Hawaii Jewelers Association 2008 design stars

The Hawaii Jewelers Association announced the winners of its 2008 Jewelry Design Competition Saturday night. The sparkling creations were judged in three categories, on criteria weighted toward overall design while also considering marketability, wearability/practicality and craftsmanship.

The most coveted prize, the Designer of the Year Award, went to Michael Ly of Maui Divers Jewelry on the strength of three designs, including “Kane Paddler,” a diamond-and-gold medallion illustrating one of the most powerful images of Hawaii, the canoe paddler. The design took first-place honors in the Hawaiian-themed jewelry competition.

Also chosen in each of the categories were People’s Choice winners.

Here are the winners:

Jewelry under $3,500

» First: “Color My World,” by Jaime Ciletti, Windward Jewelers. Earrings created by Hella Meek in 14-karat gold with amethyst, peridot and blue topaz gems.

» Second: “Dazzling Anthurium,” by Michael Ly, Maui Divers Jewelry. An elegant handmade diamond-accented anthurium motif brooch.

» Third: “Honey Bee,” by Denny Wong of Denny Wong Designs. A Tahitian black circle pearl is the perfect fit for this clever pendant/brooch bee design of yellow and white gold citrine cabochon and tsavorite garnets.

» People’s choice: “Mana,” by Mark Meador, Goldsmiths Kauai. A bright South Sea pearl, diamonds and striking black onyx carving with 18-karat gold had the power to capture the people’s prize.

Jewelry over $3,500

» First: “Christmas Suite,” by Tom Wheeler and Eric Gold, Opal Fields. A pendant and earring ensemble is set with a rare suite of boulder black opals with a Christmas light, color display.

» Second: “Sugar & Spice,” by Hella Allerstorfer Meek, Windward Jewelers. These handmade hanger-style earrings feature a choice of large fancy yellow diamonds or drop south sea pearls.

» Third: “Golden Tornado,” by Michael Ly, Maui Divers. A white-and-yellow gold pendant holds a rich golden south sea pearl in a tornado of diamonds.

» People’s choice: “Eve’s Temptation,” by David Fairclough, Topaz Goldsmith & Gallery. This serpent necklace comprises supple gold links set with black diamonds and yellow sapphires.

Hawaiian Theme Jewelry

» First: “Kane Paddler,” by Michael Ly, Maui Divers

» Second: “Sunset on the Beach,” by Jane Chen, Opal Fields. A pendant depicting the setting sun on a palm tree-laden beach with a sky and ocean of blue-green boulder black opal in white gold.

» Third: “Sacred Honu,” by Dana Romsdal, Goldsmiths Kauai. The green sea turtle is hand carved of yellow and white gold.

» People’s choice: “Hawaiian Sea Life,” by John Nyugen, Maui Divers Jewelry. A white gold pendant set with a south sea pearl and diamonds captures Hawaii’s sea creatures playfully swimming in an ocean of blue enamel.

Jewelry connects with culture

Silver kakau pendants

If you recall the dentist’s chair from “Little Shop of Horrors” or the barber’s chair in “Sweeney Todd,” you might understand Sonny Ching’s position when approached to, of all things, start a jewelry line.

As Linda Ueda explains, her brother is the kumu hula’s dentist and popped the question “when he was in his chair, his mouth open. In that position, he could only say ‘yes,'” she said, with a laugh.

“It was kind of strange,” Ching said.

That was about two years ago, and the result of their collaboration can be seen at Nohea Gallery at Ward Warehouse, where Ching will appear during a meet-the-artist session Saturday.

Ueda and her daughter Akemi were already enjoying success with their Paradisus line of Asian and flora-inspired collection of jewelry, which launched in 2005. To follow up, Ueda, a longtime Hawaii interior designer who now resides in the Bay Area, said, “I was looking for a way to express Hawaiian culture and Hawaii visual art.”

In Ching, she said she found someone “with great credentials as a kumu hula, who knows the Hawaiian language, and who has studied Hawaiian lore.”

Ching, who was conducting a hula workshop in New York over the weekend, said by phone, “When she approached me, I thought about it and had my own ideas of what I wanted the collection to be and what I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t want to do florals, I didn’t want to do quilt designs. I didn’t want to do anything that’s been done.

Kumu hula Sonny Ching

“Through the jewelry, I want to connect people to the Hawaiian culture, and try to bring in a modern-day sensibility, leaving it open enough for people to create their own connections.”

He brought up the idea of incorporating the imagery of the kakau, or Hawaiian tattoo, and Ueda agreed.

“It was an area she was thinking of going into, but she didn’t know the symbolism behind the kakau. That’s where I came in,” he said.

Ching found Ueda’s initial designs to be beautiful, “but empty,” he said. “They were just designs with no meaning. It bothered me and I think it bothered her also, and I was happy she felt that way. I like people like that, who have integrity. We didn’t want to take from the culture, or use the designs in a wrong way.”

It was important for him to focus on the designs beyond their surface beauty, so each piece comes with a story behind the symbolism to help wearers to understand more about the culture.

Since then, it’s been a long-distance collaboration, the same way Ueda works with Akemi, who also lives in Hawaii. Through e-mails, they share sketches and ideas. Right now, having already produced sterling-silver jewelry lines inspired by kakau and ‘ohe kapala, the stamp designs applied to kapa, Ching is working on a series of demigod pieces, revamping a vision of kamapuaa because Ueda rejected an earlier one.

“We go back and forth with designs. I tell her things like why a triangle should face a certain way, why it should point up instead of down.

“I have a leg tattoo from hip to ankle, and anyone who knows the Hawaiian kakau can look at my leg and can tell exactly where my family comes from. It’s a genealogy,” he said.

Fluid fashion by Harari and Ryan Roberts

Anna Dequintanaroo wears Harari’s LunaBlossoms Mandarin jacket and Antonia pant in black, while Darah Dung wears Harari’s black knit T with Reed skirt in Moda Flora black.

Hui Makaala will stage its 39th annual scholarship luncheon and fashion show Sunday at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, featuring the Far East-inspired designs of Harari, men’s and women’s attire kamaaina retailer Tapestries by Hauoli, and Los Angeles-based designer Ryan Roberts.

 

Hui Makaala fashion show Featuring designs from Harari, Ryan Roberts and Tapestries by Hauoli » On stage: 1 p.m. Sunday, with 9 a.m. boutique sales and noon lunch » Place: Sheraton Waikiki Hotel Hawaii Ballroom » Tickets: $60 » Reservations: E-mailpresident@huimakaala.org

Roberts’ designs may be new to Hawaii fashion watchers, but he’s no stranger to our shores. He might be considered an honorary kamaaina because he’s traveled here frequently over 16 years with his partner, who hails from Kailua.

He’ll be showing a mix of men’s and women’s designs from his Spring 2008 collection and a sneak preview of his 2009 collection, the latter “inspired by Hawaii a little bit,” he said in a phone interview from his LA studio.

The collection embodies “the idea of getting away and the sense of relaxing,” he said. “The color story is a mixture of seafoam blues, whites, pinks and sand colors.”

Anna Dequintanaroo wears Ryan Roberts’ Spring 2008 wrap-apron dress in celery, $425.

Roberts grew up in Toronto, with an interest in illustration and fashion design. He moved to the United States in 1997, working for a series of East Coast designers before branching out on his own in 2000 with a men’s and women’s wear collection that reflects his background as a menswear designer, though, over the years, the women’s line has become his focus.

“I’m taking all the elements of tailoring, all the elements of menswear and applying it to womenswear,” he said.

The result is impeccable, detailed construction that also contains fluidity and looseness that he attributes to being out West.

“I always had an affinity to the West Coast, the pace, the people, because I grew up in a big city — not that LA isn’t a big city —

but everything is sprawling and open. Space is really important to me.

“There’s a nice, relaxed element to being on the West Coast. I find my designs are becoming less constructed, and (have) more ease, the longer I’ve been here.”

Which suits Hawaii just fine, as well as his vision of his clientele.

“They’re people who live busy lives, so getting dressed should be something effortless, and I try to design in a way that’s easy to approach.”

Funds raised by the fashion show will benefit Hui Makaala’s scholarship fund. This year, the Okinawan organization presented $20,000 in scholarships to nine Hawaii college-bound students.