“Shop a Le’a” – Honolulu’s Best of Both Worlds

edited by Niambi Brown Davis

It’s the dedicated shopper’s dream vacation – a week long fashion extravaganza in paradise. Hawaii’s Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest outdoor shopping center, and the state’s largest shopping destination will present “Shop a Le’a – Seven Blissful Days of Shopping Euphoria.” To come up with a name for this first-annual event, organizers joined “shop” with “le’a”, a traditional Hawaiian word meaning “to take delight.” This clever combination translates into “The Joy of Shopping.” From March 3-9, Shop a Lea will celebrate the very best in global brands and merchandise, and draw shopping enthusiasts from all over Hawaii and the entire Pacific region.

There’s hardly a better setting for the festival, but organizers stress that Hawaii offers “more than just beautiful beaches, balmy weather and great waves.” Still, guests can experience the best of both worlds. For their convenience, Shop a Le’a has put together a variety of hotel packages with three Oahu hotel partners, including the Ala Moana Hotel, ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Tower and ResortQuest Waikiki Sunset.

Ala Moana’s Centerstage is the heart of Shop A Le’a. The week-long events include 35 lifestyle seminars highlighting the best in fashion, beauty, travel and the active lifestyle, home entertaining, and cuisine. Events run daily from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm and are free and open to the public. Major events include Macy’s at Shop a Le’a, beginning at 12 noon daily, featuring five different fashion shows, gourmet cuisine demonstrations and beauty seminars.

Discounts and special offers will be available, as well as trunk shows and special celebrity guest appearances. An exclusive gift-with-purchase offer rewards customers with a choice of lovely commemorative Shop a Le’a gifts – a Mini-Tote or cosmetic bag, complete with a variety of beauty samples.

On Tuesday, Ala Moana will present an opulent Celebration of Luxury. More than two dozen of the mall’s high-end boutiques will participate in a day-long open house, featuring special in-store events and drawings to win luxury merchandise. The event culminates in a $5,000 grand prize Luxury Giveaway shopping spree in any of the center’s boutiques. The winner will enjoy lunch at Mariposa Restaurant and complimentary limousine service to arrive home in style with the day’s gifts and purchases.

Nordstrom’s Grand Opening gala is Wednesday’s main event. Beginning at 7:00 pm, the festivities include sumptuous pupus, cocktails, a lavish buffet and live entertainment. With tickets at $150.00 per person, this party with a purpose benefits three local Hawaii charities. Although the public store opening is scheduled for Friday, gala guests can indulge “sneak preview” shopping. The highlight of the event will be a tented , full-scale runway fashion show of European and American designers including Tory Burch, 3.1, Phillip Lim and Roberto Cavalli.

Honolulu Magazine is the host of Thursday’s Preview Shopping Night and Fundraiser. Cocktails and dessert by Hale’Aina’s award-winning chefs will be served, and commemorative Shop a Le’a gifts made available. After touring the Center’s brand-new retail expansion of more than 30 stores, guests have a two-hour opportunity to shop. Tickets for this event are $40.00 and benefit Hawaii’s Habitat for Humanity.

On Friday, Nordstrom again takes center stage with an event guaranteed to pull even the “not before noon” crowd out of bed. Beauty sleep will take second billing to the early morning Cosmetic Tailgate Party. From 7:30 am until 9:00 am the store will offer complimentary beauty and cosmetic samples and consultations by Nordstrom’s beauty, make-up and fragrance partners. Discounts and gift-with-purchase items will be available at this event. At 9:15 a traditional Hawaiian blessing precedes the public grand opening.

Give-aways abound during the week-long festival, but the grand prize takes a lucky winner from the Pineapple State to the Big Apple on a shopping trip for two. This prize is valued at 10,000, and includes roundtrip airfare for two to New York, deluxe hotel accommodations for eight days at Times Square and a $1,500 American Express gift card. A $1,000 style consultation, a $1,000 shopping spree at Diesel New York, dinner at a New York restaurant, two evenings of Broadway shows, hair and make-up styling for two at the Aveda Lifestyle Salon in New York round out more than a week of first class shopping, pampering and entertainment.

Blissful, euphoric and beneficial to the community. Shop A Le’a is definitely not just another shopping trip in paradise. Most of the events are free and open to the public with the exception of those that require an invitation or a paid ticket to benefit charity. For more information on packages, tickets and events, visit http://www.ShopaLea.com.