Every girl on Kaua‘i who loves fashion knows that a trip to O‘ahu really means one thing — shopping. Last weekend, although my intentions to visit the gathering place were solely to spend time with family (and I really did
Every girl on Kaua‘i who loves fashion knows that a trip to O‘ahu really means one thing — shopping.
Last weekend, although my intentions to visit the gathering place were solely to spend time with family (and I really did spend a LOT of time with family), I just couldn’t help myself.
My first shoventure (shopping + adventure) was really more of a meant-to-be moment.
I mean, how perfect was it that I was on O‘ahu during the same week that my close friend, Cassandra Rull, was selling her one-of-a-kind clothing designs with her other ultra-talented friends in a trendy fashion-market event called Art & Flea? Yup, meant to be.
Art & Flea, according to its website, is a monthly market created by Aly Ishikuni (another fashionista with Kaua‘i roots), Tiffany Tanaka and Nicole Franco. The scene was definitely a hot spot that night with a diverse crowd and an abundance of unique vendors.
After attending Art & Flea, I was reminded that O‘ahu’s “high fashion” scene is not found in the designer stores at Ala Moana Center. The real source for creativity is within the underground artists. High fashion is not a price tag, it’s a culture. And in Hawai‘i, these local fashionistas rule the scene.
Throughout the rest of my trip, my realizations were confirmed as I saw that local boutiques and local designers were thriving in the city. The “hand-made with love” clothing and accessories were everywhere. And buyers were choosing to support these local boutiques just as much as the department stores and factory brands.
I was so pleased to find that many of the small-town guys and gals, and a good amount of them from Kaua‘i, were making it just fine in the “big-time city.”
•Around the web:
#Art&Flea @ www.artandflea.com
#CassandraRull @ www.facebook.com/cassandrarull
#RoamHawaii @ www.roamhawaii.com
