Before there were food and art booths. Before anyone speed-dialed vocalist Jordan Segundo and asked him to perform — for free. Before Chinese lion dancers were invited. Before those lion dancers actually had a couple of blocked-off Chinatown streets to dance on.

Before everything that eventually will go into Saturday's first-ever Fresh F.A.C.E. of Nuuanu street festival, there was local fashion designer Takeo watching "Project Runway" on TV.

Inspiration struck.

"Young designers, in particular, often don't have places to show their creations," said Takeo, recalling the genesis of his idea. "So why not promote their fashions as art?"

His initial thought? A "Project Runway"-type competition for local amateur designers — but without the whole one-designer-eliminated-each-week thing. And without any designers eliminated at all. Oh, and no TV show.

Which pretty much makes the three fashion shows that will anchor Fresh F.A.C.E., basically, a competition for new designers. But Takeo is copacetic with that.

That's because more than 40 entrants — everyone from design students at Honolulu Community College and the University of Hawai'i-Manoa to already up-and-coming downtown designers — loved his idea and signed up for the face-off.

Still, Takeo — a Renaissance dude fashion designer who regularly dabbles in art, photography and other interests — wanted more, more, more.

So, inspired by multidimensional urban art fairs they'd seen in large Mainland cities, he and co-event organizer Sandy Pohl added art, food and live entertainment to their mix. They asked the Honolulu Culture & Arts District Association to shut down portions of Nu'uanu Avenue and Hotel Street to vehicular traffic.

The duo envisioned the long red-carpet runway that will stretch the length of Nu'uanu Avenue from Hotel to Pauahi streets and feature more than 120 models sporting the competition's fashions. And they came up with a name for the brand-new street festival aimed at showing off downtown Honolulu's revitalized art and business district: Fresh F.A.C.E. of Nuuanu street festival.

"Landowners are actually painting their buildings. They're doing interior remodeling and decorating," said Pohl, owner of Louis Pohl Gallery on Nu'uanu Avenue, explaining the "Fresh" element.

Takeo has kept a design studio on Nu'uanu Avenue for the past decade and recently re-upped for another long lease. Louis Pohl Gallery has been open five years. More than 15 new businesses have opened in the downtown-Chinatown area in the last two-and-a-half years, according to the Honolulu Culture & Arts District Association.

"There are so many new businesses coming in. It's amazing," said Pohl. "And we wanted people to know about them."

F.A.C.E. is an acronym for the event's people-attracting selling points: Fashion, Art, Cuisine, Entertainment.

In addition to Takeo's three 45-minute fashion show/competitions scheduled on the runway throughout the day, the street fest will feature more than 25 art booths, a live entertainment stage and food concessions (see list).

Fresh F.A.C.E. is riding the coattails of Second Saturdays — an existing monthly day-and-evening gallery walk loosely modeled on First Fridays, which already boasts a number of participating galleries, retailers, restaurants and bars. A handful of these will be hosting their own fashion- and arts-related events to coincide with Fresh F.A.C.E. (see list).

Takeo's fashion competition will be judged in three categories: daywear, Hawaiian wear and eveningwear. The winner of the evening-wear competition will get to dress the next Miss Hawaii USA for her national pageant. The list of designers in competition range from 10-year-old student Joyce Furuya to 87-year-old fashion lover Alice Ihori. (See the Island Life section for more on the designers.)

"These are the next generation of designers," said Takeo, explaining the first and foremost goal he had for Fresh F.A.C.E. "I want to give them an opportunity to promote themselves in the fashion and art world. That's my reward for this show."

He smiled, and mischievously offered another reason.

"I've been doing this job for 25 years. It's actually my time to retire. Enough is enough!"

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.