NAWILIWILI — Jeanne Russell was more than thrilled Saturday night during the 5th annual Kauai Fashion Weekend red carpet signature event at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club. “She bought an Ahmadcourture!” gushed Leonora Orr. For Russell, it was
NAWILIWILI — Jeanne Russell was more than thrilled Saturday night during the 5th annual Kauai Fashion Weekend red carpet signature event at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club.
“She bought an Ahmadcourture!” gushed Leonora Orr.
For Russell, it was not about getting something designed by international designer Sha Ali Ahmad, a co-founder of KFW with Marynel Valenzuela of Inkspot Printing, who appeared in an Ahmadcourture.
“This is very functional,” Russell said. “I tried it on, and I liked it. My daughter is one of the models tonight, and we came to watch her.”
But the purchase during the show preceding the catwalk fashion presentation gave Russell some notoriety as she was allowed a walk on the catwalk with Jennifer Davis’s Pineapple Pilates group, prompted by Dickie Chang — who was fashionably garbed in bright yellow pants and a gaudy aloha shirt.
More than 400 people took advantage of the event to dress up, shop, enjoy dinner in the company of special guest Meghan King Edmonds — an actress with “Real Housewives of Orange County” — and enjoy the creations of local and international designers like Edgar Madamba of the Philippines.
Kauai Fashion Weekend capped a flurry of activity, where professionals like Ahmad and other off-island design professionals like Florida-based photographer Natasha Kertes were able to share their knowledge with Kauai residents. Kertes worked her magic aboard a yacht for a Na Pali series.
“We heard about this, and thought we would come to check out what this is about,” said Sara Miura and Eric Miura of Deja Vu Surf, a fourth-generation retail operation. “This is our first time at the Kauai Marriott event.”
Local designer Kristyl Apeles of Puka Surf not only presented her items, but accessorized the presentations with items from other designers including “wearable art designed, stitched and dyed by Christiane Love.”
Susan Tai Kaneko of the Kauai Economic Development Board, Sue Kanoho of the Kauai Visitors Bureau, Edie Ignacio Neumiller, and other familiar Kauai faces had an opportunity to grace the catwalk in fashion created by Kona designer Nita Pilago of Wahine Toa who incorporates the elements of culture into high-demand fashion.
