The Left Lane
Getting fancy on top

The Carmen Miranda look — gaudy headpieces, often piled high with fruit and flowers — will prevail Aug. 25 when 17 contestants parade and compete in the Third Annual Gala Food Bank Headdress Ball at the Hilton Waikoloa Village's Grand Ballroom. The benefit raises money for the Hawai'i Island Food Bank.

There will also be entertainment by Rolando Sanchez and Salsa Hawai'i, and Three on Hand; a live and silent auction on items ranging from restaurant meals to merchandise; and tastings of food prepared by seven premier executive chefs from Kona and Kohala Coast hotels. Also appearing: the Allen Family Jugglers, a magician named The Great Barusky, "seer" Madame Glorius and caricature artist Shazar. Dress code: party clothes, costumes or aloha attire.

Tickets are $50 at the Kona Wine Market, Elegant Flowers and Gifts in Waikoloa, and Cook's Discoveries in Waimea. The Hilton Waikoloa Village also has special rates for the Aug. 23-25 weekend; call (808) 886-1234 or (800) 445-8667, and mention code HFB. Charge by phone: (808) 326-9777 or (808) 935-3050. Information: (808) 885-0018.

Hand-dyed kimono

Kyoko Kabasawa believes in going back to basics. She spins, dyes and weaves her own fabrics to create wearable art and home decor. The teacher of dyeing and weaving at Sapporo University in Japan will show her natural dyed kimono and fabrics in an exhibition at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii Gallery through August 24.

Kabasawa extracts dyes from hibiscus, golden bamboo, African tulip, black tea, coffee and bougainvillea. As her students at a recent class at Temari learned, the colors derived from Island plants are subtle and unexpected.