 RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Stephanie Takahashi, top, lounges in a modified vintage dress ($79.95) from Blue Geisha, available at The Candy Shop. The contemporary grape necklace is $20. CLICK FOR LARGE |
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Sweet!
The Candy Shop keeps expanding its collections
EVERY designer and retailer needs to start somewhere, and that can be easier said than done, due to the high cost of rent and the steep learning curve that comes with running a business.
While there's been lots of talk over the years about a fashion incubator or retail outlet for young local designers, the Candy Shop is making it happen.
In addition to carrying designs by up-and-comers like Roberta Oaks, Michele Lau, Cut N' Sewn by Dan Weaver and Akane Clothing, and utilizing the Internet capabilities of sister company WeSell- Things4U, the boutique continues to expand with the addition of two more boutiques-within-a-boutique.
New to the fold is a line of vintage apparel by Blue Geisha, and vintage and collectible kicks by the Street Society.
The result is a mix of old and new rarely seen together in Honolulu retail, but not unusual to trendsetters who wouldn't dream of 100 percent off-the-rack mall dressing.
 RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COMIn addition to contemporary apparel and accessories by emerging designers, The Candy Shop includes vintage jewelry. Shown above, clockwise from left, The coral-hued earrings are $42, orange-and-amber colored brooch ($32), gold-and-turquoise costume brooch ($49), and rhinestone brooch ($69). CLICK FOR LARGE |
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For Blue Geisha's Cathy Reed, the partnership with the Candy Shop allowed her to close her Waikiki boutique, while focusing on wholesaling and spending her time doing what she does best.
"After running a business for a while, I decided I'm a designer, not a storekeeper," she said. "I like to be creative, working with fabric. I didn't like the paperwork. That was very boring.
"Now, they can run the business, which they're so suited for, and I can go back to being free, free to design and be creative."
Christian Kai Luke of the Street Society said: "I'm definitely glad to be at the Candy Shop. I see where they're going and what they want to do in carrying artists' products, helping people to get noticed and giving them a good platform to start from."
The arrangement is a mutual one, with the Street Society also pulling in a largely male clientele new to the Candy Shop.
Of course, some compromise was necessary. A space formerly used for dressing rooms has now been dubbed the Back Room, just because, Luke said, "It's hard for guys to say they shop at the Candy Shop. I have a problem saying that.
"Now they can say they went to the Back Room, even though we're using the same cashier and the receipt will say 'Candy Shop.' "
The Candy Shop is at 831 Queen St. Call 589-1102.
