July 2008

Lei Chic’s guide to the weekend’s best events.

Follow the Waves

What: Tonight and tomorrow are the last nights to see “Surfwise,” the documentary film that follows the life of the surfing Paskowitz family. Stanford-educated Doc Paskowitz, his wife and nine children were known in the 60s and 70s for the camper they lived in and the surf schools they ran on California beaches, but the film reveals that their seemingly simple life was rife with complications.

When: Today and Friday, 1 p.m. and 7:30... Read more »

Should I have children, or travel? Pursue my dreams or get a job with benefits? Go to the denim sale or pay my electric bill?

Such pressing life questions seem simple compared to the quandary of middle-aged everyman Marcus Ripps, protagonist of Seth Greenland’s hilarious new satirical novel “Shining City.” After losing his factory job to China, Marcus faces defaulting on his L.A. home and a sexless marriage, until his estranged brother bequeaths him a dry cleaning business. But this solution is quickly soiled when he learns the only thing being laundered there is money earned by a suite of prostitutes.

Your go-to black bikini? Getting a little see-through. That sequined red baby with the blinged-out details? Pool (and possibly mainland) appropriate only. Then there’s always your rash guard and board shorts...

Ready to quit your beachin’?

Bikinis from Hawai‘i designers are gracing the bods of Sports Illustrated swimsuit  models to celebrities in tabloid snapshots, so there’s something out there that suits you.

Indah Clothing
Ever since Kate Hudson was snapped poolside wearing Indah’s Read more »

When Form met Function, it was a perfect fit – dark and handsome, very smooth, and went with everything.

No, they aren’t a couple of love birds who just found true harmony, but two opposite aesthetics becoming one in the bentwood coffee cuff – a gorgeous, just over two-inch wide, wood veneer cuff bracelet that lives a double life as a java jacket.

Available in black walnut, bird’s eye maple, or benge wood veneer from reclaimed architectural offcuts, this cuff was framed around an everyday take-out coffee cup and can be whipped off in a flash to rescue your... Read more »

Lei Chic’s guide to the weekend’s best events.

Explosive Deals
What: There’s a sale just about everywhere you look this weekend.
Fighting Eel has 20 percent off everything at their Chinatown store.
Pacific Home has 10 percent off the whole store and some pieces are down to $99.
The Butik has 15 percent off the whole store.Read more »

You scrub. And mop. And spray, wipe and swiff to keep your place sparkling. But many of the detergents that keep your house clean can dirty the environment with toxic chemicals and pollutants. 

Leave it to a Hawai‘i company to find a way to make cleaning products, well, cleaner.

Hawaiian Soap Factory products, made right here on O‘ahu, are non-toxic, biodegradable and contain no marine pollutants. But they're also industrial-strength - many of Hawai‘i’s hotels, restaurants and other businesses use them every day.

The company has been making commercial-grade soaps and... Read more »

You’ve felt the guilt pangs before – like when you drop a hondo on a new bag and wonder if maybe there are more worthwhile causes than your arm candy addiction.

The new line of SooZou bags by local designer Pia Kuhlemann will take the wind out of your buyer’s remorse – they’re as socially conscious as they are chic. The rope-handled, nautical-styled totes are made from reused sails, and are hand-sewn by Kalihi Valley Housing Project residents. Kuhlemann bought sewing machines, set up a workspace and hired the seamstresses through a women’s development... Read more »