Nadine Kam video
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The partnership of Sephora and Pantone is a no-brainer. With Pantone already setting the tone for color in everything from fashion to cars to the home, the color we wear on our faces is a logical step. Last year, Sephora + Pantone Universe launched a Color of the Year collection built around Tangerine Tango. This year, it's Emerald's turn.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says the rationale for the soothing, life-affirming green is because, “Symbolically, emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation," which she notes is important in today’s complex world.

The color also evokes power and possibility, two things women should feel when they wear makeup. For those who fear the bold green, it's possible to wear just a suggestion of color with eye liner, or go bold with a switch from a gray or violet smoky eye, to one utilizing Emerald and Crown Blue, a navy color.

The collection is available a la carte, or go green with the Color of the Year Collection ($68), that includes:
1 Color Grid Eye Shadow Block in BIONIC
1 Color Code Prismatic Shadow
1 Color Cube Lid Liner Stain
1 Lightspeed Glitter Dust
1 Graphic Sculpt Waterproof Jumbo Eyeliner
1 Color Watt Highlighting Mascara

At any rate, this also means easily avoiding getting pinched on St. Patrick's Day.

Sephora + Pantone Universe "Bionic"  Color Grid Shadow Block, $26.

Sephora +Pantone Universe Graphic Lift Liquid Eyeliner, $17.

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Hey teens, your best prom tip could make you the next Prom Style Star.

Beauty expert Cassandra Bankson has teamed up with Davids Bridal in the search that will lead to 10 winners of an "Ultimate Prom Package," and one grand prize winner of $10,000.

The Ultimate Prom Package comprises a prom dress and accessories from David's Bridal, a tuxedo rental for your date from Men's Wearhouse, a $250 Visa gift card good for use toward hair, nails and makeup, and your video featured at DavidsProm.com.

The contest involves making a prom tip video and uploading it to YouTube, completing the submission form and then copying and pasting the URL of the video at www.DavidsProm.com where you can also find more details about the contest.

Your video could be about anything from beauty to planning the perfect prom night. Some ideas:
How to feel confident at prom
Favorite prom hairstyles
Essential beauty products for prom
Sources for prom inspirations (i.e. celebrities, style experts, magazines, websites, videos)

The video should be less than 5 minutes long, include David's Bridal in the title and a link to http://www.davidsprom.com in the description.

March 3 is the deadline and the grand prize winner will be revealed on April 29.

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As part of New York Fashion Week,  SiriusXM hosted "Town Hall with Kenneth Cole,” with SiriusXM Fashion Insiders host Fern Mallis, who was instrumental in starting NYFW, interviewing Cole about his return to the runway and the importance of social media.

The most interesting part of the brief interview was when he said, “What’s interesting now is that we don’t consume the product by buying it in the stores. I mean, one percent do, maybe. 100 percent view it [and] consume it, by shooting it, by posting it, by pinning it, by blogging it, by tweeting it, by retweeting it, and today it is being consumed everywhere in these unique and interesting ways. And they define themselves by it … there’s Pinterest, Instagram and all of these social platforms.”

I've been doing this for at least a decade. If I can't possess an item I find beautiful, I'd save a photo of it as a reminder. Before, I would have to save the images in folders on my computer desktop, but now Pinterest makes it easy to collect photos and create storyboards. For retailers, it's a great marketing and advertising tool as the public spreads word of their love and affection for a brand.

But in the long-term, I wonder what happens to the retail business model when everyone does make consumption virtual. The economy is questionable, unemployment is still high. It's conceivable that the cash-strapped won't need to make purchases if they can enjoy items vicariously via Pinterest. It can be unexpectedly satisfying, because let's face it, even if we buy coveted items, chances are we tire of it in three months or even before the credit card bill arrives.

If so, retailers might one day find themselves in the same boat as the record, book and newspaper industry, trying to stay afloat in a world where increasingly, life is being led online.

Or, maybe it really is the 1 percent that props up the industry, and its just the 99 percent of us who have to use our imaginations. It sort of works in the way it really couldn't for food and housing.

You can view his show here:

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Nadine Kam photos
This "Dark Shadow" dress was created by one of the national undergraduates participating in the International Textile and Apparel Association's 2012 Creative Design Competition, part of the ITAA's 12th annual conference, that took place at the Marriott Waikiki Beach Spa & Resort last week. The dress comprises 70 yards of tulle.

The International Textile and Apparel Association brought its 2012 conference, "No One is an Island" to the Marriott Waikiki Beach Spa & Resort Nov. 13 through 17, bringing 500 fashion academics to share industry knowledge and innovations, plus designs by undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.

Living so far from major land masses, I think we do suffer from isolation, so it's great to have this kind of national connection and reality check to see how our own college students and faculty measure up to other work being done across the country. It's one thing to read or see what designers are doing elsewhere. It's quite another to feel the garments, see them up close and see their construction, and talk about what's next.

In an earlier post, I talked about judging the competition's Creative Design Competition, and a fashion show that took place Nov. 16 offered the opportunity for participants to see the garments move down the runway. Photos shown here are from the attention-getting undergraduate category of the competition. Other designs that did not make the runway were featured in a mounted exhibition.

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"Film Noir" Hollywood glamour-inspsired gown made of VHS tapes that have outlived their original use.

"Medusozoa" jellyfish-inspired dress of plastic woven netting with polyester lining.

"Coral Reef" featuring vinyl cutwork, machine-made lace, beadwork, jersey knit and batik cotton.

"Corporeal Extensions" cocktail dress aiming to expand on traditional pattern-making and draping techniques.

This dress is entitled "Racism Embued," communicating the experience of living in a thorny world.

"Imeldific Dress" inspired by a 1775 Jean-Baptiste Gautier Dagoty painting of Marie Antoinette's coronation dress, designed for a woman who knows how to make an entrance.

"Uncaged" comprises recycled felted sweaters to create a cage overlay strung on metallic thread.

Nadine Kam photos
Past and present University of Hawaii at Manoa APDM students created ensembles inspired by luxury handbags for the DFS Galleria Waikiki fall window displays.

DFS Galleria Waikiki launched its “How Do I Look?” event Monday with a beauty event upstairs in DFS Beauty World, ground-floor luxury fashion show and appearance by Japanese celebrity model Jessica Michibata.

The galleria has gone all-out to dress for the event, with world-class floor-to-ceiling displays, with illustrations done by French artist Jean-Pierre Busson, and also incorporating the talent of homegrown designers, students and graduates of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Apparel, Product Design and Merchandising program.

It's about time retailers showcased local talent. In New York, stores like Berdorf Goodman, Saks and Barney's often showcase the work of F.I.T. and Parsons students. In this case, the local students were charged with creating garments inspired by specific luxury bags.

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The free event started in the morning with free makeup services offered on the first floor, with stations set up for lip color, eyes and mascara, nails and hands, face makeup and a fragrance, highlighting Guerlain’s Le Petit Robe Noir.

The event will continue daily during galleria hours through Sept. 30, with beauty experts sharing the latest in fall cosmetics tips and trends.

A "Beauty After Dark" party with DJ music and champagne will take place from
8 to 10 p.m. Sept. 22 and 29.

Those who purchase $500 or more at DFS Beauty World during the event will receive a gift of a cosmetic case.

Head-to-toe, floor-to-ceiling showcase featuring illustrations by French artist Jean-Pierre Busson, luxury accessories and handbags, and garments by UHM students.

Interesting choice of Spongebob Squarepants for a display of handbags by Marc Jacobs.

Interior dressing at DFS Galleria Waikiki for the "How Do I Look?" event.

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While you're in Waikiki, stop by the nearby Louis Vuitton store for a look at the incredible window installations, above and below, in collaboration with artist Yayoi Kusama.