HATT-TEE HOLIDAYS!

HATT-TEE HOLIDAYS from Vers and Drift Boutique! We are throwing a party to celebrate the holidays and you are invited! Just in time for Christmas, this bash is the perfect time and place to pick up last minute stocking-stuffers and hostess gifts. Vers has several new designs of organic tees for men and women, plus the painted hats of Vers are back by popular demand! Vers merchandise will be 10% off and for this night only, hats will be $20! Gather your friends and stop by to eat treats while you shop and score some locally-made goodies!

Ho-Ho-Hope you can join us!

When: Monday, December 20, 2010 5-7pm

Where: Drift Boutique, 3434 Waialae Ave. Honolulu

Arigato!

Our Malolo (flying fish) tees are pictured in the fall issue of Mommy & Mii! Mommy & Mii is the premier Japanese magazine featuring family-friendly Hawaii businesses and activities. They did a sweet write-up of Drift Boutique, and here is the page! Kawaii!

Design Debut!

Thank you to everyone who came out on First Friday to Super Citizen in Chinatown! We had fun displaying the new designs and talking with those who stopped by! We had sushi, guava cocktails, and a DJ spinning some great music. A wonderful way to start the holiday festivities!

Vers brings Aloha to Waikiki!

Vers is in Waikiki!! You can get all of your holiday shopping done at Aloha Aina Boutique, which is now open in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center! This store is beautiful! It's packed with colorful, locally designed clothing and accessories, and includes a super cute keiki section! Our mens shirts are there, hanging with some lovely dresses ;) If you are on twitter, you can follow them here.

We're Chic!

Mahalo Nui to Lei Chic for featuring us in their awesome fashion blog! Everyday they showcase hot new items and designers in Hawaii, a great way to keep up with local businesses to support! Also, the person who writes the articles is witty and fun!! Love the feature!! ♥ Read it here.♥

Party with ArTee!

Flux magazine continues to sponsor awesome events in Honolulu, and ArTee is no exception. Matt designed a new shirt especially for this show! Below is a sneak-peek of his drawing!

Check it out on Saturday night at The Venue in Chinatown, where the very limited edition shirts are available only on this night! The artist reception is 7 to 9pm. To see more details, visit the Flux facebook page here.

Between the Lines: Tuned to Nature

"Tuned to Nature" continues to be a fan favorite, and many people have inquired as to how we came up with such a fun design. Below is a diagram that shows our planning process, beginning from sketches.

The image for "Tuned to Nature" came from a dream that I had! One morning I explained to Matt that all I could remember from a dream the night before was the striking image of an owl wearing huge headphones.

1. I made a small sketch of what it looked like, and we researched the fine details of what I had imagined. Originally, we had "Tuned to Nature" scrawled below the owl.

2. Matt and his amazing drawings skills rendered a large-scale pencil version. Already you can see how intricate it is! If you look closely, you can see "Vers" (in cursive) is in the coil of the headphone cord.

3. We made several adjustments, like the tilt of the head, and edited details to follow the traits of the Hawaii Pueo.

4. The finalized version is screen-printed onto an organic t-shirt! Voila!

A Triple-Feature!!!

If three times is a charm then our friends at Drift Boutique are having a fabulous day! It began early this morning on Sunrise with the Dressed to the 9s segment on HawaiiNewsNow, where Grace Lee introduced Drift and showed viewers the shop. If you haven't visited the store yet, watch the video here to see her friendly visit.

Kathryn Wagner from Honolulu Magazine was also there, and provided more details in her online feature column, Guilty Pleasures.

For StarAdvertiser readers who know what's Da Kine, Drift Boutique was featured for What's in Store! Read Da Kine here.

Drift Boutique is getting popular, a good reason to see what all the fuss is about! And speaking of charmed, their shell jewelry holds the charisma of the ocean that just might charm you!

*Pictured: Two Drift Neckaces and the Shell Pocket Dress by VERS

Sneak a Peek, then Stop and Shop

Boutique week on the Hawaii fashion blog HapaHale takes a look at the new local hot spots for shopping. Our friends at Drift Boutique in Kaimuki and Super Citizen in Downtown had lovely features about their stores, and VERS was mentioned in both articles! Read about Drift here and Super Citizen here.

Drift this way...

One of the best things about Hawaii is the beauty that inspires what we wear!

All year long we can wear breezy dresses, necklaces of shells, and dressed-up sandals. But the flip side is that living on an island it seems that after a while you see the same-old-thing at all the stores.

That is why we are so excited for the long-awaited grand opening of Drift Boutique! Located on Waialae Avenue this little shop is the new spot for cute, beach-inspired finds. It's the perfect place to find local designs like Tiare Teiti dresses, Urgentina swimwear, Sierra Dew clothing, sunrise shell jewelry, Indigenous Soaps, and our VERS eco-friendly apparel. Also featured is the Drift line of bags and shell-detailed slippers. Ale and Laura are the friendly owners that created the colorful space using recycled furnishings and racks made of driftwood. All of the personal touches, from the carefully selected products to the handmade decorations, make the store a welcome place to visit. An added bonus, they have a fabulous location across from Town restaurant, with free parking right in front of the store! This is the new headquarters for the best island clothing and accessories. So before you drift over to the beach or out on the town, make your way to Drift Boutique.

Grand Opening - Saturday, August 7th

Located at 3434 Waialae Ave. Honolulu, HI

Open Tuesday - Sunday, 1:00 pm - 7:00pm

Call 808-284-1177 or click here.

GreenFlash: Old Wood, New Board

This summer the swells have been scarce, so we decided to take our board-riding to the streets. Instead of buying decks, Matt thought it would be more fun to make our own. He took on the project, and heres the steps:

1. Deck: Matt found some vintage Mahogany tongue-and-groove flooring at Reuse Hawaii, and glued it up! (Reuse Hawaii is an excellent source for project materials, all recycled from deconstructed houses and buildings!)

2. Shape: He decided on a fun ripper shape for himself and a long nose-rider style for me. He then outlined the shapes, cut them out, and sanded the rails.

3. Parts: Trucks and wheels were found on Craigslist, then assembled and screwed into the board.

4. Fun!: The best part- finding a smooth street and giving the boards a try!!

GreenFlash: Small steps to having a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Easy to apply and make a difference in your everyday habits. We chose to stay in Hawaii and start Vers here because we love island living. Earth is the biggest island that we share and it needs our aloha!

Happy Monday!

Even in the summer, sometimes Mondays can be a bummer... so here to start the week off with a smile is our puppy pal "Biggie Smalls." Have a great day!!

Totally Tubular!

Usually the tubes we talk about refer to the winter swells on the North Shore, but this week the buzz is about the tube known as "television." Early risers who tune in to the Sunrise morning show on HawaiiNewsNow might have caught a glimpse of our "Tuned to Nature" tee. Sandra from Super Citizen included the shirt in the awesome array of products she introduced to viewers in the Dressed to the 9's segment. See it for yourself here and see you soon!

GreenFlash: Portable Plates

One of the best things about Hawaii is the abundance of places to get ono plate lunches or carry-out bentos. Usually these come in styrofoam containers or plastic, easily disposable but highly-unsustainable packaging. Not good. We love eating out but hate to be part of this wasteful cycle. Our solution- to take our tupperware on the go!

There are glass containers with silicon lids, which are the best since they use less plastic. We use these for most of our food. (Also affordable! I found a great 9 piece set at Costco) Many local vendors and especially food trucks welcome the use of reusable containers- not only is it green, but it also saves them money on packaging! A win-win!

We were almost afraid to take our tupperware to bigger eateries or chain restaurants, but decided that the worse thing they could say is No- so we might as well try! I was able to find a container that has dividers, perfect for plate lunches and similar to the size that many vendors use. (I found it at a local Longs) We took it to two different locations of Panda Express, and the result? Both places were happy to help us! Now every time we feel like eating out we take our containers- it helps us to eliminate waste and we already have a "doggie bag" if we don't finish it all. I'd say we have this situation contained!

GreenFlash: Small steps to having a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Easy to apply and make a difference in your everyday habits. We chose to stay in Hawaii and start Vers here because we love island living. Earth is the biggest island that we share and it needs our aloha!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... Super Citizen!

These days, there is nothing more fashionable than going green. There are many ways to improve your lifestyle to be more sustainable. You can recycle, carry your own water bottle, and tote your reusable bag. Many of you might have been doing this for quite some time. So what is new? Taking the sustainability to your closet!

Super Citizen is a cute boutique in downtown Honolulu which carries products that are guaranteed to lighten your carbon footprint! Our VERS organic tees have just hit the shelf and are ready for summer. The comfy, lightweight cotton is perfect for sunny beach days and warm balmy nights.

Checking out this store might just make a Super Citizen out of you...

Super Citizen. 22 S. Pauahi St. Chinatown Honolulu. 599-4333

Some Contemporary Printing...

Hi All!

Looking for a way to beat the summer heat?

Head up to Tantalus to see a spectacular new show at the Contemporary Museum, exhibiting work by one of our favorite printmakers, Allyn Bromley.

The museum with its beautiful garden and cafe are a great way to spend an afternoon! Especially these hot summer days, the cafe provides a nice selection for lunch and some really yummy desserts!

On June 27th, join me for a Members Morning printmaking project, I will be leading a screen printing make-and-take. We will be having fun making some small colorful prints! No experience neccessary!

Finding Latitude: The Work of Allyn Bromley

June 25th – August 29, 2010

The Contemporary Museum - Makiki Heights proudly announces the opening of a new exhibition on June 25, 2010, Finding Latitude: The Work of Allyn Bromley. This exhibition presents the first survey of the work of well-known Hawai‘i artist Allyn Bromley, spanning four decades of her career from early intaglio prints of the 1970s and large-scale screenprints of the 1980s, to more recent works combining screenprinting with mixed media techniques and installations completed this year.

June 27 Members morning
10:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m. Artist’s walk through with Allyn Bromley. Hands-on printmaking activity with Roxanne Chasle.

RSVP through Education Department 237-5230 or education@tcmhi.org
Free for members/$8.00 for non-members

For more info about The Contemporary Museum and the 2010 schedule click here.

Days at the Museum

Hi‘iakaikapoliopele: Visual Stories by
Contemporary Native Hawaiian Artists

Hawaii State Art Museum

Diamond Head Gallery, Second Floor
May 7, 2010 - July 17, 2010

A beautiful show to check out if you visit the downtown Honolulu area!

This show is a smaller version of an invitational exhibition that was organized by the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Fall 2009. The participating artists are Mark Chai, Hoaka Delos Reyes, Solomon Enos, Puni Kukahiko, Pualani Lincoln Maielua, Marques Hanalei Marzan, Matthew Kawika Ortiz, Carl F.K. Pao, Abigail Romanchak, Maika‘i Tubbs, and Miki‘oi Wichman.

For more details, click here.

Matt as Illustrator!

Out in stores is the new children's book How Hau Became Hau'ula, illustrated by Matt!

Perfect for introducing the Hawaiian language, the book includes text in both English and Hawaiian.

In the story, Hau, a young girl from Koolauloa, is overshadowed by her beautiful and talented older sisters named Niu, Pühala, and Lehua. But with the help of her kupuna, Hau begins to blossom as she discovers her unique talents and contributions.

You can buy the book in local book stores, from carriers like Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon, or online here.

New Kids On The Block

Tired of seeing the same art at the same places? Then BODY/mind is going to wake you up with a fresh look at the up and coming artists of Hawaii. Situated at the newly designed YCenter, this warehouse space is features three rooms of new works that include painting, printmaking, fiber, glass, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, and mixed media installation.

This exhibition highlights the recent works of emerging talents Megan Bent, Chen Carmi, Roxanne Chasle, Elizabeth R. Curtis, Jessica Damsky, Dustin Hart, Shannon Leitch, Emily McIlroy, Kumi Nakajima, Alyssa Olivier, Jessica Orfe, Jeannie Randall, J. Robert Reed, Jennifer Rubin, Boz Schurr, Katie Small, and Chad Steve.

The reception will be on First Friday- May 7th 5-8pm

This is a cocktail party you don't want to miss!

Dates, Hours, Admission:

April 23 – May 14, 2010

Tues. – Sat., 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Free admission.

Ycenter for Visual Arts

900 North Nimitz Hwy., Honolulu, HI 96817

(Behind Honolulu Home Depot -enter from Alakawa St. for parking)

*Here is a sneak peak of my piece, Save Our Ship

All about Prints

Printmaking? What is that?

Find out at the 82rd Annual Honolulu Printmakers Exhibition! Displaying a selection of prints by local Hawaii artists, this exhibition is the premier print show of the year! If you are interested in intaglio, screen print, relief, or even photo prints, this is a show you don't want to miss! Come check it out Tuesday - Saturday at the Academy Art Center across the park from the Honolulu Academy of Art. Juror Helen Frederick had the difficult job of selecting which pieces were accepted into the exhibition, and we are so happy our work was chosen! My bees take another flight, and Matt has a large circular woodblock print. 

The Honolulu Advertiser took notice of our work! Click here to read all about it!

The show runs until March 19th, stop on by!

Best always,

Roxy

Published!

Culture and the arts combine in this recent publication called thespacebetween: Negotiating Culture, Place, and Identity in the Pacific. Presented by the the Center for Pacific Island Studies, this collection was edited by A. Marata Tamaira and features cover and chapter art by Vers' very own Roxanne Chasle! This beautiful collaboration of poetry, essays, and art can be bought at UH Manoa from the center or seen online here. Vers is all about lines, and sometimes what is between them can be just as important. 

What the FLUX?!

Check out the newest Hawaii-made magazine, FLUX. The first issue came out in January, and it has the whole island talking. Transition was the theme of the premier copy, which seamlessly threaded a variety of articles highlighting people and places in Hawaii that are making their own progressions. Matt was featured in the magazine as an emerging artist who is bridging the gap between traditional and innovative art processes. He was very flattered and excited to be included in this great new publication. Don't miss out, this mag is the hottest read in town! Check them out on the web here or grab a free issue at their downtown Honolulu locations.

Flux launched their first issue with a blowout party at Ka Restaurant. Here we are with FLUX contributing writer Sonny Ganaden.

Come see the circus!

The waves are up on the North Shore and so is the excitement for the new show at Circus Gallery in Haleiwa! Roxy and Matt have some fun prints on display with a whole gang of other artists! Come down for a night of live music, colorful art, and good times during the opening, this Saturday!

Where: Circus Gallery (next to Bank of Hawaii, across from Pizza Bobs in Haleiwa)

Time: 6 PM

See what the buzz is about

What:  Opening Reception, 32nd Annual Graduate Art Show

(One of the biggest shows of the year!)

When: Sunday, January 17th

3:00 to 5:00 pm

Where: The Art Gallery, UH Manoa

Come down to check out the work of 20 Graduate students in fine art, featuring works in paint, paper, glass, ceramics and more! Admission, parking, and food is FREE! 

The show runs until Feb. 5, on weekdays parking fees apply. More info here.

Roxy has been working the whole semester on a swarm of floating paper bees, you won't want to miss it! Hope to see you there!