Kaila Hawai'i

Today’s Hawaiian word of the day is kai a Pele, or tsunami or tidal wave.

The inspiration for today’s choice was obviously the events of this past February 27, 2010, following the oceanic surge sent throughout the Pacific Ocean by the Chilean quake. On a side note, I must say that some celebratory champagne from the night before had led me to think of something more sinister concocted by Kim Jong Il when I was awakened far too early by the sirens’ metallic screech at 5:50 in the morning. Hence, I was “relieved” to learn that the crisis at hand was actually natural.

Before I get complaints from the scientifically-inclined, I’d like to underline the difference between tsunami and a tidal wave. While tsunamis are generated by geological disturbances, the key word in the layman’s term is tidal, referring, of course, to the tides. Since tsunamis are not caused by the tides, tidal wave is discouraged as term to describe the phenomena. (At the same, tsunami literally means “harbor wave” in Japanese, so here’s to the scientific community’s selective recognition of etymology.)

Now that the digression is over, back to the ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Though the Hawaiian word for wave is nalu, the Hawaiian terms referring to tsunami or tidal waves found in Pukui and Elbert’s Hawaiian Dictionary use instead the word kai, or sea.

Besides kai a Pele (literally “sea of Pele”), other terms are kai e‘e (mounting sea) and the variant kai ho‘ē‘e. As a verb, ho‘ē‘e can be to rise or swell. I do recall hearing some Ni‘ihau speakers dropping the word kai and using either e‘e or ho‘ē‘e on its own to refer to the destructive wave. Interestingly enough, the Hawaiian term is closer to the actual nature of the tsunami, a swelling of the sea that surges ashore as opposed to one crashing wave. The receding of the ocean that precedes the tsunami is called kai mimiki.

Personally, I prefer kai a Pele because it refers to the wahine kapu (sacred woman) of Kīlauea herself, Pele, and her awesome powers. Not only the creator of new land, Pele also makes the earth tremble in ōla‘i, or earthquakes—the generator of the tsunami.  In the lower case, pele refers to lava and eruption. And if my understanding of Hawaiian grammar is right, the possessive a suggests that the destructive sea does not just belong to Pele but is created or generated by the goddess herself. Though the hula kahiko “Aia la ‘o Pele” refers to eruptions, I think it’s meditative inquiry “I hea kāua e la‘i ai, ‘ea?” (Where can we find peace?) is equally appropriate for kai a Pele.

Fortunately enough, the Pacific was spared from the kai a Pele this past weekend. Since I was already awake Saturday and suffering from my own ōla‘i (of notably French origin) between my temples, I jumped online to see what was occurring in French Polynesia because of the region’s closer proximity to Chile. The Gambier Islands only recorded 26 cm. The harbor in Pape‘ete, Tahiti only noted marginal rises. The minimal waves Because of their topography, the Marquesas, or Te Fenua Enata, recorded the strongest waves, measuring up to four meters at Ua Pou. On Radio Polynésie, a local resident reported seeing tourbillons, or whirlpools, form in the water. A day later, La Dépêche de Tahiti published the following photos—not exactly kai a Pele but curious enough.

Sources:

• Flickr – Clearly Ambiguous – Under Creative Commons License
• La Dépêche de Tahiti
• Pukui and Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary

Tags: Chile, Gambier Islands, Hawaiian language, Hawaiian word of the day, kai a Pele, kai e'e, kai ho‘ē‘e, Kilauea, Kim Jong Il, Marquesas, Pele, Tahiti, tidal wave, tsunami, ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i

Tikahiri, my favorite Pa’umotu goth band – and perhaps the only Pa’umoth goth band that ever will exist – is about to release their second studio album dubbed Merahi Kerekere. According to the band’s Facebook page, the discs are sous douane, which I’m liberally interpreting as “stuck in customs”. Luckily, three tracks are already up for listening on Reverb Nation. Two  of the  tracks (“A Tauahi Mai” and “Kareho Koe”) are in Pa’umotu, the language of the Tuamotu archipelago where lead members Aroma and Mano Salmon grew up. The other  (“Falling in Love”) is in English. (Note: no tracks in French, so Tikahiri’s right on par with indie bands in France métropolitaine.)

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Tags: acoustic, Acoustic Rock, Aroma Salmon, French Polynesia, goth, gothic, Mano Salmon, Merahi Kerekere, pa'umotu, Simon Pillard, Stephane Rossoni, Tahiti, Tamaki Hope'a, Tikahiri, Tuamotus

The marvelous blog I Want To Be a Roitfeld featured this tee in an earlier post this month, and I had to share. As much of a fan as I am of Ms. Carine Roitfeld – rédactrice-en-chef of French Vogue – I’m not entirely certain that I could sport this. Of course, the resemblance is not 100%. I’m sure the image would just make many think of some character from the film Avatar.

Tags: Carine Roitfeld, French Vogue, IWantToBeARoitfeld.com

One of the supreme highlights of Francisco Costa’s women’s ready-to-wear show for Calvin Klein Collection was the appearance of Polish model Monika Jagaciak, or simply, “Jac”. She opened the show, which turned out to be one of Costa’s most minimalist and spare since he took over as women’s designer from Mr. Klein himself in 2004. In my eyes, it seemed as an evolution of ideas first presented in his fall 2007 and spring 2009 shows. (Cecilia Dean, founder of the luxe fashion magazine Visionaire had appopriately described the latter show as “soft geometry” in an interview.) While the show seemed geared towards pragmatic but ever-so-cool dressing for everyday, Jac did sport one of Costa’s three spare, elegant evening dresses in silver silk Lurex. Calvin Klein’s live webcast, unfortunately, did not capture the intricacies of the fabric’s delicate grid pattern. It is good to know that, even with technology, you still need to be there in person to truly see it… That is, until houses start broadcasting in high-definition.

In the meantime, Jac can also be seen as the face of Calvin Klein Collection’s 2010 Spring Collection campaign.

Sources:

• Style.com | Photos: Marcio Madeira &  Greg Kessler, FirstView.com

Tags: Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Collection, Jac, Lurex, Monika Jagaciak, New York Fashion Week

Along with over 8,000 people worldwide, I watched the A/W 2010 men’s collection from Calvin Klein Collection online on February 14, 2010. I took it as a Valentine to all those who appreciate minimalist design.

Lean and mean for everyday

I love the sheer lean, sharp, serious quality to this collection. GQ’s review is on target when it describes the collection as “crisp, angular, and authoritative as hell”. The futuristic element that Italo Zucchelli has introduced to the men’s line is still present. But this time, it’s more integrated into a real world sensibility without losing its éclat, or spark, as they’d say in French.

Pieces on the wishlist

While much of the construction was quite attractive, these are the favorites of Kaila Hawai’i.

Iron Cuoio Two Button Sport Jacket | Bonded Plongee Leather/Ribbed Merino Jacket

Ottoman Rib Hooded Sweater, espcially in cloud white.

Onyx Rubber Overcoat and the Bonded Sueded/Denim Engineered Pant

Details on all looks at Calvin Klein Collection – Men Fall 2010 lookbook.

(All photos – Source: GQ | Photo: Andrew Thomas)

The aesthetics of walking

One small change I noticed happily was the overall change in model’s walk from the Spring 2010 showing. Gone was the stiff gait that dominated much of the Spring collection’s appearance. Aside from Mr. David Agbodji-see more and less of him here-very few of the men seemed to have mastered the “back from the future” walk that the house was going for with that presentation. On this outing, the men opted for a more direct, boldly confident stride that had an almost militaristic quality at times. (A few did have an odd robotic quality with how they took corners. )

A touch of Grace?

(Source: GQ | Photo: Andrew Thomas)

Is it me or does Mr. Agbodji’s appearance seem to be referencing Grace Jones?  The cut of his hair and the sharp blazers are reminiscent of Ms. Jones on her 1981 album Nightclubbing.

The soundtrack

The sound of the collection is built around various around a them, well, remixes that is. The sound design integrates several different mixes of “Basic Space” by up-and-coming Brit band The XX.

• Basic Space – Jamie xx Mix
• Basic Space – Mount Kimbie/Diskjokke remixes
• Basic Space (Astronomer remix)
• Basic Space (M.A.T.H.E.S remix)

Here’s the original version in the slick video by directed by Anthony Dickinson.

Tags: Autumn/Winter 2010, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Collection, David Agbodji, fashion, GQ, Italo Zucchelli, men's fashion, The XX

As all eyes have moved onto New York Fashion Week, I’m still happy to have discovered the smaller yet sophisticated Copenhagen Fashion Week. One of the most delightful “discoveries”—this, of course, for someone living on the other side of the world—is By Malene Birger.  The house was launched five years ago by Danish designer Birger, who seems to be quite well appreciated by British Vogue. (And, may I say, when I opened up French Vogue’s February issue yesterday, guess whose ad I saw?)  But the publicity is well deserved. And By Malene Birger’s latest outing proves it. Autumn/Winter 2010 collection was relaxed and elegant with a occasional infusion of luxe. Take the fur vest that the first model strutted down an indoor field of autumn leaves… luxurious yet approachable. At other times, comfy sweatpants were paired blazers for a cofident, easy-going look.

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Tags: Autumn/Winter 2010, By Malene Birger, Copenhagen Fashion Week, fashion, Spring/Summer 2010

After all the visits to Kaila Hawai’i since the Gudrun & Gudrun post over the weekend–I never thought fashion from the remote Faroe Islands would be such a draw–take a look at the runway show for Gudrun & Gudrun’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection from last week’s Copenhagen Fashion Week. Until I saw this, I never thought wool could actually be so crazy cool. Of course, tattoos usually help.

Source: Copenhagen Fashion Week TV; Copenhagen Fashion Week

P.S. Several songs on the soundtrack are by group Toro Y Moi, though I’m not sure if they did do the first track.

Tags: Autumn/Winter 2010, Copenhagen Fashion Week, Faroe Islands, fashion, Gudrun & Gudrun, Gudrun og Gudrun, Toro Y Moi

Before going back into Nordic fashion, I thought it’d might be a good idea to head back to the Pacific. I’m currently digging the new Tukupu line of tanks and tees from Tikidub, the production company founded by Māori recording artist Tiki Taane. Designed by Inia Taylor and Illicit for Tikidub, each tee features the graffiti print and the phrase “Dub Soldier”.

How to Buy

All of you into fashion rareties can gear yourself up with a product that probably hasn’t been seen outside of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Buy direct from the Tikidub Shop. (You can also buy Tiki’s tracks there as well.)

More on Tiki

You can read more about Tiki and his groundbreaking single “Tangaroa” here.

Tags: Aotearoa, Illicit, Inia Taylor, Māori, New Zealand, Tiki Taane, Tikidub, Tukupu

These rocking kids pieces from Gudrun & Gudrun – Ovitar  line deserved a post all of their own. While the (cute) attitude is due much in part to the hair style and styling, I can’t help but wish I had things like this to wear at this little one’s age. Just too adorable.

What he’s wearing

Top – Traditional Cardigan. Bottom – Sweater Republic.

Where to buy

Available from Gudrun & Gudrun’s online store

Tags: cardigans, childrenswear, Gudrun & Gudrun, Gudrun og Gudrun, sweaters

Gudrun & Gudrun’s Autumn/Winter 2010 showing in Copenhagen reminded me that style doesn’t always originate in the world’s urban centers, an idea that we should take more to heart in the Pacific region.  Gudrun & Gudrun, in fact, comes from the very antipodes of the fashion capitals. The label was founded by two women from the Faroe Islands, a remote chain of islands in the North Atlantic with a population of just 45,000 with a language closely related to Old Norse. The label’s unique look comes from the isolation of the Faroe Islands paired with an occasional burst of energy from Europe.

However, it’s not just Gudrun & Gudrun’s distance that makes G&G gear simultaneously comforting yet so cool. Key to the label’s sensibility is their credo of ”slow fashion”, which was developed into a book of the same title. The core material of their collection is wool and hide from the islands’ sheep, introduced by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago. The chilling, rugged environment creates wool of exceptional quality and resiliance.  Not only are the label’s materials sourced from its home. The label’s most exquisite pieces are handcrafted by women from the Faroe Islands in the comfort of their homes, not in some invisible, nameless factory.

But as these runways shots from G&G’s showing at Copenhagen Fashion Week A/W 2010 (see more of the collection here), G&G is not about folklore of yesteryear. Some of these pieces are ineffably modern and edgy but emanate a surprising warmth nevertheless. I would imagine Vikings from some futuristic, sci-fi saga suiting up in these kind of deconstructed sweaters and boots.

It’s this kind of fashion that makes me miss the chill of winter. Thankfully, G&G does offer a Spring/Summer collection for those who brave warmer climates. Nevertheless, I’d say aim for something short-sleeve like the Nicolai Hole vest. Of course, the  Sweater with Diamonds is still tempting for anywhere with heavy air conditioning.

Gudrun & Gudrun – The Breakdown

Who Wears It

Apparently, G&G is popular amongst the Faroese themselves. It comes as no surprise as that G&G counts the Japanese amongst their main international fans.

Rarity Factor

Despite the Japanese fan contingent, G&G is not widely available, making a G&G Faroese sweater a visual standout. Even on the web, G&G is a rarity, except for this post we found from distant Finland. However, judging from the hipness of the G&G image, I doubt this will last for much longer. G&G has received coverage from the likes of WWD and Italian Vogue. The label will also be having showings in New York, Milan, and Paris.

Website

http://www.gudrungudrun.com

For a company from somewhere so isolated, G&G has created quite an up-to-date website. Its current incarnation features video footage of dances from New York’s Stephen Petronio Dance Company wearing G&G pieces.

How to Buy

Much of the G&G collection is available from its online store in USD. As tempting as many pieces are, I’m afraid how much it would cost to ship half way around the world. Of course, G&G does have a flagship store in Torshavn, the Faroese capital, which is becoming a visitor destination of its own. (Check New York Times’ visit back in 2007 here.)

Tags: Autumn/Winter 2010, Copenhagen Fashion Week, Faroe Islands, Gudrun & Gudrun, Gudrun og Gudrun, slow fahion, Spring/Summer 2010, Stephen Petronio Dance Company, Vikings