Marianas Made opens at Thursday street market

First published at the Marianas Variety
THE community is invited to check out Marianas Made, a new consignment store displaying locally made products at the Garapan Fishing Base street market tonight.

Debra Kay, owner of Marianas Made, said the store “will specialize in locally made art and crafts as well as packaged specialty foods.”

Vendors have answered her call for products that were screened in Garapan on Tuesday afternoon. These included coconut oil, recycled goods, banuelos, necklaces and fashion jewelry from seashells and beads.

Kay said she came up with the idea of a consignment store because she saw the need for a place for vendors to showcase their products made in the Mariana islands.

The store will be a cross between an art gallery and a cultural gift shop, and will carry an assortment of prints, note cards, small stone and wood sculptures, beadwork, jewelry, candles, woven mats, coconut art, ceramics, wood carvings and music — all made in the Marianas.

“We will be displaying the products at the Thursday street market for the time being, until we find a suitable location for a permanent store,” Kay said.

She is encouraging other vendors and manufacturers of local products to contact her and have their products displayed at Marianas Made on a consignment basis.

She said Marianas Made will provide vendors a chance to introduce and sell their products and for consumers to buy them.

“It will be like a one-stop shop to create a link between vendors and buyers of local products,” Kay said.

In 2009, the Made in the Marianas festival was held at the CNMI Museum of Culture & History compound where entrepreneurs manufacturing local products showed up and sold local products to spectators including local wine, artwork, fashion jewelry, beads products, ceramics, preserved foods, and more.

For more information about Marianas Made, call 287-0772 or e-mail changebuilding@gmail.com

Luxe Duty Free: Saipan’s newest shopping option

THE economic crisis is not an excuse to forego simple joys that will make one feel beautiful, according to a businesswoman who recently opened a luxury shop in Garapan.

Beauty consultant Hou Na promotes the Tony Moly products of Luxe Duty Free in Garapan. Photo by Raquel C. Bagnol

Braving the gloomy economic situation, Luxe general manager Diane Lee (Hye Sook) opened  Luxe Duty Free Shop beside Shenanigan’s in Garapan to try to lift the spirits of the people, especially the women and help them to look beautiful and feel cheerful without having to spend much.

Lee, who has been living on island for the past 24 years and is operating two other businesses, said she had to think many times before finally deciding to open Luxe a couple of weeks ago.

“The economy here is bad, but I want tourists and locals to have more shopping options. When I look at the people, I want to help make them beautiful by offering high quality products at affordable prices,” Lee said.

All the bags, shoes, jewelry, watches and other designer items are from the U.S. and Europe while the cosmetic lines are from Korea.

Luxe Duty Free carry complete lines of skin care products and cosmetics from Tony Moly, a popular cosmetics brand for all age groups in Japan and Korea.

The Tony Moly brand has a wide variety of perfumes, skin care, lip care, cleansing, massage and pack, makeup, hair and body, men’s care and accessories that give solution to troubled skin care.

“Our cosmetics are safe to use for all skin types, and we have a trained and licensed beauty consultant who can help recommend what is best for each customer,” Lee said.

 She added that one would be enticed and proud to carry their products which are housed in creative and attractive containers. Lipsticks are not all in regular tubes but rather in attractive cases shaped like apples, oranges, lemons, and more.

“Don’t be scared by the name Luxe (short for luxury) because you will find lipsticks, lip gloss, skin creams, and other high quality cosmetics and accessories starting at $10,” Lee said.

She is saddened to see individuals who do not take care of their skin and are not fashion-conscious.

“I know times are hard, but we can still be beautiful and fashionable. I love the people here. It is where my two daughters grew up and became successful and making all feel good and beautiful is my way of giving back to the community,” Lee said.

Luxe Duty Free offers free makeup consultation and free makeup to anyone without obliging them to buy.

“Being exposed to the harsh rays of the sun every day, the people here need to take care of their faces and skin and we have the products to meet that need,” Lee said.

Luxe Duty Free provides shoppers a relaxing experience with its ambiance complete with Korean music playing in the background.

Check out Luxe Duty Free’s display shelves for designer bags and purses like Coach, Fendi, Liu-Jo, Ensoen, Serapian, Bellemarie and more, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories and locally produced items like virgin oil, noni juice, coffee and other merchandise.

Luxe Duty Free is open from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Major credit cards are accepted. For inquiries, call 233-2525, 233-4747 or email dianeklee@pticom.com.