is a new-born baby, opened to the world on November, 2008. Meaning "sweet" in Italian, the name innocently alludes to the sexy and sometimes dramatic high fashion brand from Italy, Dolce and Gabbana. By dramatic, I mean outwordly elaborated, aloof from everyday life.

Christie decorates the store in a bright and fun way. Looks at the yellow pencils and colorful rubber bands, a creative way to make the store look modern, relaxed, detailed and loved.

Trendy in blood

DH, on the other hand, has nothing dramatic (well, maybe a little bit in its small jazzy ways), but it does share the trendy pulse that palpates from fashion capticals all the way to mid Pacific. The majority of DH merchandise are cherry-picked from New York and Los Angeles. One can have a well coordinated outfit from DH that looks stylish and comfortable at the same time, as if these two elements can easily rhyme.

The store has a wonderful collection of graphic tees. The ones that caught my eyes are the exquisite animal drawings printed big and bold by Lauren Moshi. Unlike the ubiquitous logo tees (ew, I am so sick of them), these highly individualized artsy tees can gracefuly bump the taste bar to the next level for a wearer.Look at the owl tee with a cozy.

Christie's pick

1. burnout tee: breezy, textured with ruched sleeve details
2. j brand jeans: light-weight denim in navy or black, slim fit (feels really thin. salute to technology.)
3. toy watch: fun to accessorize a casual street look

Product origin: made in USA

Many are made in the USA, even with basics like T-shirt. Well, they are more fashion tees with light-weave cotton, artistic graphics, special styling like a zipper pocket. The price tag for a USA-made tee goes from $70 to $90+. There are also silk dresses or tunics made in India and Sri Lanka. DH is not just about cosmopolitan. It is global as well.

Fabrication: cotton & silk

Mostly cotton, good quality cotton. I touched them, jeans or tees. Feels crisp and cool.

Chiffon silk scarves and satin silk dresses add more luxurious touch to it. Christie emphasized that even its silk dresses can machine wash and hanger dry. Very consumer friendly.

I love boutiques like Dolce Honolulu, where you can meet and talk with the boutique owner, who selects, presents and sells the merchandise in person. There is a "personal" and "individual" halo around such independent-standing fashion stores, where everything keeps its essence in the best form, unlike the national/international chain with everything so diluted.

Fashionista's Market

Two hours well spent in a room full of discounted fashion merchandise and good-looking people, with loud music and summer drinks. It's my first time in fashionista's market. What made me happy is not seeing the excitement or finding good deals, but talking with local designers who translate their inspirations from the land and ocean to their artworks, whether it is a pair of earrings or a tank top. Here a common love of Hawaii is transmitted by their creations. The stuffs on display are more than just stuff or the commercial concept of merchandise but embodiments of their taste and beliefs in life.


Roberta Oaks

Dressed in her own design (halter-neck in bright blue with graphics in red popping out so that my eyes blinked at the picture feeling electrified), Roberta talked about her love of color and the sophistication of harmonizing colors in one garment. Being an art and photography graduate from the mainland, she traveled to ocean islands before settling here in Hawaii to work on her art. It didn't take her too long to burst into the fashion industry by creating her own line, sewing herself at first and now selling to 150 stores worldwide. You can visit her website to view her latest designs.


Omnia Jewelry

Upon entering the room, I was instantly attracted to Andromeda's table with an exquisite and uncluttered display of her jewelries. The presentation (the branches, boats, plates as well as her artsy husband designed business card) distinguished her as a great designer. All the metal and beading works are handmade. I yearned for a pair of silver earrings in the shape of breaking wave or snail head. It is a pity that it didn't fit to my pierce. She even offered to thin it out to fit my ears. I love the idea of "tailored" jewelry.


Ginger 13

Cindy Yokoyama uses the most vibrant colors in her bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Her design is fun and funky. She may use two different earrings for an asymmetric look. Skulls are a recurring theme. I especially like the Longevity earring, in which she pairs gilded skull with emerald carved word. In Chinese, it means longevity or a wish for a long life. The two opposing symbols create a twisted humor. For a peek of her latest designs, visit her website.



Wings Hawaii

They are from Maui. Young, energetic and creative, a team of good friends who materialize their love of nature in their clothing and accessories. A big metal pendant, named after a Hawaiian owl, is said to guard off evil spirit. Another visually provoking pendant is a depiction of seahorse wing. After first, I thought it's a tweaked version of butterfly wing. A repeating image is a mermaid, fragile and floating with long tasseled hair, rising from a shell like a dream. The only thing I bought that day is their mermaid tank top in turquoise. A very cut top for a hot summer day.

There were also Cloth Hawaii, Wedding Cafe, and Dysfunction magazine among other vendors in the market. Though there was not a big crowd in the room as compared to the next Exhibition room for "The Big Sale of America", discount for families, fashionistas who did come for a fashion hunt were thrilled in front of the body-elongating mirrors in the large curtainless doorless fitting room. I know we shared that moment of feeling beautiful and affordable at the same time.

Models as musees

The exhibition at Met features the ideal female bodies through the last century, from goddess in 1940s to the grunge in 1990s. Let's take a look at two women that epitomizes the drastic change of body image in half a century.

Audrey Hepburn: the goddess


Classical, elegant, intelligent ... a woman from high society with good education and upbringing.

Though she has a slim cigar in the mouth, a fad in the 50s and probably considered a rebel at her time, she looks like to have a "silver spoon" in her mouth, instead of cigar.

Audrey has a long neck and poses like a swan. The outfit with a floor-length hem, a bateau neckline and long sleeve up to the upper arm (another fashion in her time) covers her body with modesty. Though the silhouette accentuates her waistline, it is not high-voltage charged. No boob and hips protruding.

The jewelry head pin and necklace reinforced her status that belongs to the luxury and leisure beyond the reach of the mass.



Kate Moss: the grunge

Contemporary, sexy and rebellious... a woman from the common with street sophistication.

After the youthquake in the 1960s and the power suit in the 1980s, women are no longer as domesticated and docile as they used to be. She dares to expose more of her body and pose in a way that loses balance or composure. You can call it "laid-back" or "I don't care a shit"? But it is a willful pose with an iota of spontaneity.

See how the one-shoulder one-sleeve dress show and conceal her body? The neckline almost dips to one inch above her nipple. And the short-short hemline reveals the whole length of legs all the way to the butt.

Note

Both women are European but made big impact on American fashion and female image. So it is far to label the entry as America.

Li Ning

Everything is possible.

One of the best-known Chinese brands across the board in China.
In 2008, the company experienced a 53.8% growth in revenue.
It has 6,000+ stores and generated about $1billion revenue in 2008.

Mr. Li Ning

The namesake is a multiple Olympic gold medal gymnast.
His stardom in China after 1984 Los Angele Olympic is something comparable to Michael Phelps of 2008 for Americans.

He succeeded in switching careers from a professional athlete to a businessman. Till today, he is the chairman of the company. He forged the transition partly by receiving higher education from the Business College of Peking University. I met him in one class. He looked less energetic as sportsman and more shrewd as a businessman.


Li Ning Co. Ltd

Two years after the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Li Ning exited his sports career and founded the company under his name in Guangdong. He is neither a designer nor a businessman, but he is able to build a household apparel and footwear brand in China. Today it grows to become a multi-brand company, adding accessories and sports equipment under its belt.

I think its branding achievements can be attributed to not only celebrity marketing (celebrity endorsement can only carry you that far), but also the innovation in its product development, quality and marketing strategies. In a word, it is the whole system behind the brand.

Marketing Highlights


One example of its marketing success is JIONG footwear. Soon after the Chinese character caught on among Chinese online community in the past two years, Li Ning developed and sold shoes with the character and cartoon faces printed on the sides. The word originally means "light". In the contemporary online world, the word carries a new meaning: the state of being depressed or embarrassed, derived from its visual shape, like a face with two dropping eyebrows and a wailing mouth. The mood resonates with so many Internet users, mostly city dwellers who are distressed with their living conditions: a crowded city and a busy lifestyle.

A highlight of its marketing success is encapsulated in the Beijing Olympic torch lighting moment. Li Ning ran or rather flew around the ceiling of the Stadium before inflamed the torch. All eyes on him and his brand name was limelighted with mega-watt power. The company rolled out an integrated promotion compaign with Beijing Olympic. They could increase their visibility without being a sponsor to the game.

A National Brand, and Then ...

46-year-old Li Ning surely can continue his tenure in his company for another decade or so. The company is growing with a tremendous momentum after the Beijing Olympics. It was listed on public stocks. And it established R&D center for product development.

As with any business, the sports gear and wear company must have the world map in mind and not satisfied with its status quo as a brand landlocked in China. But the company is not successfully globalized, so far. International market consists only 0.8% of its total sales. Its website is not consumer-oriented, eyeball-friendly or contemporary looking. Juxtapose it with Nike's website and you see a huge gap in their online presentation. It neglects the now thing, e-commerce, and relies heavily on brick-and-mortar retailing method.

If ever there is a world-renown clothing brand from China, Li Ning might be among the first tier. It establised a design and R&D center in Portland, Oregon, close to Nike's headquarters. Next year, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Still a young company, as many other businesses in the private sectors of China, it takes a lot more to win international consumers who are not enchanted by the name.

An Interview with a Consumer

I just briefly interviewed my husband, one of the first Li Ning brand followers, since his high school age.

Q: Why do you like the brand?
A: It's the best Chinese brand (as opposed to foreign brand). Somehow, (consumers do not usually analyze the mechanics behind marketing), the brand looks superior to other shoe brand, say Doublestar. Well, its design does not look as good as Li Ning, though it has good quality. But since it is no gurantee of quality in China, the look is more important.

Q: Is there any other retired athlete who follows Li Ning's example?
A: Sure. Some. For example, Deng Yaping. But nobody can pull it off as Li Ning does.

Q: Why so?
A: Probably, Li Ning sounds more striking as a brand name than say Deng Yaping.

Issey Miyake

The zenith of Japanese fashion design caliber.
The reason why Japanese design has gained a footing in the fashion orthodox of Europe.

Mr. Issey Miyake

The miracle name means "Three Houses One Life". (See, I can read kangji.) It's a poetic name. The owner of the name was born in pre-nuked Hiroshima (1938). The horror of the atomic disaster must have triggered an antibody from the child at the age of seven that he desired beauty and peace in the expression of visual art. He studied graphic design and apprenticed at Paris and New York. He returned to his root at the age of 32 and opened his own design studio. For more info on his bio, click to infomat.


He had two major technical innovations:

A-POC, a piece of cloth. Make a garment with one piece of cloth, meaning no traditional cut-and-sew. Even better, customers can cut the cloth to their own satisfaction. I didn't see how IS does that and could only admire his creative gene. Check out its promotion video. Very creative with a perfect synchronization of its images and music.

Pleats Please, a method to creat pleated texture on a cloth already cut. Again, I cannot imagine how he make the pattern if the cloth is going to shrink after pleating. Must be very mathematical.

Issey Miyake Design

You can admire his innovations on his website. I looked through the Spring/Summer 2009 line of APOC, Pleats Please, HAAT, and Issey Miyake FETE and was totally converted to be his fan.

I LOVE his aesthetics. Clean, textured, beautiful color coordination, masterfully proportioned and comfortable yet rare silhouettes. I want those lantern-shaped pants and opaque striped dresses. Every woman should have those instead of cotton T-shirt and skinny jeans all year round. On top of that, its models do not wear dangerously high stilettos. The flats look perfect with the outfits. Its design is like a fresh breeze through the window from the spring meadow, so unlike any other designs you could find on style.com.

I also love its website background music, very hypnotizing. If you click into his latest fashion show, you will be mesmerized by the show: the lighting, music, martial art session (when the gongfu masters kicks in suits) and the breathtakingly beautiful clothes. I've seen such original and thoughtful designs for a long time. (Probably because I didn't browse as frequently lately.) I can find traces of Japanese kimono influeces in its collar design and draping.

Issey Miyake clothing is not just a piece of cloth. It has a life in it, because the designer (now Mr. Miyake no longer worked on line development) gives part of his soul to the creation.

Eddie Bauer

It's on the news that Eddie Bauer filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Somewhere I saw the name, probably on WWD, but never visited its store in Honolulu, because there is no store here. Either Honolulu appears to an unattractive retail location for the company, or the multi-hundred store chain is not heavy-weighted enough to bear its coexistence with other luxury brands that line up along Waikiki Kalakahua Ave or Ala Moana Shopping Center.

So what is Eddie Bauer?

EB is an outdoor gear and wear retailer, starting from one Seattle store since 1920. The breakthrough for the brand development is the patented innovation of down-filled insulated jacket (inveted in 1936), which provided warmth and protection for American troops during WWII and adventurers in their first ascents of numerous high mountains.

Another innovation is in retailing approach. EB is the first to provide "unconditional guarantee" for customer satisfaction (invented in 1922). Today, when you enjoy the service of returning goods within 90s in WalMart, you need to thank Eddie Bauer for bringing this level of customer service to the retailing world.

Who is the mastermind behind the brand?

Eddie Bauer, a second-generation Russian-German immigrant, grew up on an adventurer's heaven on an island in Washington. He loved fishing and hunting and turned his hobby into a successfull business.

Like so many other self-started desginers, EB invented the down jacket after getting sick in fishing without enough insulation protection. He patented "Bauer Shuttlecock" (1934) which popularized the game of badminton.

EB is an inventor, a sportsman and a businessman. What a perfect combination of the elements, a balance of work and life!

Why bankrupt?

I could only guess why after almost a century of success the retailer could not survive this economic chill. Telling from its website, the look and feel is so last-century, so traditional and classical, meaning not unique, original, impressive enough to stand out. While the company seems to target at consumers in their active outdoor age, about 20 to 40, the merchandise, so widely and readily available in any other retailers, are basic goods, instead of fashion goods, which can create more same-customer revisit.

The company grew too fast over the last decade, opening too many stores. Its success was built on solid mail-order business model. Retail stores with its modest-looking merchandise can hardly bring in any more new customers.

Instead, the company could have done better focusing on its high-tech outdoor clothing and gear, like Northface. Staying in the top, selling expensive, providing the most edgy of all outdoor products (innovation, innovation, innovation), instead of appealing to the mass. By being everybody, you become nobody.

Salute ...

Eddie Bauer has had its glory. Only it won't shine farther into the new century. Its story keeps me wondering if the initial energy (of invention and synchronization with consumer needs and the zeitgeist) from its founder will always shimmer and wither down the road in its second or third generation of leadership. After all, only when you really love something dear enough can you create something truly great.

Hilo Hattie

In memory of former "The Store of Hawaii", I inaugurated my Pacific Fashion blog with Hilo Hattie.

Hilo Hattie used to be one of the most famous brands from Hawaii, alluring tourists with free trolley rides and free juices and shell necklace at the door. What a luxurious display of generosity and hospitality! You could find souvenirs and Hawaiian wear, such as a family outfit of same-print shirts and dresses. It used to be a Hawaiian must-go shopping destination.

Bygone those glorious days back in the 1980s. Today, their website cannot be opened. The disappearance of their online presence is an indicator of how dissolved they are, as retail stores, a brand and embodiment of what Hawaii has to offer.

Last summer (2008), I almost made my internship gig there. A week before I started summer days in that green two-storied building of Hilo Hattie's headquarters, I received a phone call from their HR, telling me to hold on, because they are undergoing restructuring. Then, boom, they just went bankcrupt.

I can only guess why. Consumers find many other and better alteratives of Aloha wear and souvenirs. Maybe it is a failed outsourcing endeavor. Instead of offering Hawaiian shirts in cheaper prices, the price tag remained higher than competitors. At the same time, the brand lost the charm of being Hawaiian by "made in Hawaii".

For many, Hilo Hattie is a landmark of Hawaiian retailing achievements and an emotional attachment to the land. Like Super Ferry, the Hawaiian-born brand could not live through this harsh winter of economic downturn.

I hope something new will spring from the root.