Namba's costumes filled to the brim with girlish glee

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Fashion Writer

Drummer Kenny Endo and designer Anne Namba model fashions by Namba. Photos by Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Cathy Foy, left, models a "Mikado" costume, and Kellie Peterson wears another Anne Namba design. Namba will hold her own fashion show on the set of the operetta, where she is the costumer designer.

Hawaii Opera Theatre's "The Mikado" 8 p.m. Aug. 6 and 13; 4 p.m. Aug. 8 and 15 Children's matinee: 2 p.m. Aug. 7 ($10 for a child under 18 and up to three adults) Group and military night: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14 ($20 per ticket for groups of 10 or more, or with military ID) Blaisdell Concert Hall $20-$75 HOT box office: 596-7858 Anne Namba Designs Fashion Show A debut of four collections and nine original costumes, on the set of "The Mikado," featuring entertainment by Hawaii Opera Theatre, and taiko drummer Kenny Endo and his ensemble. 10:30 a.m. Sunday Blaisdell Concert Hall Free. Limited space, open to the public. First come, first seated. No RSVP is required.

However, lately she's been seen laughing hysterically, animated and witty, tossing hot-pink chiffon into the air just to see how it falls.

Namba is designing costumes for "The Mikado," the comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, a Broadway-musical-style show filled with tongue-in-cheek antics. It will be directed by Hawaii Opera Theatre's artistic director, Henry Akina, who laughs when discussing how the opera distorts ancient Japanese customs like the reflection in a fun-house arcade.

"The Mikado" is a perfect match for Namba, whose designs are inspired by the Japanese aesthetic.

Namba began her career as a costume designer in 1983 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. "Costumes are my first love," she said as she fingered a turquoise and gold little number embellished with sequins.

"Costumes are all fantasy and pretend. You don't have to worry about wearability" and the practical issues: Can you sit comfortably in it? Will it work for women of many different sizes? How will it travel? Are the seams flawless?

"A costume is simply theatrical and defines a specific character. You can do a lot of things for effect that in clothing you can't get away with. You don't have to worry about the inside (of the garment) as long as it's sweat-proof and the construction can hold up to the demands of the role," Namba explained.

Namba designed nine costumes for the principal characters in "The Mikado" as well as the concepts for the chorus. Each costume reflects the character's attributes. Here are a few examples:

• Ko-Ko: This serious metrosexual will be covered in faux leather lined in faux fur.
• Katisha: The fashionista drama queen will don a faux-fur-trimmed kimono (the fur will match Koko's in a nod to their budding romance), and she'll carry a Louis Vuitton bag, of course.
• Pooh-Bah and Pish-Tush: Tuxedo elements will be taken over the top with a red pocket square, rhinestone buttons and black patent-leather dress shoes.
• Nanki-Poo: In a nod to "The Simple Life," the emperor's son will disguise himself in what he thinks the villagers wear. However, the patches on his clothes will be made of brocade and silk and, of course, he can't go anywhere without his embellished cell-phone carrier.

Namba also brought humor into costumes for the chorus, who will wear T-shirts under their kimonos. The women will wear black, while the men will be adorned with bright colors. In a nod to the mod, women chorus members will wear high-heeled rubber slippers instead of geta. All will wear black pants tied at the ankles, reminiscent of Japanese farm attire.

In return for Namba's generosity, HOT is allowing the designer to present her annual fashion show on the set at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.

"It's a larger stage, so we need more pizzazz," Namba said of the collection. She will introduce two exclusive new prints, Samurai Geisha and Kyoto. The eclectic kimono group will feature patchwork, appliquÚs and unusual color combinations. The bridal collection is elegant evening attire in warm colors with rich beaded obi panels and distinctive design elements. Many of the fabrics are diaphanous, floating in soft layers across the body. Silhouettes are more fitted than in previous collections, a nod to the demands of a younger clientele.

The free fashion show (see box) will feature entertainment by the opera's cast as well as taiko drumming by Kenny Endo. It will be an opportunity for the fashionable to get tickled by "The Mikado," and for opera buffs to learn more about the serious side of Anne Namba Designs.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5464.

Correction: The names of some characters in "The Mikado" were misspelled in a previous version of this story.