Gardenia in the garden

There are different forms of torture. Insomnia sadistically induced by a chihuahua. A painful break-up amplified by Adele’s ballad Someone Like You. Or the never relenting temptation of a fried potato. I, though, am tortured by a flower.

The intoxicating Gardenia.  Genus of about 200 species of flowering plants from the rubiaceae family (a relative of the coffee plant).  A flower that symbolizes ‘secret love’. A floral with such a powerful scent it has inspired some of the most historically iconic perfumes like Chanel Gardenia(1925) and Robert Piguets Fracas (1947). It is also, the most requested fragrance that I have yet to create.

In its popularity it has been replicated (often poorly) in everything from perfume, to car-fresheners robbing it of its once exotic appeal. In an effort to resolve my complicated relationship with the Gardenia, last year I planted many different varietals. Rare specimens with rumored hints of coconut in their bloom. Popular common hybrids with the traditional large white blossoms. And, of course, the Tahitian Gardenia, so prolific in Hawaii it’s the common ornament worn behind the ear of every women. The plan was to study them and recapture their original,  hauntingly-addictive essence. Yet, they refused to bloom. All of them.

So when I just returned home from business trip and found all the plants decorated with white flowers–I was aghast. Were the plants simply trying to impress the young good-looking man that was housesitting? Were they mocking me? Or were the recent weather patterns with frequent rain showers and cool nights the optimal environment for them to bloom? I’m not sure. All I know is my house is now covered with the magical blossoms inspiring a self-imposed agoraphobia, rampant creativity, and lots of sweet smelling daydreams.

Lulu Frost Orchid Earingshttp://www.lulufrost.com/item/orchid-earring-3

The other day, I downloaded LMAFO ‘Sexy and I know it’. Shortly after that recommendations for Ke$sha, Far East Movement, and Jennifer Lopez were popping up in my iTunes Recommendations For You box. Gone was ‘Gold Lion’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s replaced  by ‘Moves like Mick Jagger’ by that reality host of The Voice. My face got hot, I began to sweat, and I wanted to write someone and explain I only did it because I’m getting back in shape and I thought it was ironic? Ok, and a little catchy. What if Spotify suddenly picked it up and told all my Facebook friends? The shame!? Uggh. A quick impulse has now forever tainted my on-line profile.

With smart search engines (which my friend Robin insists is something we want), I feel as if technology is turning me into a parody of myself. Has my unique fashion sense become a formula ? When I see a cute pair of shoes suddenly advertised on my google page is this evidence of my own predictability?  Are those shoes that perfectly match the dress that I bought on-line last week an unlikely coincidence? The truth is, a complex logarithm, not a pretty shop girl, nailed those shoes based on information collected about me.  And, if I buy those shoes to wear with that dress, will I show up at a party and see a women in my dress (that she too bought on line) with those exact shoes? Likely. And instead of hiding from her, will have to become friends based on how much we obviously have in common ? Probably (yup, there’s an App for that to).

So my first stop on my recent trip to New York City was the showroom at Lulu Frost. Discovered many years ago here, luckily for me, they haven’t been in Hawaii. Their antique and vintage pieces, reworked in a modern way are incredibly exceptional. As I lounged about, reveling in the beauty of her spectacularly chic one-of-a-kind 100 year pieces, I found something that must have been made just for me.  A row of earrings created with silk flower orchids fastened to plated brass fin shapes.  I swooned, “ These are so Saffron ! “ To which everyone agreed. Then I tried them on. If possible–prettier. I found them, but I won’t do you the injustice of telling you what I’ll wear them with (preserve your own style!). Earrings this unique will no doubt look original on anybody. I skipped out of there with my new earrings feeling satisfied that, this time, I found them all by myself.

Most kids at some point have a blankey, a woobie, and in my brothers case a piece of sheepskin called ‘kitty kitty’, that my mother referred to as (still quoting the baby-boomers-bible Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child ) a “transitional object”. A soft, silky textile that brings children comfort and security.  Well, after kitty-kitty ended up inside the stomach of our German Shepard Max and the vet bills, temper tantrums and  ruined danish sofa that followed– my mother decided I would “transition” without one.

So of course, it is her fault that I developed an obsession with scarves. Anything soft and cozy that I can wrap around my body, curl up with on a plane, or hang around my neck. When pashminas came into fashion it was as if gospel choirs everywhere burst spontaneously into song. I bought one in every color and began walking around, for all intensive purposes, with my blanket.

When I returned to Hawaii the pashminas took to a top shelf in the closet. Replaced by thin soft cotton pareus that are worn as cover-ups: wrapped like a skirt, tied as a dress, thrown over the shoulders at the beach. When a good friend Lauren from Pua Jewelry started making them (featured on the model above), I quickly amassed an impressive collection.

So it is safe to say the last possible thing I needed was another scarf, yet, that’s the first thing I bought on my recent trip. During my requisite visit to my favorite boutique, Heist in Venice Beach, the second I touched it–I knew I had to have it. Made by the Faliero Sarti, the revered Italian textile company, the unique blend of modal and silk gives this scarf a luxurious softness that needs to be experienced. The texture of the weave is so thin (almost transparent) it’s perfectly capable of transitioning from winter to summer, even scarf to shawl. When I get back to Hawaii I might even give it a test run as pareu.

Tiare Teiti in Ward Center

The first time I saw Tahiti I was besotted. Often mislabeled as ‘Hawaii thirty years’ the truth is the islands are more like sisters. There are many similarities in their beauty and history but they are decidedly different. For me, the beauty of Tahiti is only magnified in all the subtleties of comparison.

When I saw the new store Tiare Teiti in Ward Center I didn’t run in the door–I skipped. It had all my favorite things: bright Tahitian pareos, colorful board shorts and bikinis, and the most amazing monoi oils and coconut soaps that I’ve come across. After a chat with the owner Ida Teiti (a beautiful Tahitian women with a her  trade marked tiare flower behind her ear) I was so inspired I went straight home and began plotting my return.

One of the things I miss most about living in Hawaii– my shoes. My beautiful, sexy companions: Jimmy, Christian and Manolo. They have run with me through the streets of New York, accompanied me to amazing dinners, danced with me until the wee hours of the morning.

Now even with their delicate stems, exotic spots and rainbow colored skins, they are ignored and neglected for their simple, unsophisticated third- cousins–the slipper. Not the fuzzy one’s that are worn inside in winter, but the rubber one’s that make that ‘flip-flop’ noise.

The slipper is a  necessity of Hawaiian lifestyle that we have turned into a fashion. Floral print mini-dresses are paired with hot pink Havaianas for sunset cocktails. Old-school leather Scott Sandals are worn with sexy jumpers for lawn parties. The brighter, the more uncoordinated –the better.

So when a friend of mine introduced me to eco-conscious  company Ipanema (endorsed by Gisele Bundchen) complete with decorative hearts, neon color combinations and multiple styles to choose from — I was a goner. After wrestling for these at a recent trunk show, my two good friends proudly posed outside with their new Ipanema’s slippers.

My best friend came to stay with me in Hawaii, and on his first day, I took him out at sunset out on some stand-up paddle boards. The water was flat and glassy, and when you stood on the board, it was so clear, you could see the fish swimming below you. We started paddling out towards the surf break and as if on cue, several canoes came paddling across the horizon. As I looked over at my friend who had a huge grin on his face, an old Honu (turtle in Hawaiian) popped up next to his board. He was so startled he almost fell off. We celebrated afterward with a mai-tai on the outside terrace of our beach club. While we were hotly debating the existence of the green flash, the sun disappeared below the horizon and everyone around us began to clap.

Just another evening in Hawaii, was a new adventure for my friend. That day, he reminded me to celebrate all those beautiful moments (even if they have become common). At Saffron James we want to share those daily discoveries with you that make each day an adventure.

Sunset at Pipeline