Embellishments, reinvented white shirt, eyelets, leather, sunnies, and smile are basically all you need to survive the Summer in style! Special thank you to my assistants, Cassie Louie and Trey Ahu, for being there to sort through my madness and also Ryan Camacho for lending his expert hair/makeup on location.

Who wants more?

Worked on a photoshoot awhile back that I've learned will be out in ONE Magazine. Can't wait for it to come out in the next issue.

I made Chad run two blocks, complete 15 jumping jacks, had him run in place for about half a minute all in a short short period of time, and then dumped cold water on his face. This is the end result with photography by yours truly.

As I begin rounds of more shopping ads for Honolulu SHOPS Magazine, I just wanted to take the time to lament the Spring season. Perhaps it's all of my allergies that are making me a hater, but I just don't really see myself as a Spring person. Oh well. Nothing like shopping to pick you up right? *achoooo*

Oliver Peoples, Smythson, Luis Morais and Neil Barrett at Mr. Porter
C. Dellstrand at C. Dellstrand E-Store
Saint Laurent Paris at SSENSE
R13 Denim at Aloha Rag

I'm gonna test the theory of positive thinking today. So what better way to kick off a great day than with a new shirt? I got this Saturdays NYC button-up at Aloha Rag a couple weeks back, but wanted to save it for a "rainy day". Today is that kind of day. Let's do this!

I hope everyone has an amazing day as well. C'mon positive thinking!

As a part of their annual 'Best of..' issue, Modern Luxury Hawaii featured a round of some of my favorite people making a difference in Hawaii's fashion and style scene. Julia Chu of La Muse has a gorgeous spread of her store and I am so happy for her, the fantastic men's shoe store Leather Soul gets a great piece as well, but what's particularly peculiar is that...

I am featured alongside those tremendous professionals as a STYLIST! I have a short and sweet write-up that I'm so surprised by. It's nice to know that I'm on some kind of radar, especially by the team at Modern Luxury Hawaii. Check out my feature after the jump...

As I just turned 23 last year I had in mind a couple of wardrobe essentials that I would need in order to get through the following year...one of those essentials being a tailored and high quality suit. I've always fantasized about wearing an immaculate suit that was equally statement making and still understated, though finding anything that fit me properly is always a challenge. Knowing AR Brand's aesthetic and general fit helped me in making the decision to buy one of their suits. The sizing runs from XS (roughly 34-36 chest and 27-29 Waist) to XL (roughly 46 chest and 38 waist) and is built for guys on the trimmer side. I picked up the XS, took my suit to the tailor, made sure every measurement was just for my proportions, and am now head-over-heels in love with it! I even took the suit for a "test-drive" to run some errands and already got compliments on it. With a suit made in Japan that has a luxe lining with a light wool/nylon mix, I'd say it's a good bet to invest in one of these guys!

Anyway, learn more about AR Brand's Serious Suit here...
CLICK HERE to see the current S/S '13 suit
CLICK HERE for AR BRAND's website

Harold Julian was the first photographer I was able to work with. It was for a testshoot with model, Momoko, and we basically shot a Summer story that harked back to the 70s (think wide-leg trousers and white applique cardigans). I had never worked with any other photographer before and I was really trying to impress him...kind of to say, "HEY. LOOK OVER HERE. I CAN DO THIS. I THINK." It was kind of a traumatizing experience because I felt I was fumbling. Here I am, a rookie completely drowning in front of more experienced people that have worked more, worked harder than I. I was scared.

Finally I caught a glimmer of light when Harold muttered, "It looks really expensive. It looks high end." What you said now? What?! I don't think he knows this, but I honestly just got lucky to work with him. Who wants to work with a new nobody anyway? Though...ever since that initial shoot, Harold and I worked consistently together for the next couple of years. Hallelujah.

In ways I feel forever indebted to him. He helped to train my eye to certain things, sharpened my skill as a stylist, and brought out the creative and spirited side of me. Up until Harold, I had no idea how to even navigate what to do with editorial, how to make something look powerful without being gimmicky, he basically trained me. No one else on the island could have been a better teacher or a better leader. I am the most grateful...the most humble to have collaborated with him for such a time. Harold if you're reading this...THANK YOU. You gave me my start so, thank you for taking a chance on me. I wish you ALL THE BEST in New York. Your artistry, your voice, your dialogue as a photographer exceeds anything positive I could say. I can't even begin to fathom how successful you'll be up there. Also, I just have a few more things to say...

1. You still have my black blazer.
2. I'll see you later in the year...

Had a pretty long day today that started off with an in-studio photoshoot for the next issue of Honolulu SHOPS Magazine (Honolulu SHOPS Waikiki has since now dropped the 'Waikiki' moniker and is now solely going as Honolulu SHOPS...which means I get to feature more stores outside of Waikiki). It was a different experience this time around just based on the fact that I got to get in product from stores that I have consistent relationships with. I can't wait to show more of my local favorite boutiques mixed into what Waikiki has to offer.

Continuing my day  included a bunch of returns to make + a handful of more store/studio pulls because I have ANOTHER photoshoot tomorrow for Innov8 magazine! This week definitely won't have me sleeping a lot, but the work is all so worth it. I'm so happy to be starting off January with a bunch of fun jobs :)

Wind? Check. Rain? Check. Leather? Check. 

Yes I know leather jackets aren't the norm for Hawaii...but any chance I get the "winter chill" is the time to whip out my leather. It's been so windy and a bit chilly that I've gotten a couple times to bust out my AR Brand leather jacket (from its first collection in 2010). This entire week has been spent running errands and planning for two photoshoots that are happening back-to-back next week. Semi-stressful, but exciting! Can't wait to show you some new editorials and behind-the-scenes stuff :)