Cue oct2013

A GAMBIT PUBLICATION | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3

HOME FASHION BEAUTY

O P e r at I O N P u m P K I N SurGeONS create HaLLOWeeN FuN FOr cHILdreN’S HOSPItaL. JuSt WHat tHe dOctOr Ordered.

Saturday, OctOber 26 10am – 1pm: Surgeons create hand-carved Jack-o-Lanterns with proceeds benefiting cHILdreN’S HOSPItaL. 10am – 1pm: Kids can enjoy Halloween trick-or-treating in all the shops as well as mask - making and pumpkin adornment with help from rHINO Gallery artists.

12noon: celebrity Judges will choose the scariest and most creative pumpkins. come help our surprise guest panel!

It’s why you shop.

333 Canal Street | 504.522.9200 | Monday-Saturday 10-7 | Sunday 12-6 | www.theshopsatcanalplace.com The Shops at Canal Place

theshopsatcanal

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NEW ORLEANS

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LAKEVIEW | 905 HARRISON AVENUE | (504) 872-0931

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UPTOWN | 6227 S. CLAIBORNE AVENUE | (504) 866-5371

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YOUNGSDRYCLEANING.COM

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CONTENTS

13 23

OCTOBER 2013

FASHION

WHAT GUYS WANT Dapper pocket watches

GALLERY GIRL Clothes with sculptural silhouettes

11 29 33

SHOPPING

NEW&COOL

PERSPECTIVES

09 15 39

CUE KIDS KAWAII NOLA Bringing cuteness to Magazine Street

Time warp

CUE IN Valerie Corradetti’s Mid-Century modern home

SHOP DOGS Island of Salvation Botanica’s Ayida

Heavy metal accessories

Halloween party tips and treats

FROM THE EDITOR

37

BEAUTY

LUSTERPHILE Products for calm complexions

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lenty of grievances stem from living in a place where summer heat lasts half the year. One of mine is the way it warps your sense of time.

Because the weather doesn’t change, it feels like time isn’t moving, either. But nothing slows down time, not even Louisiana heat. Which is why I’m glad CUE forces me to look ahead and think about important things in the future, like what I’ll be for Halloween.

If you’re looking to dress up as something adorable and bewigged, check out the profile of Kawaii NOLA (p. 33), Magazine Street’s newest enclave of cuteness. “CUE Kids” (p. 29) offers suggestions for a children’s Halloween party that would also go over well with adults (try adding a shot of spiced rum to the pumpkin milk recipe, for example). And with a focus on little black dresses and accessories, the fashion feature (p. 23) looks forward to holiday soirees.

Even though crisp fall weather has yet to touch us, I’m proud to say I’ve already ordered a custom wig and started gluing faux fruit to a hoopskirt. This is more ahead of the curve than I’ve ever been for Halloween. Have I

PHOTO BY JANINE JOFFE | MAKEUP BY MARIA BARREDA

FROM THE EDITOR

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ON CUE M I S SY W I L K I N S O N |

finally overcome the heat’s temporal illusions? Or has it just ushered me and everyone else in the city into a fever dream that will manifest in a frenzy of cool-weather costuming? Only autumn will tell.

MARGO DUBOS | EDITOR

DORA SISON |

P U BL I S H E R PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL

CHRISTIN GREEN

K A N DAC E P O W E R G R AV ES

A DVE R TI SI NG C OORD INATOR

M A N AG I N G E D I TOR

4 8 3 -3 13 8

christing@gambitweekly.com

CON T R I BU T I N G W R I T E RS

NICOLE CARROLL , LEE CU TRONE, J E A N I E R I ES S INTERN

L ES L I E L A Z A R D

AC C O U N T E X E C U T I V E S

JILL GIEGER S E N IOR ACCOU N T E X ECU T I V E

PRODUCTION

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jillg@gambitweekly.com

G R A PH IC D E S I G N E RS

SHERIE DELACROIX-ALFARO, LINDSAY WEISS, LYN VICKNAIR, PAIGE HINRICHS, JULIET MEEKS PR E- PR E SS COOR D I N ATOR

K AT H RY N B R A DY

D I S P L AY A DV E R T I S I N G

S A N DY S T E I N B R O N D U M A DV E R T IS I N G D I R EC TOR 4 83 -3150 sandys@gambitweekly.com

JEFFREY PIZZO 4 8 3 -3 145

jeffp@gambitweekly.com

L I N D A L AC H I N 4 8 3 -3 14 2

lindal@gambitweekly.com

SHANNON HINTON KERN 4 8 3 -3 14 4

shannonk@gambitweekly.com

MICHELE SLONSKI

KRISTIN HARTENSTEIN

ADV E R T I S I N G A D M I NI STR ATO R 4 83 -3140 micheles@gambitweekly.com

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kristinh@gambitweekly.com

GA MB IT | 392 3 B I ENV I L L E STREE T | NE W O R L E A N S , L A 7 0 1 1 9 504 . 4 8 6.5900 | response@gambitweekly.com

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NEW + COOL

HEAVY

SHOPPING

METAL

2

KEY METALLIC PIECES TOUGHEN UP YOUR ACT.

BY LESLIE LAZARD AND MISSY WILKINSON

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Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no need for jewelry when you tote this shiny handbag, $239.99 at Swap Boutique (115 Metairie Road, Metairie, 504-875-2206; 5530A Magazine St., 504-324-8143; 7716 Maple St., 504-304-6025; www.swapboutique.com).

Who knew tin could look so chic as in this lamp, $95 at Unique Products (2038 Magazine St., 504-529-2441; www.shopgreenneworleans.com).

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Keep your home secure and stylish with artsy door and window bars, $1,200 to $2,800 at Metal One (2712 Royal St., 504-427-8010; www.metalonenola.com)?

Pair this studded stunner with dark skinny jeans and ballet flats for an instantly glam ensemble, $197.99 at Swap Boutique.

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Elegance meets edginess in a sterling-silver Pylon chain necklace, $1,950 at Mignon Faget (The Shops at Canal Place, 365 Canal St., first floor, 504-524-2973; Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-835-2244; 3801 Magazine St., 504-891-2005; www.mignonfaget.com).

This studded container houses a fragrant candle, $125 at Hattie Sparks (714 Adams St., 504-304-5975; www.hattiesparks.bigcartel.com).

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WATCH

W H AT G U Y S W A N T

FA S H I O N

YOURSELF

WHETHER THEY’RE ANTIQUE OR JUST MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY, POCKET WATCHES ADD A NOSTALGIC NOTE TO MENSWEAR.

BY MISSY WILKINSON

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Antique Illinois railroad watch made in 1923, $1,895 at The Clock & Watch Shop (824 Gravier St., 504-525-3961; www.worldoftime.com).

Antique 14-karat watch with flower details made in 1913, $1,895 at The Clock & Watch Shop.

Vintage-style pocket watch, $35 at Miss Claudia’s Vintage Clothing & Costumes (4204 Magazine St., 504-897-6310; www.missclaudias.com).

Classic-style pocket watch with large link fob chain by Tokyo Bay, $95 at Aidan Gill for Men (550 Fulton St., 504-566-4903; 2026 Magazine St., 504-587-9090; www.aidangillformen.com).

An 1892 watch by Haas Neveux, $9,870 at The Clock & Watch Shop.

Vintage-style pocket watch, $35 at Miss Claudia’s Vintage Clothing & Costumes.

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ARTIST IN

RESIDENCE ARTIST VALERIE CORRADETTI SURROUNDS HERSELF WITH THOUGHTFUL DESIGN AND NATURAL THEMES.

BY L EE C U T RO N E PH OTOS BY T H ER ES A CA S S AG N E

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WING-SHAPED SHELL WITH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

CORRADETTI WORKING IN HER HOME STUDIO VINTAGE SHELL CLUTCH FROM AN ESTATE SALE

VINTAGE RHINESTONE EVENING BAG FROM AN ESTATE SALE

rtist Valerie Corradetti is drawn to modernist design because of its strong, undiluted point of view. “I respond to things that are thoughtful,” she says. “I spend time thinking about things that are often unnoticed … exploring the minutiae of design and everyday objects.”

Corradetti, who will receive her master of fine arts degree from the University of New Orleans in 2014, scrutinized the aesthetics of her Mid-Century modern home before committing to live there.

“When we originally looked at the house, I was trying to figure out whether [the previous owner] had left enough of what was original so that it could … make sense again,” she says of her 1951 house in Lake Vista. “After years of wear and tear and a renovation, it was hard to see what was going on.

But the soul of the house still exists.”

As an artist, Corradetti related to the house’s impressive provenance. Its architect, New Orleans native Albert Ledner, apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright and is internationally known for modernist buildings he designed in both New York City and New Orleans. (Ledner’s mother, Beulah, is credited with creating the first doberge cake in New Orleans.) Corradetti has met Ledner, who is now in his 80s. She has the blueprints for the house and hopes to restore its original architecture (intended to maximize cross breezes and airflow) and materials. The house is the oldest example of Ledner’s residential architecture in New Orleans.

“I think a lot about Bauhaus, the mother ship of modern design, and there’s a link between that and Frank Lloyd Wright,” Corradetti says. “Ledner

A

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THE MAIN LIVING AREA OVERLOOKS THE PORCH AND YARD. THE PORCH ORIGINALLY WAS PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS BY SCREENS BUT IS NOW ENCLOSED AND HAS SLIDING GLASS DOORS. VINTAGE PAUL MCCOBB DINING TABLE FROM STERLING PROVISION; SOFA FROM GUS MODERN FURNITURE; VINTAGE HENREDON END TABLE; RUG FROM WEST ELM. THE PAINTING IS BY CORRADETTI.

ANTLERS FROM AN ANTIQUES STORE IN TEXAS

WINGTIP SHOES

WHILE WORKING AS A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR A SKATEBOARD COMPANY, CORRADETTI TRAVELED ACROSS THE U.S. AND HIGHLIGHTED THE CITIES SHE VISITED WITH YELLOW DOTS.

VINTAGE SILVER BRACELET FROM AN ESTATE SALE

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studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. The overarching themes are really nice.”

Raised in rural New Jersey, Corradetti grew up with wide open spaces and sweeping landscapes. She connected with the house’s rustic wood surfaces, light that pours in from clerestory windows and the way the structure blends indoor and outdoor environments.

“My experience growing up was very much about being surrounded by nature,” she says. “My work is rooted in naturalism, and this house makes use of the outside.”

Corradetti’s path as an artist began in early childhood. Her maternal grandfather created surreal drawings meant to trick the eye, which Corradetti observed and mimicked. Today, the way an image can morph from one perception to another is a recurrent theme in her work. Her latest pieces, some of which can be viewed at Antenna Gallery as part of their ongoing Flat File Project, are created using pencil on vellum.

Corradetti finds inspiration in the full spectrum of the arts: dance, music, photography, sculpture, film, fashion and interior design, as well as in the world around her. Her laid-back fashion sense derives its ease from American genres: menswear, Westerninspired denim and leather and surfer/beach looks (she grew up surfing on the Jersey shore). It’s spiced with a dash of Italian actress Monica Vitti as she appeared in Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1960 film, L’Avventura.

“The fashion in that film is something I really love,” Corradetti says.

Menswear is making a comeback in women’s

DOLCE & GABBANA BUSTIER DRESS

fashion this fall, and Corradetti’s favorite pieces include a pair of wingtip shoes she purchased from Royal Elastics and a pair of Cobra Rock South Highland boots, a hybrid of cowboy, riding and desert boots. For dressier occasions, she’s a fan of designer Mara Hoffman’s artsy prints.

“I like to get dressed up and go out, but I also really enjoy the comforts of home,” she says.

For interior decorating, she combines MidCentury finds with her own art and treasures from websites including 1stdibs.com, heathceramics. com, iacolimcallister.com, ragoarts.com (a New Jersey auction house specializing in 20th-century furniture, jewelry and housewares) and Sterling Provision, an eclectic secondhand store in the French Quarter.

When asked whose work would be part of the perfect art collection, she names iconic modern and contemporary artists Sol LeWitt, John Wesley, Masao Yamamoto, Eileen Quinlan and Carlo Mollino, but follows with local artists.

“Laura Gipson, Rachel Jones, Monica Zeringue and Dan Rule all make fantastic work,” she says.

The pop art paintings of UNO professor Jim Richard also have been a powerful influence.

“I live in the world of ideas,” says Corradetti, who recently began altering pieces of vintage jewelry.

“When you live in the world of ideas, you need to be open to all kinds of things. I find value in all sorts of designs — in Creole cottages and shotguns, in poetry and modern dance, in noticing the little things we normally pass by.”

ALL ROOMS (EXCEPT THE BATHROOMS) HAVE WINDOWS OR SLIDING GLASS DOORS WITH VIEWS OF GREEN SPACE. THE BRICK WALL BEHIND THE BED ORIGINALLY WAS TOPPED WITH A CLERESTORY WINDOW, WHICH HELPED MAXIMIZE AIRFLOW. THE MODERNIST LEATHER CHAIR AT THE FAR END OF THE ROOM IS A REPRODUCTION OF LE CORBUSIER’S BASCULANT CHAIR.

LEFT: A FUR LANDSCAPE, ONE OF CORRADETTI’S RECENT WORKS. WING-SHAPED EARRINGS CARVED FROM ANTLERS

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NEXT TO SHOE-NAMI

3112 MAGAZINE ST. | 504.301.9864

ELMWOOD SHOPPING CENTER 1126 S. CLEARVIEW PKWY, STE D | 733.3770

3102 MAGAZINE ST. | 504.895.1717 3319 SEVERN AVE. | 504.885.0805 SHOE-NAMI OUTLET I 504-366-0177 18 WESTSIDE SHOPPING CTR, GRETNA

2900 ELYSIAN FIELDS TUESDAY - SATURDAY • 10:00 am-6:00 pm

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GALLERYGIRL FEATURING BOLD, SCULPTURAL SILHOUETTES, THIS SEASON’S LITTLE BLACK DRESSES AND SEPARATES ARE WORKS OF ART. PHOTOS BY CARLTON MICKLE ST YLING BY K ATE GR ACE BAUER

BLACK DRESS WITH A LEATHER SIDE PANEL BY BOUNDARY, $240 AT EM’S; GOLD RHINESTONE RING, $42.99 AT FEET FIRST; CUSTOM HOODED COWL BY ELIZABETH SHANNON FOR FOUND OBJECT, $75 TO $125 AT FOUNDOBJECT@COX.NET).

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BLACK AND WHITE DRESS BY MICHAEL KORS, $1,595; BLACK LEATHER MOTORCYCLE VEST BY 3.1 PHILLIP LIM, $1,195; BLACK LEATHER BELT, $79; ALL AT MIMI. OXIDIZED METAL AND RHINESTONE TEARDROP EARRINGS, $123, AND DOLCE VITA PUMPS, $185 AT EM’S. ART: EVIDENCE OF RESILIENCE BY RON BECHET.

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LACE DRESS WITH STUDDED LEATHER ACCENTS BY AMEN, $775 AT ANGELIQUE.

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BLACK DRESS BY MASON, $395 AT HAUTE; GOLD TASSEL LARIAT, $395 AT ANGELIQUE; CUSTOM BLACK LEATHER SCALE CAPELET

BY AMANDA DELEON, $700 AT AMANDADELEON@GMAIL.COM; GOLD CHAIN LINK AND RHINESTONE EARRINGS, $278 AT MIMI.

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BLACK DRESS WITH STUDDED LEATHER ACCENTS ON THE SLEEVES

BY BOUNDARY, $219; GOLD SNAKE NECKLACE, $29; RHINESTONE SNAKE NECKLACE, $94; DOLCE VITA BOOTIES, $218; ALL AT EM’S. BLACK ART DECO NECKLACE BY RANJANA KAHN, $438; BLACK CROCODILE CLUTCH BY ROCIO, $2,000; BOTH AT MIMI.

ON THE COVER: BLACK DRESS BY RICK OWENS, $1,560 AT WEINSTEIN’S; MICHAEL KORS GOLD CHAIN-LINK BRACELET, $295 AT MIMI; ART, CONSOLATIONS

BY WAYNE AMEDEE.

STORE INFORMATION ANGELIQUE (7725 MAPLE ST., 504-8661092; WWW.ANGELIQUESTORES.COM) EM’S BOUTIQUE (246 METAIRIE ROAD, METAIRIE, 504-834-2795) FEET FIRST (526 ROYAL ST., 504-5690005; 4122 MAGAZINE ST., 504-899-6800; WWW.FEETFIRSTSTORES.COM) HATTIE SPARKS (714 ADAMS ST., 504304-5975; WWW.HATTIESPARKS.COM) HAUTE (725 MAGAZINE ST., 504-5228687; WWW.HAUTENOLA.COM) MIMI (5500 MAGAZINE ST., 504-2696464; WWW.MIMINOLA.COM) WEINSTEIN’S (4011 MAGAZINE ST., 504895-6278; WWW.WEINSTEINSINC.COM)

CREATIVE DIRECTOR MISSY WILKINSON

PHOTOGRAPHER CARLTON MICKLE (WWW.CARLTONMICKLE.COM)

STYLIST KATE GRACE BAUER (WWW.KATEGRACEBAUER.WORDPRESS.COM)

MAKEUP JOHN WRIGHT FOR DIOR COSMETICS

SHOOT ASSISTANT LESLIE LAZARD

MODEL DARIAN ELLIS BATON ROUGE NATIVE DARIAN ELLIS APPEARED ON AMERICAN’S NEXT TOP MODEL: COLLEGE EDITION REPRESENTING LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. SHE CURRENTLY MODELS FOR DESIGNERS AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER: @DARIANELLISXO.

LOCATION OCTAVIA ART GALLERY (454 JULIA ST., 504-309-4249; WWW.OCTAVIAARTGALLERY.COM) FOUNDED IN 2008, OCTAVIA ART GALLERY RECENTLY MOVED TO A RESTORED 19TH-CENTURY BUILDING ON JULIA STREET. IT SHOWCASES INTERNATIONAL AND EMERGING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS.

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SPOOKY

CUE K I D S

SHOPPING

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TIPS AND TREATS FOR A HAPPY HALLOWEEN PARTY

BY L ES L I E L A Z A R D

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Spooky celebrations call for batacious invites, $24 for a pack of 10 at Scriptura (5423 Magazine St., 504-897-1555; Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504219-1113; www.scriptura.com).

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Little ghosts and goblins will love these creepy temporary tattoos, $19.99 at Magic Box Toys (5508 Magazine St., 504-899-0117; www.magicboxneworleans.com).

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Spooky Halloween rings in a cauldron make great party decor. Rings, $6.25 each at Orient Expressed (3905 Magazine St., 504-899-3060; www.orientexpressed.com).

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Halloween cupcakes come in seasonal flavors like pecan sweet potato and pumpkin spice, $3 and up at The Kupcake Factory (800 Metairie Road, Suite Q, Metairie, 504-267-4990; 819 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner, 504-464-8884; 911 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-5706420; 6233 S. Claiborne Ave., 504-267-3328; www.thekupcakefactory.com).

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Colorful candy corn dishtowels make cleaning up less scary, $17 for set of two at Orient Expressed.

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HALLOWEEN

PARTY TIPS

BY MELISSA BOSSOL A BEESE F O U N D E R O F L I T T L E P N U T S TOY C O M PA N Y ( W W W. L I T T L E P N U T S . C O M)

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Schedule the party two hours prior to trick-or-treating to make a great evening even better.

2 Serve ghoulish guacamole (add black beans for the creep factor) with blue corn tortilla chips.

3 4 No water is required to defeat this wicked witch. She’s made from putty that can be sculpted and “melted” again and again, $15 at Orient Expressed.

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Play games like bobbing for apples. Check the Little Pnut’s Pinterest board for more game ideas: www.pinterest.com/littlepnuts Make pumpkin spice milk: Add Torino Pumpkin Spice Syrup to milk, then garnish with a chocolate licorice stick.

Decorate with orange and black balloons and tissue fan bursts, and don’t forget to costume!

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Sain ts & Angels

• LADIES CLOTHING • ACCESSORIES

a boutique with Heart + Soul

• COSMETICS • AIRBRUSH TANNING

ALL JEWELRY

• EVENT MAKE-UP

On Sale!

3300 Magazine St. • Suite B

(Next to Hemline) • Uptown 504-570-6649

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS + INFO

REVIVE YOUR FALL LOOK IN OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE

probst design studio INTERIOR DESIGN

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

3 3 0 0 M A G A Z I N E S T. UPTOWN • NEXT TO HEMLINE • NOLA • 504.895.2094

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A BEAUTY BOUTIQUE

6250 GENERAL DIAZ • LAKEVIEW 304-0633 • WWW.FINIBOUTIQUE.COM

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SHOPPING

PHOTO COURTESY KANAKO RICHARD

KAWAII FIVE-O K AWAII NOLA BRINGS “A CULTURE OF CUTE” TO MAGAZINE STREET

BY JEANIE RIESS

ven the “Closed” sign at Kawaii NOLA (3512 Magazine St., 504-899-2426; www. kawaiinola.com) is cute: The cartoon face telling customers to come back tomorrow is a puppy with bubble eyes and adorably disconcerted brows.

The sign embodies the mission of Kawaii culture: to make life’s harsh realities seem meaningless in the face of the adorable. Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese, and the grand opening of Kawaii NOLA last month was the latest leg of the movement’s global assimilation.

Outside, Kawaii NOLA looks like many other upscale Magazine Street boutiques. Inside, its walls are bright shades of purple and pink, and various incarnations of Hello Kitty (plastered on leggings, backpacks and lip balms) peer out from shelves and tables.

Owner Kanako Asai Richard says when she’s having a bad day, the store’s cheery atmosphere makes her feel better. “It’s so happy and cute, and my customers are so sweet,” she says. “It makes me happy to spread this around. We squeal and laugh all day. It doesn’t even feel like work.”

Kawaii NOLA has a wide range of clothing, school supplies, gifts, costumes and home decor items, and everything is bubbly, colorful and Japanese.

E

Richard’s top sellers are hand-painted nail sets designed by a friend in Japan. Some customers come in weekly for the faux nails, which can be applied with glue or tape. Another step in Kawaii’s cultural adaptation: this Carnival season, Richard’s friend will decal the nails with purple, green and gold.

New Orleans has proved to be receptive to the influx of Eastern cute culture. There’s a following of cosplay in the city (cosplay is short for costume play, in which people wear costumes to represent characters from works of fiction), and a group reached out to Richard via Facebook before she opened her store. Also alive in the New Orleans area is a branch of Lolitas, the prim and proper Victorian-themed fashion group that emphasizes doll-like features and ruffled pink dresses. Kawaii NOLA has everything Lolitas need to complete their ensembles: long, flowing wigs, pink dresses and matching accessories. The group, which has more than 300 members, also reached out to Richard via social media. It hosts monthly tea parties and other events open to the public via the website Meetup.com.

Though it’s inspired by the Nabokov novel from which it takes its name, Lolita culture is more cute than sexy, fitting in Kawaii NOLA’s more general trend.

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Richard says Kawaii culture has a lot in common with the cultural whims of New Orleans.

“The whole thing with Kawaii culture is that you create your own style,” she says. “It’s OK to be different. In New Orleans, I see that parallel. In the Big Easy, it’s OK to be yourself. You dress up and go to a lot of festivals. In Japan, we love to eat and give gifts. It’s very similar.”

Richard says Kawaii has caught on worldwide because of a global infatuation with Japanese culture, and that it’s not just women donning bows and pink clothing. “In the Lolita group here in New Orleans, men like to participate,” Richards says. “They have friends associated with it, and they’re taken aback at first by the pink, but they have fun with it.”

A first-generation American, Richard was born in New Jersey and has spent the last 11 years in New Orleans, where she attended Tulane University and married native Louisianian Adam Richard. Her parents have moved back to Nagoya, Japan, and the couple visits often.

“When you’re [in Japan], you’re surrounded

by Japanese cute culture,” she says. “We said, ‘What a shame it is that we can’t buy these things at home in New Orleans.’”

Now that the store is open, the couple are ambassadors of cute culture. Adam sports a Hello Kitty tie to his job as a high school math teacher every day, a move that lightens up calculus tenfold, Kanako says.

“It’s something about your inner child. It just comes out,” she says. “And in Kawaii culture, it’s OK.”

OWNERS KANAKO AND ADAM RICHARD OUTSIDE KAWAII NOLA. PHOTO COURTESY KANAKO RICHARD

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WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC OVER 15,000 SQUARE FEET OF EUROPEAN ANTIQUES CARRYING THE FINEST: FURNITURE LIGHTING MIRRORS • RUGS DECORATIVES

1880’S BRASS & CRYSTAL CHANDELIER

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SPANISH BENCH

300 JEFFERSON HWY + ACROSS FROM LOWE’S + NEW ORLEANS + 504.231.3397 + WWW.DOPANTIQUES.COM

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ME TA IRIE • 6 0 5 ME TA IRIE RD 504-309-8778 |

F IND US ON FAC E BOOK

HEMLINE ME TAIRIE

LUSTERPHILE

BEAUTY

DON’T BE SO

SENSITIVE

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Soothing products for stressed or sensitive skin

BY MISSY W ILKINSON

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If you’ve got a sunburn, slather yourself in coconut oil. “Coconut oil is the single most beneficial product you can put on your body,” according to Karen Adjmi, co-owner of Earthsavers (Lakeside Shopping Center Annex, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-835-0225; 3414 Hwy. 190, Mandeville, 985-674-1133; 5501 Magazine St., 504-899-8555; www.earthsaversonline.com). “You can use it head to toe, as a hair conditioner. … It’s antibacterial and antiviral. We produce our version ourselves because it was hard for me to find any as pure as this one.” Organic virgin coconut oil, $26.95 for 8 ounces.

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Rich in Vitamin E and aloe vera, Barrier Gel is ideal for people undergoing peels or microdermabrasion — anything that disrupts the skin’s barrier function. “This heals your skin quickly,” Adjmi says.

Barrier Gel, $52.95 at Earthsavers.

Calendula Essential Hydrating cream has aloe vera and calendula, an herb used for healing wounds, making it appropriate for very dry or sensitive skin, $58 at Woodhouse Day Spa (4030 Canal St., 504-482-6652; www.neworleans.woodhousespas.com).

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A sulfate-free gel cleanser soothes sensitive, acne-prone skin with cucumber, chamomile and comfrey, $32.50 at My Spa by the Park (6312 Argonne Blvd., 504-482-2219; www.myspabythepark.com).

Skin with a dull, dry appearance can be revived by the hydroxy acid blend in the SkinCeuticals Renew Overnight Dry moisturizer, which gently exfoliates skin, $59 at Woodhouse Day Spa.

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Oily or combination skin needs moisture that doesn’t feel heavy. This water-based cream hydrates oily skin with cucumber, green tea extract, chamomile and vitamin A, $26.95 at Earthsavers.

With peptides, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, Perfect Fit Hydrator by DermAware plumps, moisturizes and calms skin, $48 at My Spa by the Park.

Epidermal Repair by SkinCeuticals heals skin that’s sensitive as a result of peels, laser procedures or microdermabrasion, $69.95 at Earthsavers.

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SHOP DOGS

PERSPECTIVES

AYIDA TE X T AND PHOTOS BY NICOLE CARROLL

n a brightly colored storefront, surrounded by candles and herbfilled jars, a friendly looking Akita sits attracting shoppers.

“She hangs out in the window and draws people into the shop because she’s just so beautiful and fuzzy,” owner Sallie Ann Glassman says of Ayida, who accompanies her to the Island of Salvation Botanica (2372 St. Claude Ave., Suite 100, 504-948-9961; www.feyvodou.com) inside the New Orleans Healing Center (www.neworleanshealingcenter.org). “She’s got this whole battalion of friends and fans that come in and just grovel on the ground with her.”

The New Orleans Healing Center came about after Hurricane Katrina, when Glassmam joined a group of citizens who gathered to brainstorm ideas for revitalizing and rebuilding the city.

“It was a total grassroots, lunatic assembly,” Glassman says, laughing. She suggested a community center focused on complementary and alternative forms of healing.

The group worked to turn the idea into reality.

Opened in 2011, the Healing Center offers products and services to help people achieve physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and nutritional wellbeing. The center has more than 20 businesses, including a food co-op, yoga studio, secondhand shops, a credit union, a physical therapy studio and more.

Glassman’s 18-year-old business, the Island of Salvation Botanica, was the first to open inside the Healing Center. The shop offers candles, herbs and incense, as well as handcrafted items and art. Glassman, a voodoo priestess, provides spiritual and psychic readings.

There was some controversy in the beginning about the Island of Salvation’s inclusion in the Healing Center. “People were afraid that, because of my association with the practice of voodoo … it would be associated with all this negativity,” Glassman says. Voodoo has little in common with its portrayals in popular culture, she says.

“It’s a religion that’s really about healing both individuals and communities,” she says. “I think it’s very appropriate to be in a healing center, and certainly one in New Orleans.”

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Named after the voodoo spirit Ayida Wedo (who is a rainbow), Ayida is still a youngster at 16 months old. She enjoys coming to the shop with Glassman every day. Akitas were bred to be guard dogs as well as babysitters for small children, so Ayida has a sense of purpose in the store and a calming nature. A very sociable dog who loves people as well as other canines, Ayida doesn’t like being left alone.

“She retaliates by pulling the chicken feet fetishes off the shelves and eating them and depositing little jewels and feathers on the floor,” Glassman says. Since being caught in the act, Ayida has changed her game. “Now she just takes them off the wall and puts them on the floor so I can know that she’s able to get them, but she doesn’t eat them anymore.”

Ayida and Glassman walk about 16 blocks to the store every day.

Ayida also likes to play on the levee where the Industrial Canal meets the Mississippi River. If there are no other dogs with which to frolic, Ayida entertains herself by doing somersaults.

Not everything on the levee has been fun and games, however.

Glassman recalls an experience when Ayida fell down an open 12foot pipe that had been concealed by tall grass and had to be rescued by firefighters. The dog wasn’t harmed, but was shaken. (The hole has since been partially covered by a railroad tie, but Glassman says it hasn’t been fixed completely.)

Glassman thanked the firefighters by giving them tickets to Anba Dlo, the Healing Center’s annual Halloween Festival, which this year is scheduled Oct. 19. The festival’s theme is water awareness, and there is a water symposium during the day, followed by a party with live music, a parade, dancers, acrobats, an art exhibit, a costume contest and more.

In the two years since the Healing Center opened, Glassman has seen the surrounding area blossom. “The transformation in the neighborhood has been absolutely astounding,” she says. “We can’t take credit for all of it, but the concept of really investing in a place, and making the place the center of a community clearly seems to have some legs.”

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