New York meets palm trees and sunshine as the long-awaited Bloomingdale’s store opens its doors at 9:30 a.m. today following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The store is among more than a dozen opening as part of Ala Moana Center’s new Ewa Wing Expansion grand opening, celebrated with a weekend of entertainment, fashion shows and in-store events.
Some highlights of opening day include in-store appearances by Botkier designer Monica Botkier from noon to 5 p.m. in the handbag department on the first floor; shoe designer Paul Mayer from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the shoe department on the first floor; and Maui’s Letarte designers Lisa Letarte Cabrinha and Michele Letarte during a Beach Party Jam event from 3 to 5 p.m. in swimwear on the second floor. A complete list of events and special offers can be found at honolulupulse.com/fashiontribe.
The Bloomingdale’s fashion showcase will take place 1 p.m. Saturday on the mall’s Center Stage, with fashion running the gamut of street to designer apparel as befitting the New York import.
In creating the new store, Jack Hruska, executive vice president of creative services at Bloomingdale’s, who has designed more than 20 stores for the company in the past 23 years, said he has been traveling here for the past 2-1/2 years to study the architecture and island aesthetic and bring elements of it to the store’s chic look.
"Bloomingdale’s has a very specific New York look. Some of its defining characteristics are checkerboard floors and use of black framing. It’s bold, dramatic and highly recognizable."
To make the store feel like part of the local community, he looked for design elements that would make shoppers feel at home, studying residences, commercial buildings and strolling Chinatown streets before homing in on elements such as shutters, wood-beam ceilings, floral walls and polished cement floors.
"I’m fortunate that Bloomingdale’s has such a strong look in its DNA that is very easy to integrate with other ideas," Hruska said. "We had lots of storyboards and lots of ideas and inspiration boards, and came up with this dramatic store."
Inspecting the store for the first time Friday, he said, "I can visualize things and have a pretty good feel for what a store will be like before it’s built, but this store feels so much more dramatic than any of the renderings, and I couldn’t be more pleased by the way it turned out."
For those who need a road map to the three-level, 165,000-square-foot store, here’s a taste of what you’ll find:
>> Floor 1: Look for beauty essentials, fragrances and skin care from 64 brands for men and women, as well as aesthetician services in four Beauty by Design skin care treatment rooms. Also on the first floor are women’s handbags, eyewear and footwear.
>> Floor 2: This is home to women’s ready-to-wear department, offering the latest office to beach, beach to dinner looks from such brands as Letarte, La Perla Swim, T by Alexander Wang, J Brand, rag & bone, M Missoni, See by Chloe and, new to Bloomingdale’s, Vera Wang. There will also be branded designer shops from Armani Collezioni, Maje, Max Mara, Sonia Rykiel, Zadig & Voltaire and Sandro. New to Hawaii will be the dark, street visions of All Saints.
The intimate apparel department will house La Perla and Hanro shops, and styles by Dita Von Teese, the only retailer on the island to carry the burlesque star’s lingerie line.
The pocketbook-challenged will find a place at Sunset + Spring, a curated shop inspired by a fashionable, free-spirited lifestyle, with the majority of pieces priced less than $100. Brands here include Australian labels Bardot and MINKPINK, Lucy Paris and BB Dakota. AQUA, Bloomingdale’s exclusive ready-to-wear line, will also offer trendy essentials at affordable prices.
Those with a case of wanderlust will find luggage and other traveling necessities here, and parents will be able to shop for their keiki’s clothing needs.
>> Floor 3: Shop for menswear brands such as APC, Billy Reid, Public School, Etro, Neil Barrett, rag & bone/JEAN and more, as well as eyewear and footwear from such brands as Paul Smith, MCM, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vince and Y-3.
Then meet up with your partner in the home department for bed and bath needs.
In between browsing, stay energized with a stop at Bloomingdale’s Forty Carrots restaurant, for meals prepared by local chef Jon Matsubara.
Throughout the store, smart fitting rooms are equipped with wall-mounted tablets offering customers the ability to view product availability and communicate with selling associates. Fitting room areas also contain charging stations where shoppers can stop to reboot their phones.
On opening day those enrolled in the store’s Loyallist program can shop for 10X points. Beginning with this store, Bloomingdale’s will also be rolling out an International Loyalty Club catering to international travelers. Enrolled customers can earn points to be redeemed for perks such as gift cards, in-store services including hotel delivery and car service, and experiences such as surfing lessons.
A portion of proceeds from the Ala Moana opening and beyond will go to 10 local charities: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, Friends of ‘Iolani Palace, Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Joyful Heart Foundation, Kapi’olani Health Foundation, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, Na Kama Kai and the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.
Follow @bloomingdales on social media for the latest news on the Ala Moana location, and join the conversation with #alohabloomies.
ALA MOANA CENTER EWA WING GRAND OPENING
>> When: Beginning 9 a.m. today and continuing through the weekend
>> Entertainment: Noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. daily through Sunday on the new Ewa Wing Stage
Fashion shows at Center Stage:
Saturday
>> Noon: St. John
>> 1 p.m.: Bloomingdale’s
>> 2 p.m.: Ted Baker London
>> 3 p.m.: Nordstrom
>> 4 p.m.: BOSS Hugo Boss
>> 5 p.m.: Banana Republic
Sunday
>> Noon: Macy’s
>> 1 p.m.: Spiral Girl
>> 2 p.m.: Desigual
>> 3 p.m.: SwimSpot
>> 4 p.m.: Pepsi-inspired garments designed by the students of Honolulu Community College’s Fashion Technology Program
New tenants Opening in the Ewa Wing, or relocating from other spaces in the mall:
>> Aesop
>> Agent Provocateur
>> AQUA BLU
>> Ben Bridge Timeworks
>> BOSS Hugo Boss
>> Coach
>> David Yurman
>> Desigual
>> Diesel: Receive a gift with $250 purchase.
>> Escada
>> Gloria Jean’s Coffees
>> Island Slipper
>> ivivva: Hosting a dance party, 5 to 6 p.m. Friday
>> Jamba Juice (additional location)
>> kate spade new york: Sips, snacks and surprises, 6 to 8 p.m. today
>> Kay Jewelers
>> Kids Foot Locker
>> La Perla
>> Laline
>> Lorna Jane Active Living: 20 percent off purchases of active apparel on opening day
>> lululemon athletica
>> Magnolia Bakery
>> malie organics: Free travel-size shampoo or conditioner with a purchase of $100 or more
>> Ninja Sushi
>> Nitrogenie
>> Pierre Marcolini
>> Planet Blue
>> Rimowa: Pupu and beverages, 6 to 8 p.m. opening day; Tahitian performances at 6:15 and 7:15 p.m.
>> St. John
>> Starbucks (additional location)
>> Sunglass Hut (additional location)
>> SwimSpot
>> Ted Baker London: Grand opening party with DJ music, drinks, shortbread cookies and giveaways from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday
>> The Art of Shaving: Grand-opening promotion of 15 percent off any purchase of $75 or more
>> The North Face: Free Hawaii trucker hat with purchase of $75 or more, through Sunday. Have your photo taken for chance to win gear using hashtags #NEVERSTOPexploring and #TNFsweeps. Also, sign up for VIPeak Rewards and try on ThermoBall apparel for chance to win a ThermoBall jacket. Recycle used clothing or footwear for $10 off your purchase through Clothes the Loop.
>> Tory Burch
>> True Religion Brand Jeans
