Viva Vol 3 - March 2021

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EDITOR Amanda Linnell CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dan Ahwa DEPUTY EDITOR Johanna Thornton ART DIRECTOR Imogen Temm COMMERCIAL EDITOR Emma Gleason BEAUTY EDITOR Ashleigh Cometti DIGITAL/PRODUCTION JOURNALIST Julia Gessler CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR Chloe Hill RECIPE EDITOR Angela Casley CONTRIBUTORS

Tanya Barlow, Matt Benns, Thistle Brown, Jo Burzynska, Alivia Carrington-Hall, Lucy Casley, Chris Collie, Veronica Crockford-Pound, Jordan Daniels, Jack Dennis, Annabel Dickson, Fabienne Distelzwey, Jo Elwin, Ginny Fisher, Guy Frederick, Lauren Freeman, Joseph Griffen, Scott Hardy, Matt Hurley, Leisha Jones, Cait Kneller, Kim Knight, Babiche Martens, Bridget Riggir, Katie Melody Rogers, Jesse Mulligan, Greg Murrell, Karl Puschmann, Bridget Riggir-Cuddy, Cathrin Schaer, Ali Scheurich, Juliette Sivertsen, Mara Sommer, Kiekie Stanners, ZK Steiner-Fox, Lochie Stonehouse, Sabina Sysantos, Josh Szeto, Samuel Te Kani, Samantha Totty, Zoe Walker Ahwa COMMERCIAL & MARKETING HEAD OF AUCKLAND SALES Neil Jackson HEAD OF CREATEME & AGENCY OPERATIONS Greg McCrea GM INTEGRATION Margaret Hawker GM COMMERCIAL PUBLISHING Chris Rudd GM COMMERCIAL INTEGRATION Danielle Tolich COMMERCIAL INTEGRATION MANAGERS Alice Jones, Andrea O’Hagan COMMERCIAL INTEGRATION SPECIALIST Lucy Janisch-Fitzgerald GM BRAND & MARKETING Sheryl Dunlop SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Monique Hodgson PRODUCTION PRODUCTION EDITOR Isobel Marriner SUB-EDITORS Courtney Whitaker, Jill Stanford, Sue Baxalle,

Maureen Marriner, Rebecca Barry Hill

SALES OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Lee Miller PRODUCTION MANAGER Jon Macdonald PRINTING Ovato DISTRIBUTION Ovato NZME EXECUTIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Michael Boggs MANAGING EDITOR Shayne Currie CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Paul Hancox CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Katie Mills CHIEF RADIO & COMMERCIAL OFFICER Wendy Palmer CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Matt Wilson EDITORIAL OFFICE

NZME, 2 Graham St, Central City, Auckland 1010, New Zealand Postal address: Private Bag 92198, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand Phone: (09) 379 5050. Email: viva@nzherald.co.nz FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES call 0800 100 888 or visit Viva.co.nz/subscribe FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES email: advertise@nzme.co.nz

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CONTENTS

94 ON THE COVER

Jordan Daniels from 62 Management wears Wynn Hamlyn top $395, Adrienne Winkelmann trousers $899, and custom hat POA.

CULTURE

PHOTOGRAPHER

Mara Sommer FASHION DIRECTOR

Dan Ahwa

FASHION

MAKEUP

Kiekie Stanners for M.A.C Cosmetics HAIR

Greg Murrell from Ryder Salon NAILS

Tanya Barlow from Hello Tanya

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BEAUTY

54 Welcome 18 Right Now 21 NZ Fashion Talent Abroad 26 Page-Turning Shopping 34 Spotlight On Theatre Stars 38 Northland’s Next Generation 44 Gucci A Go-Go 53 Jordan Daniels Dresses Up 54 Sloaney Style For Now 66 How To Wear Brights & Why 78 Colourful Shopping 85 Luxury Accessories For You & Your Home 86 Bangs Are Back 93 Screen Siren Hair 94 The Business Of Beauty 100 Pigmentation Station 102

AUTUMN WINTER 21

CONTENTS

112

FOOD & DRINK

DESIGN & TRAVEL

THE FINAL WORD

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129

Hot-Off-The-Press Beauty 106 Say Cheese 111 What To Eat & Drink Now 112 The Restaurants Chefs Love 120 Women In Wine 124 Exceptional Recipes 129 Why Arrowtown Beats Queenstown 136 Marvellous Mawhiti House 141 Design’s Latest & Greatest 143 Up Close With Jeweller Jane Dodd 144 A New-Build In Acacia Bay 148 Five Enriching Getaways 155 Stockists 160 Stephenie Zhou’s Favourites 162

Light That Lifts Ne ew SYNCHRO SKIN RADIANT LIFTING Fo oundation SPF 30 PA++++ Illum minate Skin In Any Light 24--Hour Hydration We eightless Comfort #A ALIVEwithBeauty

WELCOME

F

TO

VIVA

VOLUME THREE —

or most of us the year has started with a hiss and a roar. Here we are in March already; how did that happen? All those lessons from 2020 about living life differently, recalibrating new ways of working and looking at life differently, fast forgotten. I hope, as you take time to truly savour this magazine, it works to remind you (as it has for me) of how important it is to celebrate the good things in life, because these pages are packed with inspirational ideas, people and places!

Indeed, as I signed off the last stories before going to print, I sat in wonder of the process and acknowledged the months and weeks of planning; every discussion of every detail. Each story, each photo, created by people who are passionate about seeking out the exceptional and the exceptions to the rules, and then working to bring the stories to life through creative, innovative ways.

There are so many conversations that go into each assignment. Initial concepts grow and evolve, ideas are tossed around, shaped and reshaped as limitations throw the original vision off course, while new ideas and opportunites stretch the idea further. It’s exciting. There is a need to be flexible, to keep challenging each other and the status quo. It is determination that makes it happen, passion and dedication.

Good things take time. Like waiting for our cover model Jordan Daniels to come out of quarantine for our shoot with A M A N D A W E A R S Adrienne Winkelmann blazer over creative director Dan Ahwa and a Kate Sylvester ‘Sister’ photographer Mara Sommer. Viva T-shirt and black pants. was the only assignment Jordan agreed to while on her short and precious visit to New Zealand S I G N UP for our biweekly e-newsletter at to reconnect with family, before Viva.co.nz/ newsletter/ returning to New York where her career is on a trajectory — like so many of our great expats.

F I N D U S on Instagram and Twitter at @NZHVIVA In January she appeared in American Vogue photographed by documentary photographer Susan F O L L O W U S on Facebook at Facebook.com/nzhviva/ Meisel. She’s featured in British Vogue with photographer Oliver Hadlee Pearch, appeared in a VISIT Viva.co.nz 18

OUR FIRST ISSUE OF 2021

Calvin Klein campaign shot by Lachlan Bailey and walked runway shows for the likes of Chloe, Prada, Valentino and Moschino.

Also back from New York is stylist and photographer Thistle Brown, whose work regularly appears in Financial Times’ How To Spend It, Dazed and Confused and Purple magazines. He is also a muse and model for brands such as Milk Makeup, V magazine and Eckhaus Latta.

For this issue, Thistle returned to his home town, Whangārei, and reconnected with the children and teenagers of his old neighbourhood. For this very personal project Thistle travelled with his old school friend, writer Sam Tekani, whose accompanying essay beautifully captures the the dreams and aspirations of our next generation.

Meanwhile, in Wellington, stylist Chloe Hill sought out beautiful locations for her vision to celebrate the return of florals and tartans to a fashion season so full of variety. The finishing touch: some words of inspiration from the capital city’s greatest wordsmith, Katherine Mansfield.

When it comes to dedication to discovering the new, well-travelled food writer Leisha Jones has compiled the most comprehensive guide you’ll find right now to our exciting and thriving food scene. It is so jam-packed full of brilliant ideas that I know you will refer to it all year round as you too get out and explore different parts of our wonderful country. Don’t miss Jo Elwin’s insider’s guide to Arrowtown (where she passionately puts forward a case for why it is no longer Queenstown’s poor cousin, but somewhere much hipper), while Viva restaurant reviewer Jesse Mulligan taps into his nationwide network of chefs to find out their favourite places to eat.

As for those 2020 life learnings? I had a wonderful reminder while working on a shoot for this magazine.

It had been an early start. Summer rain had caused accidents on the road, the city was in gridlock. People were arriving late from all around the country, others had limited time and had to rush off to their next appointment. I was on my phone juggling calls while discussing angles with photographer Babiche Martens, chatting to everyone on set, keeping everything moving, moving, moving ... “When I’m in a wheelchair I have to be constantly present and mindful or I’d tip out,” said contemporary dancer Rodney Bell (Ngāti Maniapoto).

Point taken, I laughed, and put my phone down to truly savour the experience of being in a room with 12 of New Zealand’s greatest theatre talents who, like so many in this magazine, live life on the edge in order to follow their passions and create stories for others to enjoy. It is an honour to work with and meet such talented people on a daily basis. To discover what drives them, despite all odds and the challenges that life throws at all of us.

“Hurihia to aroaro ki te ra, tukuna to atarangi kia taka ki, muri i a koe." (Māori whakatauki) "Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.”

Amanda Linnell, Editor

PHOTOGRAPHY: Babiche Martens

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CREAM ON TOP

Frills! Flounce! Frippery! Dublinborn designer Simone Rocha’s highly subversive aesthetic has charmed us since she burst on the scene as part of the talent hub Fashion East a decade ago, reclaiming “girlish” fashion tropes of bows, pearls, lace and collars through her collections — especially relevant now we’re engrossed in Bridgerton’s flamboyant “Regencycore” costumes.

Simone now joins a prestigious alumni of designers including Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace with her new H&M designer collab. Available from March 11 at Auckland’s Commercial Bay store, the H&M x Simone Rocha range celebrates her heritage (Ireland and Hong Kong) in a collection that will also debut her designs for men and children. Expect frothy tulle dresses, tartan prints, cable knits and glittery jewels for everyone, with sizes going up to an XL. “My approach at every stage of the design process was to remember that for some this would be an introduction to Simone Rocha, a chance to enjoy the brand for the first time, while for others this will be a chance to recall the history of a brand they have followed for a while.” H&M Commercial Bay, 7 Queen St, Auckland

VIVA.CO.NZ

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RIGHT

NOW HOMECOMING QUEEN

F O RWA R D THINKING Dunedin is rolling out the black carpet, launching a new fashion exhibition at Otago Museum on March 27. Fashion Fwd >> Disruption through Design will celebrate fabulous frocks, stunning couture and eye-catching designs by iD Fashion Awards’ Emerging Designer finalists from the past 16 years.

These will be juxtaposed with international and historical designs curated by the museum, as well as those by the rock stars of the Dunedin fashion world, such as Margarita Robertson of Nom*D, Tanya Carlson of Carlson and Sara Munro of Company of Strangers.

Otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/ fashion-fwd

The 1980s has captured the imagination of fashion designer Claudia Li, who recently returned to her hometown of Auckland from New York to document her latest autumn/winter 2021 collection ʻHomecomingʼ as part of the official New York Fashion Week Schedule last month.

Inspired by the nostalgia of 80s high school proms, the collection features fun furs (pictured), voluminous gowns in shocking pink, slouchy jumpsuits and fruity jewels. Itʼs a vibe.

Claudia Li dress $1990, shearling coat $3995 and tote $695. Claudia-li.com

CATCHING

FEELINGS

A N X I O U S A P P R E C I AT I O N A confronting new exhibition at Wellington’s City Gallery features such unsettling subject matter, it comes with a warning. Creature, by Berlin-based artist Marianna Simnett, arrives in New Zealand at a time when our anxieties and paranoias about the body are already heightened. The internationally acclaimed artist’s show was staged at Brisbane’s Institute of Modern Art last year, and features three of her bestknown film and installation works. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the film Blood in My Milk, featuring insects, children, surgeons and the artist herself being subjected to invasive procedures and paranoid visions. ‘Creature’ opens at City Gallery Wellington on March 4 and runs until July 11. Entry is free 22

“We’re in the business of bottling up emotions. I hope that people read the label and identify with that sentiment in its simplest form,” says Ben Gorham, Byredo founder and creative director of the brand’s newest unisex fragrance. Mixed Emotions is a woody, aromatic scent with top notes of sweet blackcurrant and mate tea, middle notes of soothing Ceylon tea and violet leaf, and a base of birch and papyrus. Byredo Mixed Emotions 50ml eau de parfum, $264, available from Mecca and Meccabeauty.co.nz CULTURE

PLANT POWER

Ever cursed your neighbour’s overhanging branches or lamented the felling of a native? Photographers Mark Smith and Felicity Jones’ new body of work examines our connection to botanicals and the tensions between economic, social and environmental needs and desires. It follows their first series, Case Studies, based on the story of the Wardian case (a precursor to the modern terrarium) that transported plant life around the world.

Case Study South delves into our relationships with plants, this time focusing on South Island stories. ʻCase Study Southʼ, Allpress Gallery, 8 Drake St, Auckland, April 7-24

A RARE BEAUTY

La Prairie is redefining the ampoule market with the launch of its new Platinum Rare Haute-Rejuvenation Protocol, $3140. This monthlong intensive treatment helps wind back the clock by rejuvenating skin. Each 8ml vial works synergistically to transform skin, leaving it feeling restored and appearing tauter. Receive exclusive access to La Prairie’s Protocol Ceremony with your purchase, where a beauty advisor will run you through a phone consultation and skin assessment.

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STYLE FILE:

DAME

VIVIENNE

WESTWOOD

Celebrations are due for the queen of punk who turns 79 on April 8. The style savant’s quintessentially British aesthetic is one we adore for its unique mix of aristocracy and rebellion, taking us on a rumbustious journey over the past four decades since her seminal runway presentation ‘Pirates’ in 1981.

From her punk-inspired designs in Malcom McLaren’s influential Kings Rd store, Sex, in the 1970s, to her passionate activism around climate change, nuclear disarmament and civil rights, her singular, magpie approach to fashion is one we’ll forever be inspired by.

VIVA.CO.NZ

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RIGHT

NOW

AT THE

MOVIES Put going to the flicks back on the agenda at New Zealandʼs boutique neighbourhood cinemas

5 OF

Dorothy Browns Cinema and Bar, Arrowtown This cosy cinema has a bar and bookshop and boasts romantic furnishings, from plush armchairs to chandeliers and pink chiffon walls. Even better, this date night spot has an oldschool intermission, so you can duck out for a bathroom break or cheeseboard without missing any of the story. wh at to see: The Father (out in April), with Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.

Dorothybrowns.com

THE BEST ALBUMS T O H AV E O N YO U R

RADAR

LANA DEL REY

w h o : The glamorously haunting and complex artist has emerged as one of America’s great songwriters. sou nd s l i k e : A washed-out photo of 1950s Hollywood glamour that imparts ghostly nostalgia and hazy melancholy. w h y w e ’ re e xc i t ed : 2019’s stunning NFR was one of that year’s best albums. LDR conjures a mood of contemporary angst, combined with beguiling vocals and elegantly moody soundscapes for an album to wallow in.

W H EN : Chemtrails over the Country Club drops March 19.

TEEKS

w h o : Soulful Māori singersongwriter whose emotion-packed, incredibly moving songs will soon conquer the world. sou nd s l i k e : Feelings. All of the feelings. w h y w e ’ re e xc i t ed : Teeks’ introduction, the brilliant The Grapefruit Skies EP, stunned Aotearoa in 2017. It’s been a long wait for his debut album. w h e n: Something to Feel is out March 26.

LAKE STREET DIVE

w h o : Supremely talented, multigenre Boston five-piece led by the superb voice of jazz and blues singer Rachael Price. sou nd s l i k e : Amy Winehouse or Adele fronting a Motown band inspired by 60s/70s pop-rock and the sweet twang of country-folk. w h y w e ’ re e xc i t ed : Early singles showcased the band’s effortless ability to switch from 24

uplifting party-soul to classic 70s soul-rock right through to raw, emotionally charged, bluesy ballads without skipping a beat.

Whe n : Their third album Obviously is out March 12.

PICKLE DARLING

w ho : Ōtautahi’s purveyor of off-kilter and inventive lo-fi pop. sounds like: The sort of sunny pop music The Beach Boys’ musical genius Brian Wilson would have made if he recorded by himself in his bedroom instead of a top-of-the-line recording studio. w hy w e’ r e exc ited : Because the world needs more quirk in it. Forget your worries and take off into the happily madcap world of Pickle Darling’s lo-fi pop. w he n : New album Cosmonaut blasts off on May 21.

MCK

w ho : Auckland artist with an R&B flavour and slinky pop tunes.

S o un d s li k e : Slick and catchy radio-ready songs anchored by low-end boom, head-nodding grooves and MCK’s musings on love and life.

Why w e’ r e excited : Having previously worked with Djeisan Suskov from Leisure on her new EP, MCK joined forces with producer/musician Wells* to craft a sultry batch of catchy pop bangers that you will absolutely want to boom.

Whe n : MCK drops Hot Sounds EP is out now.

The Hollywood Theatre, Christchurch Hollywood 3 is iconic. Set in the beachside suburb of Sumner, this three-theatre complex opened in 1938, and retains its history in its nostalgic curtained walls. It’s run by a local family — who took over from Lang and Maureen Masters, who ran it for 50 years — and screens a mix of blockbusters and arthouse films. wh at to s ee: Nomadland, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Hollywoodcinema.co.nz The Anzac Theatre, Dargaville This independent cinema is a true community enterprise. The 64-seater marked a new era for the region when, 35 years after the Empire Theatre closed in the 1970s, the locals pooled their resources to transform a former museum and library. wh at to s ee: New Zealand film Cousins by the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita — picked up following her death in 2010 by director Ainsley Gardiner and writer-director Briar Grace-Smith — and based on the Patricia Grace novel. Anzactheatre.co.nz Arthur’s Cinema, Cromwell Is this our quaintest movie theatre? Run by the Cromwell Film Society, it’s set in a stone church from 1891, and named after stonemason and community man Leslie Arthur, Helen Clark’s great grandfather. Visitors once entered through the church vestibule but the cinema now boasts a ramped entrance and lounge. Expect to see acclaimed literary titles, rather than mainstream releases. wh at to s ee: Rams, the Australian dramedy starring Sam Neill. Arthurscinema.co.nz

P I CTU RE D, F RO M TO P TH E FATH E R ; ART H U R’S C I N E MA I N C RO MWELL ; N O MAD L AN D ; N EW Z E AL AN D FI LM C OU S I N S .

CULTURE

Jil Sander pre-fall 2021.

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Twenty-seven Names

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‘Light Years’ blazer $740.

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SIGN OF THE TIMES:

EXECUTIVE

REALNESS

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Fix up, look sharp. The hallmarks of professional attire still hold value as we pull ourselves together and take on whatever the world may throw our way — this time mixing classics with a sense of irreverence

VIVA.CO.NZ

1. Lamy LX fountain pen, $95, from Pen Classics. 2. Chaos ‘Do Not Disturb’ leather laptop sticker $240. 3. Beyond Burnout by Suzi McAlpine, $38, published by Penguin (2021). 4. Omega timepiece, POA, from Partridge Jewellers. 5. Mulberry ‘Bayswater’ handbag $2365. 6. Samsoe Samsoe blazer, $499, from Superette. 7. Patrick Kelly autumn/winter 1990. 8. Ralph glasses, $196, from OPSM. 9. Apple AirPods Max $999.

10. Country Road drink bottle $35. 11. Ain’t Nothin’ Goin on but the Rent by Gwen Guthrie (1986). 12. Anna Quan trousers, $450, from The Mercer Store. 13. Ganni dress, $479, from Caughley. 14. Brother Vellies Mary Jane heels $830. See stockists on page 160.

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Isabella Rose Davey

HEA D O F COMMU N I CAT IO N S A ND D I G I TAL AT COP E N H AG E N FA SH I O N W EEK

FASHIONABL

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ALAND ENTED NEW ZE L A T E H T T E E M G E X PAT S PAV I N

S T R O P EX

AT H WAY S I N SUCCESSFUL P SEAS FA S H I O N OV E R 26

FASHION

B

efore arriving in Copenhagen, where she is head of communications at the Danish capital city’s Fashion Week, Isabella Davey had done a bit of everything in the industry, from working in boutiques to modelling and styling, to writing about fashion and art. She’s also something of a citizen of the world: She has family in New Zealand, grew up in Australia, went to university in Ireland and then spent seven years in London before relocating to Denmark in 2019.

Talking to her, you get the feeling the one thing that spans all those jobs and continents is Isabella’s drive and determination. She says it was hard work that eventually got her a job with the British Fashion Council where she worked in designer liaison and managed the NewGen section at London Fashion Week. It acts as a launchpad for emerging talents, including — in the past — big names like Alexander McQueen, JW Anderson and Simone Rocha. Because London is well known in the European fashion world for its non-commercial creativity, the NewGen section is particularly important.

Despite the excitement of such a job, Isabella says she started to feel the need for a change. “I felt too comfortable,” Isabella says of accepting a job as a brand strategist for Danish brand Stine Goya, and moving to Copenhagen. “I like feeling curious and I am always worried about feeling too contented.”

Unfortunately, after only a few months the pandemic hit and the brand had to lay off staff. But the pandemic had also forced Copenhagen Fashion Week — which, according to Vogue, had gained “cult status, built on a canny use of cool-girl influencers, buzzy young Scandi-style brands and sustainability credentials” — to go online. It would be one of the first hybrid fashion weeks and Isabella was given the job of making sure everybody knew about it.

Yes, the fashion business is pretty different in Copenhagen, Isabella concedes. “In London there is such an incredibly diverse and young fashion scene, that’s why the schedule is so exciting,” she says.

“And [the fashion] does feel more commercial here.

There’s not the deep creativity you see in London.

But then, it also feels more democratic here. It’s a different approach. It’s more accessible.”

Right now, the Danish lifestyle in general is also something that is keeping Isabella curious. When she first arrived in Copenhagen, she found it hard to fit in as an outsider even though most people speak English. “There’s not that immediate warmth you get in New Zealand and Australia,” she says.

Her appreciation for the local culture has grown.

That includes Danish preferences on egalitarianism, the environment and gender equality. Copenhagen Fashion Week is known for its focus on sustainability and she bicycles everywhere.

Then there’s the bar down the road from her apartment known as “the politicians’ bar”.“They bring in the politicians to pull the pints,” she explains.

“It’s about breaking down the barriers between the politicians and the people. I think that is so cool. The Danish have really great ideas like that.”

Another aspect of Danish life Isabella admires relates to gender. “Women here can be leaders and they have the right to be mothers too. It’s really refreshing that there are so many female heads of business here — and that they can leave at 3pm to pick up their children. The work-life balance here is really inspiring.” — Cathrin Schaer

Hongi Luo

UK B R A ND LE A DE R AT T IKT O K TikTok is having a moment, and London-based Hongi Luo is part of the global team making that happen. The user-generated video- and music-focused social media brand has flourished in the past year, with its slightly weird and quite messy approach to content proving the antithesis of the Instagram aesthetic we’ve all grown so accustomed to — a silly, soothing salve to the darkness of recent times. But don’t dismiss it as frivolous: it’s serious business, with huge influence on Gen-Z and the music charts; Hongi describes it as challenging traditional notions of entertainment and “entertainment powered by the community”.

Hongi has been in London and at TikTok since September 2019 — “which compared to most jobs doesn’t feel like a long time — but in start-up world, it feels like a decade” — leading the brand team for the UK. That means everything from building brand strategy to planning campaigns and engaging with people who want to do cool things.

“My job is to be laser-focused on the future of the brand, what we look like, what we say, what we do.

Some days that looks like picking out scripts and outfits for a shoot, while other times I am digging VIVA.CO.NZ

deeply into the data and insights.

The best feeling is when you’re able to incorporate the business need into a creative solution.”

She’s had a fascinating career so far, bringing creativity to huge global corporate brands: before London (where she lives in a flat in a converted Victorian home crammed with plants, books, art and toys in Dalston, Hackney) she was living in Singapore working at a creative agency. Prior to that, she worked at Uber HQ where she helped launch it into markets like Myanmar and Cambodia, and “likely worked on some of the most challenging problems in my whole life”.

Somewhat unexpectedly, while growing up in Auckland she studied at Elam; she sees her work today as an extension of that artistic grounding. “It’s storytelling through images and films while understanding how to prioritise and build a business. You have to really know people, know how to take yourself out of your own skin, and know what the world around you is thinking,” she reflects.

“I’ve always loved working in positions and companies that challenge the status quo, and when I landed the role at TikTok, I was so excited because I knew I was walking into the unknown.”

— Zoe Walker Ahwa 27

Jessica Beresford

FEAT U R ES ED I T OR AT HOW T O S P E N D IT M AG A Z IN E “Luxury in London and Europe is determined more by traditional values — possibly more material things.

I don’t think New Zealanders place as much value on products — or at least the ones I know don’t! Luxury in New Zealand is more about where and how you spend your time.”

Jessica Beresford knows fashion and she knows luxury, having worked as the fashion features editor at Times’ luxury and lifestyle magazine How the Financial Times to Spend It for two years. She is one of New Zealand’s most successful fashion media exports, having quietly but confidently built her career at various publications (she’s the former digital editor of Viva, where one of her first big stories was interviewing Elle Macpherson). Now at a well-respected global fashion title, the Auckland-born journalist has easy access to the industry’s top people, commissioning writers, working with stylists and interviewing everybody from Fran Lebowitz about tailoring to Alexa Chung about dungarees.

But does the concept of luxury still have relevance during a global pandemic? “It definitely does — possibly even more so now,” says Jess. “Talking to people in the industry, it seems that consumers have really gone back to the foundations of what luxury is

28

about — quality materials, expert craftsmanship and longevity.

“People aren’t buying so many trend-led, or possibly temporary, things, because they just aren’t going out as much, or it doesn’t feel like a necessity. Instead, they are being less impulsive, investing in things that should last. I think newness in general has taken a backseat.”

In 2019 new editor Jo Ellison, formerly of British Vogue, completely rebranded the HTSI title that was once described, rather snootily, by the Guardian as the “shopping list for the 1 per cent”. “Before, the magazine looked at luxury in the traditional sense of the word — the top tier in products or experiences,” says Jessica. “Now, the parameters are a little more loose, and we think of the ‘it’ in How to Spend It in a broader sense — it can be money, time, mental energy — whatever.”

Those ideas handily reflect her own definitions of success: creating things that are fulfilling and doing work that is challenging or creatively stimulating.

“Equally, though, a successful week is one where I’ve managed to strike a balance between work and personal enjoyment — I really value being able to see friends, cook, consume good content.

A week filled with all those things is a success!”

For Jess, who lives with her partner in Haggerston in the borough of Hackney, the challenges of lockdown and life in London have not dampened a unique sense of realist optimism.

“The biggest change [of the pandemic] has just been having no change at all — I eat, sleep and work in the same place every day.

Which is as boring as it sounds,” she jokes.

But she’ll be staying in London for now, despite all the talk of New Zealand’s “brain gain” and the obvious appeal of coming home.

“I am sure that there will be a lot of positive things to come out of all these people returning to New Zealand, although that’s not to say that there weren’t already a huge amount of talented and skilled people living there,” she says.

“It is of course tempting to think about packing it all in to live in a Covid-free utopia, but I haven’t seriously considered it!

London will be brought back to life soon enough.” — Zoe Walker Ahwa

Demi Sinclair

M O DE L SC OUT A ND DEV E LO PM E NT FO R ELIT E M O DE L M A NGE M E NT The best curry in Paris is 50m from Demi Sinclair’s front door, a traditional Parisian apartment in the city’s 10th arrondissement in a quartier known colloquially as “Little India”. Nearby is the usually bustling Gare du Nord, but as soon as you enter the courtyard in the model scout’s building, the noise falls away. “It is definitely not the Paris you see on postcards — or in Emily in Paris — but I like my neighbourhood.”

Demi has lived in Paris for almost three years, establishing it as her new base soon after moving to Berlin from London (and prior to that home, in Auckland) — having been offered what she describes as “one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities” at one of the world’s top modelling agencies.

“Despite Paris’ status as the fashion capital of the world I had honestly never considered living here because I didn’t — and still don’t really — speak French,” she admits.

Having had stints as a new talent scout at a modelling agency in New Zealand and London, Demi now works in international scouting and development for Elite Model Management, recruiting fresh faces for the renowned agency that has offices in each major fashion capital, and the likes of Kendall Jenner, Adut Akech, Adriana Lima, Lara Stone and Irina Shayk on its books. (Kiwi and Viva cover star Jordan Daniels is too).

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Demi’s enviable role is to discover new models and sign them to the agency, and pre-Covid that meant travelling about twice a month all over the world: Siberia, remote parts of Brazil, model contests in China, and yes, New Zealand too.

“Now, my day is a lot of online castings over FaceTime and scouting via social media — I spend way too much time on TikTok for someone who is not a teenager,” she says of adapting to this new way of working. The pandemic has changed the way fashion is shot the world over, and though many in the industry can shoot in person again (with strict safety regulations in place), international travel to France has either been impossible or massively restricted.

“As an agency we represent models all over the world, from Venezuela to Nigeria to Indonesia, and so many of them have been sitting at home not able to go anywhere.”

That global outlook and opportunities to meet people from every corner of the world are highlights of the role — but Demi’s version of success is being able to help others succeed.

“It’s cool to be able to give someone an opportunity that can change their life,” she says. “Even if being a model isn’t your lifelong dream it can really open up a lot of doors to do what you want to do.”

— Zoe Walker Ahwa 29

Greta Villiger

HEA D O F D ES I G N P R E - C O L L E CT IO N FOR L OEW E Despite the fact that she works for one of most sought-after designers in the world at the moment, you are far more likely to find New Zealander Greta Villiger in a library than you are to spot her at some fancy bar, sipping Champagne or mingling with celebrities.

“I love going to the library,” says Greta, who is currently working for luxury label Loewe as the head of design, pre-collection.

“Looking at art books, or books about fashion designers, or looking at old fashion magazines. That’s where we get a lot of inspiration,” she says, referring to both herself and her boss, Jonathan Anderson, probably better known to fashion followers as Irish designer JW Anderson.

The New York Times has described Anderson as “one of the most forward-thinking designers working today”, while streetwear aficionados at the Highsnobiety website said the label Anderson oversees was “once a conservative footnote in European luxury fashion” but is now one of the most exciting in the world, popular even with the likes of hip-hop star A$AP Rocky.

Loewe’s studio is based in Paris and Greta has a small apartment there for when she’s working, but home is in London with her husband. In Paris, you may find her surreptitiously photographing magazine pages at the American Library. In the British capital, she’ll be at the library belonging to the legendary fashion and art school, Central St Martins.

For Greta, who left New 30

Zealand aged 18 to study fashion in Sydney before moving to London and working for brands like Christopher Kane and Chloe, then JW Anderson, that’s one of the most depressing things about the current pandemic. She can no longer visit libraries, cinemas or art galleries, places where she finds much inspiration for her work; nor can she collaborate as easily with other design staff.

“Seeing new [art] shows is so important. There’s always something exciting you can draw from — colours, textures, ideas,” she enthuses over the phone from Paris, where she is this week. “For me, all of that goes into the mix — a big melting pot — from which I draw inspiration. I’m more of an instinctual designer.”

And the best part of Greta’s job, among some of the biggest names in global fashion, has nothing to do with hob-nobbing or the high-life. “I think stylists have a far more glamorous life,” she notes. “They go to shows and work with the best imagemakers. For us, it’s like we’re just at the studio,” she concludes with a laugh.

“Everyone I know just works really hard. There’s no floating to the top here.”

So what does she consider to be a bonus of this kind of work?

“It’s really rewarding to be able to work with the best — the best pattern-cutters, the most beautiful fabrics, the kind of thing that’s made in Italian mills that are hundreds of years old,” says Greta.

“I know that might sound a bit pretentious but it’s so rewarding and it just takes the work to new levels. It’s very exciting to work with those people and those materials. If I wasn’t in Paris, I don’t think I would be able to do that.”

Hearing about the importance Greta places on this aspect of the business, you start to see how she may have come to her soughtafter position.

“I think to do this job you need to have a real thirst for the new, for taking what’s around you and creating something you haven’t seen before,” she says.

“We’re obviously not reinventing trousers or anything,” she says, laughing again. “But it’s about putting a new spin on something, combining fabrics differently, or new silhouettes, and coming up with a new kind of desirability.”

— Cathrin Schaer FASHION

Matt Benns HA IR ST YLIST

God is a woman and Matt Benns has come closer to her than most: colouring hair for Beyonce, for a recent British Vogue cover shoot. That’s just one of several surreal career moments for the New York-based hair stylist, who has lived in the city for almost four years.

It was a chance meeting on the set of a Tommy Hilfiger shoot just over a year ago that shifted the course of Matt’s career, when he connected with Jawara Wauchope — one of the world’s most in-demand hair stylists who has worked with the likes of Vogue (US, UK, Italia), i-D,, Pyer Moss, Dior, Mugler and Off-White. Matt works as Jawara’s ‘first assistant’, on shoots with Beyonce, Vanity Fair’s 2020 Hollywood issue group cover, and a recent trip to Kenya for a “very special job” that he couldn’t disclose when he spoke to Viva (let’s just say it’s major). Now they’re pretty much family, with Matt featuring alongside Jawara and his two other key assistants in US Vogue last year, as part of a story about the importance of creativity, collaboration and community in the era of that other C word.

“What I love most about being a part of his team is there is no ego; there is no ‘I’, it’s about us,” explains Matt, whose role involves everything from researching visual references to pre-colouring wigs.

“I still have my identity and my journey and he’s extremely supportive of that. It’s the mentality of a new generation of the fashion industry — he lifts everyone around him into the same direction he’s going.”

Those who know Matt from his time in New Zealand, where he worked at Auckland salon Stephen Marr and with beauty brand Sans Ceuticals, are unsurprised by his success in the demanding world of high-fashion and beauty in NYC. Here he was known for his cool, calm, playful and professional approach, whether on the salon floor or on-set. He also understood artistry and commercial realities, an approach that influenced his decision to settle in New York to better his craft. “It’s the perfect balance of both worlds for fashion: it teaches you how to work commercially which in turn allows you to create creatively.”

In New York Matt lives in Crown Heights, a neighbourhood of tree-lined streets with brownstones and a rich mix of families and community. “Anyone who moves here is a big dreamer — we’re ambitious, motivated and inspired,” he says. “It’s the feeling I get when I get back to the city; this energy. I know everyone says that, but it’s addictive. New York gives you everything and takes everything from you — in the best way! It knocks you down but you come back stronger.”

A visit back to Aotearoa over summer has made Matt appreciate anew both his new and old hometowns, although admits that the stark contrast between Covid life in NYC was jarring at first. “The openness, not having to wear a mask. The beginning of the pandemic in New York was dark. I’m truly grateful knowing that my friends and family here are safe.”

A new burgeoning wave of young creative talent locally also has not gone unnoticed. “I don’t know what it is, but Auckland got real cute! It’s really exciting to see a new generation coming through with amplified voices sharing their talent.”

— Zoe Walker Ahwa

PHOTOGRAPHY: Pictvre — Veronica Crockford-Pound & Joseph Griffen

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Jeremy Olds

M A NAG ING E DIT O R AT M A ST E R M IN D M AGA ZINE IN PA RIS Working at an ultra-chic independent arts and culture magazine in Paris isn’t quite as glamorous as you might imagine.

“It’s not fancy,” states Jeremy Olds, the Parisbased New Zealander who is currently working as managing editor at the distinctively designed magazine Mastermind. “There’s a lot of eating lunch at your desk, drinking coffee all morning and answering the phone at midnight.” In fact, this interview is taking place on a Sunday evening because the ninth issue of Mastermind is on deadline and Jeremy has been doing 15-hour days.

But, Jeremy notes, there are definitely some bonuses too. Mastermind, a collectible, bi-annual fashion and culture magazine, was founded in 2017 by renowned French stylist Marie-Amelie Sauve, who worked at French Vogue, the New York Times’ T magazine and famously collaborated with designer Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga and then Louis Vuitton. Over its short history, the magazine has featured the eclectic likes of Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, Kristen Stewart, David Hockney and Karl Lagerfeld, among many others. It probably goes without saying but this

“I feel really lucky to be here because itʼs such a beautiful magazine and I feel like we create something that has purpose and value.”

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FASHION

publication is connected. “And I think the perk I will always remember was the first season I went to fashion week here,” Jeremy recalls. “I went to this Louis Vuitton show and although I’d been to runway shows before I hadn’t really anticipated the magnitude of it.”

It was the March 2019 show, at which the brand, under Ghesquiere, built a replica of a Parisian museum, the Centre Pompidou, inside another Parisian museum, the Louvre.

“It was closed to the public and you could walk around inside the Louvre by yourself. It was sunset!”

Jeremy savours the memory. “I was like, this is wild. It was spectacular. And it makes you think, this is what someone with a creative vision can achieve when budget isn’t an issue.”

Jeremy arrived in Paris via New York and London, having left New Zealand in 2016 after winning a Fulbright award that allowed him to fund a master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University in New York, with a focus on arts and culture. After this, he went to London where he worked for the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

That changed after a friend in Paris, who was working for Mastermind, asked him to come and work as a copy editor on the magazine for one issue. Jeremy eventually worked on two and then the job he now holds opened up. Reeling off a list of the things he does — everything from commissioning writers and editing translations, to wrangling interviewees and dealing with distributors and printers — he describes himself as “the man in the middle who keeps all the plates spinning”.

It’s something of a dream job. “I grew up reading independent magazines in New Zealand like No and Black and I always really wanted to work for them,” he says. “I feel really lucky to be here because it’s such a beautiful magazine and I feel like we create something that has purpose and value. It’s the kind of place that, if you come with the right energy and the right attitude, you can bring your ideas to life.”

Of course, living in Paris isn’t always easy.

“There’s a certain isolation that comes with being an immigrant, that reminds you, ‘oh, I don’t fit in here just yet’,” says Jeremy. He didn’t speak much French at first and says there have been some tricky situations. “Nothing life-threatening but you know, you might get a letter in the mail, that is clearly some important banking document but it’s completely incomprehensible to you. Or there’s something unexpected at the supermarket cashier and you’re just standing there, going ‘quoi?’ [what?] while the queue builds up behind you.”

More recently, the pandemic has had an impact.

Magazine production and sales have slowed and the city Jeremy loves is itself only operating at “half capacity”.

“I think the pandemic has also made a lot of people ask questions and reflect on the meaning of the work they are doing,” he concludes. “My career so far has been about taking any opportunity that comes up but right now, I feel really lucky to work for such an interesting title. I’m super-happy with what I’m doing and I’m hoping to stay here as long as I can.”

— Cathrin Schaer

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GO ON

Live theatre is one of the most dynamic forms of entertainment. Be it drama, dance, comedy — it unites us through all-important storytelling. As theatres around the world struggle to survive, it’s integral we keep this creative and diverse platform alive. Meet 12 exceptional talents with an ongoing passion for performance 38

CULTURE

KATLYN WONG

Her performance in Wait, a short film by Yamin Tun, earned her a Best Actor Award at Show Me Shorts.

Katlyn will also film Mystic seasons two and three this year (co-produced with BBC UK) and play the lead role of Pearl Wong in Auckland Theatre Company’s Single Asian Female.

“When I was at Kelston Girls High School, a group of Polynesian performers came to our assembly to show skits about bullying. It resonated as I was struggling with racism a lot and didn’t know how to cope. The skits offered me a new perspective.

It was also the first time I had seen people of colour on stage and thought, ‘Wow, if they can do it, maybe I can do it too’.

Colin McColl and Auckland Theatre Company (ATC) have been so supportive of my work. Colin has given me opportunities to work with him from when I graduated drama school and I was still just a wide-eyed gal absorbing the established, talented theatre artists around me. To have the opportunity to be a part of mainstage theatre is vital, not only for my own confidence and soul but also for the community. To have faces like mine be visible is still a topic of discussion and whether it is me or another face — it matters. To be able to see us, have access to seeing us, hearing us, is fundamental to building understanding between cultures. It can shift preconceived biases and start a dialogue.

Aidee Walker, who I met in my first show at Silo Theatre, introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism.

Without the support of chanting or SGI (Soka Gakkai International — humanist Buddhism) in my early years, I wouldn’t have survived. Because I had so many toxic ideas about myself that I had to move through, I practised chanting fervently to transform my inner turmoil. Regardless of whether I was a working actress or not, I had a foundation to go back to, a practice that taught inner happiness and how I could change my life. I am definitely a much better actress now because of it!”

Katlyn stars in Auckland Theatre Company’s season of ‘Single Asian Female’ by Michelle Law, April 27-May 15, ASB Waterfront Theatre. See Atc.co.nz; ‘Mystic’, TVNZ, screens May-September.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Babiche Martens

ANDY GRAINGER

Andy’s career spans from London’s West End to New Zealand’s Westside. This year the British stage and screen actor plays Gyp DeCarlo in the Auckland and Wellington seasons of Jersey Boys the musical. In winter, he’ll tour Te Pō, by Carl Bland and Nightsong Productions, and in late 2021 he’s in Auckland Theatre Company’s (ATC) season of the Noel Coward classic Blithe Spirit. In between, he’s shooting with TVNZ for Kura and Shortland Street.

“I got into theatre when I was at high school doing plays and drama, then my friend went to London to audition for drama school and I went to keep her company. I auditioned and got in. My dad, unbeknownst to me, deferred my entry for a year as he wanted me to stay at school! I eventually got kicked out of school, and left home at 17 to go to London to start drama school.

In 1985, when I finished drama school, I got into the West End show Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We performed at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen and were introduced by Joan Collins. I have a special place in my heart for musicals, as that’s where my career began.

VIVA.CO.NZ

My character in Jersey Boys is a Genovese mob boss and loan shark during the 1960s in New Jersey. So that should be fun.

I was inspired by a live performance of Orphans, starring Albert Finney. He was magnificent, and showed me as an actor how not to be frightened of emotion or not being liked.

After a 15-year hiatus from theatre and after moving to New Zealand, Colin McColl and ATC reignited my love for live theatre again. With ATC I have had the chance to play a huge array of characters in the theatre, ranging from musicals through to Ibsen. That performance on that night will never happen again, and those moments can be magical and shared with just a few people.

My dream role would have to be Sweeney Todd. A great singing role matched by the acting demands; funnytragic and thought-provoking.”

Andy stars in ‘Jersey Boys’ at The Civic Theatre Auckland, April-May, and MayJune at Wellington’s The Opera House; ‘Te Pō’ July-August, various locations and venues, July-August; ‘Blithe Spirit’, Auckland Theatre Company, ASB Waterfront Theatre, November.

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Powerhouse theatre director Ben has worked with many of the country’s big theatre companies and teaches theatre-making and performance. This year he’s putting on atmospheric large-scale puppetry production A Stab in the Dark, and resurrecting Carl Bland’s existential comedy Te Pō, which, he says, is “a bit like catching up with an old friend — even if that friend happens to be a giraffe”.

“I got into directing by mistake.

I had just finished drama school in Melbourne and applied for a job to direct a Shakespeare play. I got it, so in a way it was an acting job playing the role of director.

Memorable theatre moments include having to shout out to an actor during a performance that the set was on fire, and one of our sets flooding a theatre and the floors below.

To me, theatre has always been essential and a real lifeforce. In many ways, Covid and the shutdowns have reinforced this. There is something deep in humans that needs to connect and share.

The nature of sitting in the dark with strangers prepared for the unknown is a ritual that goes back forever. The ability to respond to something that is being created right in front of your eyes is a fundamental of life and must not be lost.”

Ben directs ‘Call it a Night’ at the Adelaide Fringe festival in digital format; ‘Te Pō’, audio version, on Radio New Zealand in late June; ‘Te Pō’, Bruce Mason Centre season, Auckland, July 30 and 31, see Nightsong.co.nz for updates; ‘Te Pō’ tours the North Island in August.

See Tourmakers.co.nz for more details. New work ‘A Stab in the Dark’ premieres early 2022.

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IC L A

E KIRKE

R

Alice is the producer at Auckland’s Basement Theatre, has made her own show Fleshies and will this year work with her “art crush” Julia Croft on development projects and a season of new work.

“Everything I’ve ever managed to achieve as a creative I owe to the heart of theatre in Aotearoa: Basement Theatre. I used to dream of being part of their team as a teenager, so to get to work there now is just incredible.

Julia Croft, Nisha Madhan and Virginia Frankovich have made the best theatre I’ve ever seen. Their works Power Ballad, Medusa, If There’s Not Dancing at the Revolution I’m Not Coming, Plastic Orgasm and F*** Rant have inspired my own artistic journey immensely. As artists, they’ve given me permission to break the rules of what storytelling is and f*** with the system. There is so much freedom in performance art and I learned that through those incredible women. The first show I ever saw at Basement Theatre was called Squid Boy by Trygve Wakenshaw, and at the time it was the most absurd and hilarious thing I’d ever seen.

However much money there seems to be, it’s so hard to get, even harder to hold on to, and the amount of work you need to put into receiving it is staggering. It’s not particularly accessible, and there is this mysterious formula that no one seems to quite have figured out which guarantees you funding. I don’t think I know anyone personally who is being fairly compensated for their work and expertise.”

Alice produces ‘Te Whare Kapua’, March 16-26, Māngere Arts Centre and ONEONESIX ‘Cake Baby’ (The Oddballs), March 2-6, Basement Theatre; ‘Dragon’ (Slightly Isolated Dog), March 18-27, Bats Theatre, Wellington; ‘The Downs and Ups of Peep and Squeak’ (The Oddballs), April 20-24, Basement Theatre; AWHE Workshops (The Oddballs), May, Ellen Melville Centre; ‘Terrapolis’ (Julia Croft), August 18-21, Q Theatre; Basement Theatre’s Christmas show, Basement Theatre, December.

CULTURE

JULIE NOLAN

As artistic director of women-led theatre company Red Leap, Julie’s aim is to “create original work but also make the space for younger women to have their voices heard as theatre makers”.

“I came to theatre in my mid-20s, when I found myself knocking on the door of the John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne.

The training was in physical theatre, from the European lineage of Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier and I was so excited and inspired by the dynamism and originality of the work. Part of the training was about getting up every day to try to hit an essence of what we were exploring, be it masks, clown, melodrama, etc, and failing miserably over and over again until finally, occasionally, cracking it. It was fun times and absolutely terrifying.

I love the immediacy of theatre, how it can be so responsive to what is going on in the world but also allow insight into internal worlds and open a conversation about things that are big or hard to talk about. I love the spirit of true collaboration and exploring how to make the world a better place through the stories women tell and the way they choose to tell them.

As a devising company we are always embarking into the unknown, we don’t have the safety of a well-crafted script and thoroughly honed production from somewhere else. We are creating something new every time and this is the greatest challenge and the greatest joy. Funding is also an issue in this country; basic survival is often a triumph.

I hope some of the money used pre-Covid to bring international acts here will be funnelled into properly funding local artists. We have an incredible range of voice here and the ability to be fierce creators — innovative, resilient and unique.”

Red Leap Theatre’s ‘Dakota of the White Flats’ tours Whangārei, Hamilton and Tauranga early March and Auckland in August. ‘Owls Do Cry’ tours Christchurch, Oamaru, Wanaka, Dunedin, April 8-18.

Redleaptheatre.co.nz

APELA N A

POLATAʼIVAO Award-winning Samoan-born actor, writer and director Anapela is a creative force. This year she will lend her dramatic and comedic chops to developing Women of the Mau for the stage, remounting Alofagia: Le Opera and touring other productions.

“My curiosity led me to acting when I was little, then it became a mild obsession. In White Sunday practice at church, I played a character embarking on a very long journey and I remember thinking, ‘That’s a long time to travel on foot’(even though it was literally to the other side of a small room). ‘Won’t I need water and something to eat and at some point, rest?’ No eating was allowed in church but my nine-year-old brain nagged that it should. So, I made a sandwich and put a banana in my backpack and set off to Lotu Tamaiti. I heard the gasps and clicking tongues of disappointment. But I had to do it for my character’s journey!

Kila Kokonut Krew aka KKK was a theatre company formed in 2002. For 12 years we ran the South Auckland theatre game on the smell of an oily rag. We built every production concept and community initiative, did ticketing and marketing, and hustled resources with little or sometimes zero funds, all the while looking after our kids, parents, rent and bills to build Pasifika story worlds and deliver to our community.”

Anapela directs ‘Tropical Love Birds’, (Auckland Arts Festival), March 10-20, tours ‘Wild Dogs Under My Skirt’ (Dunedin Arts Festival), April 8-10, stars in Silo Theatre’s ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Northland tour, May 4-16, and Auckland Theatre Company’s ‘Things That Matter’, August 17-29.

RODNEY BELL NGĀTI MANIAPOTO Rodney is a contemporary dancer and wheelchair user who has performed across Aotearoa and internationally. Last year he became the inaugural recipient of the Te Tohu Iho Pūmanawa Award at the Te Waka Toi Awards for his contribution as a Māori artist with the lived experience of disability. This year he will create new work Kotahi Manu with other wheelchair/mobility device users.

“I acquired a new way of seeing and being through a motorcycle accident 30 years ago, when I was 20. Attention is what’s kept me balanced. I have learned to respect and tend to the tiniest details of my life.

The seed of performance was planted in my soul by Catherine Chappell, the artistic director for Touch Compass at the time, and she has enhanced a lot of us dancers of difference in Aotearoa. Catherine and [choreographer] Malia Johnston saw something in me I would have never discovered. I’m eternally grateful.

VIVA.CO.NZ

Live performances are environments dedicated to inner renewal, sharing of air, and caring for the wellbeings of mind and soul. We discover, both as audience and performers, that we need these times without responsibility or demands, and to just be in the moment wholeheartedly.

My first career highlight was when my whanau got to experience my performance of Meremere in my hometown of Te Kuiti. Secondly, I was able to share my experience of disability and dance with a young girl, Harper Heta. At 12, and having a lived experience of disability, she is our future.

What an honour to be part of her dance journey.

My greatest challenges are only being able to spend a moment with audience members after each show and not having the chance for my dad to see what I’ve done.”

Rodney performs in ‘Meremere’, Rangatira, Q Theatre, April 10, Qtheatre.co.nz; Bannockburn Hall, (Wanaka Festival of Colour), April 15.

See Movementofthehuman.com 41

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Born in Samoa, Petmal wowed audiences playing old Aunty Fale in Wild Dogs Under My Skirt in New York last year in January; she is looking forward to doing it again on Kiwi stages this year.

“Theatre was one of my motivations to get out of bed and get ready for school. From learning dialogue to costumes to going on stage to perform, I really enjoyed it. However, it was after coming out of high school and pursuing theatre at tertiary level that I realised the power that theatre holds in storytelling; it’s a space to challenge people’s way of thinking.

The Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA) was the place that moulded me into the performer that I am. I was mentored and surrounded by the greatest in the game. PIPA was the epitome of love. It helped shape my career in theatre, and taught me resilience.

I love working with different people. I get to pick their minds and experience how they operate, because there is always room for improvement and learning.

Theatre in New Zealand is so colourful. Every culture and gender is represented. We have a wider variety of stories than just Hamlet or Macbeth. We choose to tell and celebrate our stories the way it should be, and it is appreciated. We have a fresh and distinctive flavour, as a result of our Māori and Pasifika theatre/ stories.”

Petmal performs in ‘Tropical Love Birds’, Māngere Arts Centre, March 10-20; ‘Wild Dogs Under My Skirt’, SIT Centrestage Theatre, Invercargill, April 8, Regent Theatre Dunedin, April 9, and Oamaru Opera House, April 10.

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B R AJ O C

AN

LA

M

PETELO AL

TOM SAINSBURY

This comedian is a theatre buff with a love for musicals, who won over the nation with his impersonations of politicians on Instagram. This year Tom’s looking forward to taking his comedy on the road.

“I did one show where the entire three-wall set collapsed within the first three minutes of the show. One of the walls had a shelf of alcohol bottles that smashed everywhere. Me and the other actor decided to keep acting as if nothing had happened.

When I make a video that really connects with an audience, that’s a momentary career highlight. When I do a stand-up show and everyone is engaged and laughing at all the right spots, that’s a career highlight. When I get a message from someone saying my comedy has lifted their life state, that’s a career highlight.

When I get to do theatre shows with my dear friends, and just have so much fun on stage together, that’s a real career highlight.

I really want to play Mark Lundy in one of those telefeatures.

He’s so fascinating, and kind of humorous in a tragic way. I want to play dark characters because they fascinate me, and allow me to delve into subject matter I normally would never go near.

I’m a chronic people pleaser which, as a YouTube video informed me, is also a people deceiver. I say yes to projects, or artistic direction, because I want people to like me. And then resent my decisions, or the final product. Overcoming that is my greatest challenge. My mood is so affected by my creative success. If a show goes well, I’m buoyant. If it bombs, I get very dark and self-loathing about it. And I need to change that.

We just don’t have the population to support big budgets and niche shows. It all has to be pretty mainstream to support itself, unfortunately. I also think that, compared to the shows I’ve seen overseas, the general public in New Zealand aren’t exposed to more esoteric theatre. Going to a bizarre puppet show in Belgium, you meet the local butcher and a supermarket worker engaging with it. In saying that, there are some real champions of theatre out there making wonderfully interesting work. So I still think there’s ways of getting it out there.”

Tom’s ‘Love Hour’ (Auckland Arts Festival), March 3-20, The Civic Theatre; stand-up at the Dunedin Fringe Festival, March 25-27; stand-up, Christchurch, April 13-18; stand-up, Auckland, May 21-22.

CULTURE

The Malaysian-born playwright and actor co-founded Indian Ink Theatre Company and has been devising and acting in new works for 20 years.

“I’m the son of Indian immigrant parents so I was supposed to be a doctor but I was bright enough to know that I wasn’t bright enough to do medicine and ended up doing a science degree down in Otago. It became pretty clear that microbiology wasn’t my thing. I’d skip lectures and sneak off to watch student theatre productions.

My first play, Krishnan’s Dairy, got a front-page photo and a 5-star review in The Scotsman newspaper the day after we opened in Edinburgh. The paper comes out at 4am, by midday we were sold out for the month-long season — bloody marvellous!

Performing at a crappy little theatre on West 36th St is right up there for the sheer thrill of it. There’s just something about New York. I remember walking to rehearsal with a bagel and a bad takeaway coffee and singing: “Start spreading the news…”

Making original work is wonderful but it also puts you through the wringer. It’s hard mentally, physically and emotionally. Keeping your body and soul together is always the greatest challenge.”

‘Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream’, national tour, May 20-September 1. ‘Mrs Krishnan’s Party’, Te Oro, Auckland, April 22-24; Carterton Events Centre, Wairarapa, April 29-May 1.

M SA

JENNIFER TE ATAMIRA WARD-LEALAND CNZM One of our most respected actors, Jennifer has worked in theatre, film and television for more than 40 years. This year she’s been directing Aroha Awarau’s new play, Exclusive (on stage in 2022).

She will also work on her first short film and continue her acting, musical theatre and stage and screen intimacy masterclasses.

“When I was 7 years old my dad took me to a rehearsal of a play he was in, Seneca’s tragedy, Oedipus — they needed some kids to be in the show. I walked into that rehearsal room at Unity Theatre (now Bats Theatre in Wellington) and knew immediately this was where I belonged. I went home and promptly informed my mother that I was going to be an actor!

Training at Theatre Corporate in 1982 was definitely a turning point for me. Everything I learned at drama school and the subsequent four years in the company cemented my craft and discipline and absolutely informs my work as a director. However, I would simply not be an actor were it not for my late father, Conrad Lealand. He was a very keen actor himself and I think he was so happy to see me pursue this profession as a career.

Having feelings isn’t enough. Yes, accessing emotions is important, but actors must be able to apply techniques in order to present engaging, emotionally coherent, powerful performances

again and again and again — six, seven or eight times a week if you’re working in the theatre.

I’m intensely interested in the craft of acting and making it easily understood.

Nearly all my favourites roles are ones I’ve played in my 40s or 50s. Often it’s the theatre that is the last refuge of the complex female character.

If I had to single a few out it would be The Goat, or Who is Sylvie? by Edward Albee, August: Osage County by Tracey Letts, That Face by Polly Stenham, and Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare. All of these plays have elements of black comedy — a genre that requires every facet of the actor’s skill: comedic timing, focus, and a deep understanding of human nature.

We have an exceptionally talented community of performers in Aotearoa. When more of us get larger roles in international screen productions the rest of the world will find this out. In many cases our people here have had significantly more experience on the stage because there is a smaller pool and more opportunities to practise our craft.

What's scary is not knowing what is coming work-wise, which can also be exhilarating. There is always something new around the corner.”

Jennifer currently stars in the Auckland Theatre Company’s season of ‘Two Ladies’, touring Hamilton, Tauranga, Taranaki and Hastings throughout March.

VIVA.CO.NZ

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As artistic director and founder of Massive Theatre Company, Sam is currently directing new work Te Whare Kapua by Miriama McDowell, and this year will remount 2019’s Half of the Sky by Lennie James.

“I come from a performing arts, theatre family. There is a photo of me as a baby sitting under a microphone staring up at it, where my dad must have been rehearsing. I did ballet, music and drama as a child and teenager, so the performing arts were at the centre of everything for me.

I joined Auckland Youth Theatre when I was 16 and found a “tribe” of people who felt the same way.

When you make theatre well, in the rehearsal room, you are developing great humans. The ensemble rehearsal process encourages and develops the best qualities and values: bravery, sensitivity to each other and oneself, courage, pursuit of excellence (not perfection!), hard work, self-awareness, self and collective responsibility, good and clear communication, kindness, empathy, and no bullshit.

My greatest challenges are my own anxiety and worry. I have suffered from panic attacks in the past and although I don’t have attacks anymore, I still can get anxious when I make work, direct a show. Making new work is making the unknown known.

There is a mixture of great excitement and being completely terrified, but it definitely drives me, so it is a double-edged, uncomfortable sword.

When I make a new work I can’t allow much else in. I wish I could, but it seems to be an all or nothing scenario for me. I am completely taken up by the show.”

See Massivecompany.co.nz for nationwide tour dates of ‘Te Whare Kapua’ and ‘Half of the Sky’.

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NORTHLAND NEW YORK-BASED

NEW

TOKERAU TO RECONNECT ON THE JOURNEY

Ko Ngāti Kahungunu Ko Takitimu te waka Ko Tikituki me Ngaruroro ngā awa Ko Kahuranaki te maunga

TO

ZEALAND WITH

CREATIVE

FRIENDS

DOCUMENT

DREAMING

THE

AND

THISTLE FAMILY.

DREAMS

AND

BROWN

RETURNS

CHILDHOOD

ASPIRATIONS

TO

FRIEND OF

OUR

HIS AND

CHILDHOOD WRITER

NEXT

SAM

HOME

IN

TEKANI

GENERATION

OF

TE

TAI

JOINS

HIM

CREATIVES

CHARLIZE MCRAE,

11

Attends Whangārei Adventist Christian School

Ko Kahuranaki te hauke Ko Charlize tōku ingoa

What do you love most about living in Northland? “It’s calm and peaceful.

There are a lot of fine beaches.”

Charlize would like her own art studio in a forest cottage and to be an international supermodel.

“My cupboard is full of weird drawings and paintings.”

44

PORRIDGE, AKA

KALANI

NATHAN,

11

Attends Whangārei Intermediate School What do you love most about Northland? “I love the nature like beaches and trees, walking tracks. Trips up to Cape Reinga. I grew up in Whangārei but would like to see more of the world.”

Porridge enjoys drawing and making their own bead jewellery. They also do cosplay of Minecraft YouTubers and Five Nights at Freddy’s characters (a horror game). On top of this, they’re an aspiring writer.

“I’d like to start writing fiction at some point, probably horror stories.”

Ko Ngāpuhi tōku iwi Ko Te Mahurehure me Ngati Teara ōkū hapū Ko Tuhirangi me Otiria ōkū marae Ko Whakatere me Tuhipa ōkū maunga Ko Waima me Tereawatea ōkū awa Ko Ann raua ko Don Nathan me Kereihi Teaorewa raua ko Ron Reid ōkū Tupuna Ko Donald tōku pāpā Ko Maria tōku māmā Ko Kalani taku ingoa

45

IN

THE

ARMS

OF

THE

NORTH

In the 90s a spate of independent film-makers established what’s

CHANEL

MCRAE,

13

Attends Whangārei Adventist Christian School

now considered a trope of independent movie-making. At the time it was deemed something of an avant-garde revelation: a candid take on

What do you love most about Northland? “I like

small towns.

my school, the people and the shops, because

Via directors like Harmony Korine and Sofia Coppola, the malaise and economic devastation of the provinces took on a poetry

it’s way bigger than where I used to live (in Hawke’s Bay).”

that hadn’t been seen before, at least not without the gothic or pastoral grandeur of Terrence Malick or Jane Campion, nor the

Chanel is interested in piano, although she

conflation that often happens when a “cultured” lens passes over

hasn’t started lessons yet. She is also an

the provinces and is overly romantic and misleading.

aspiring writer, loves performing in kapa haka

Here we had the beginning of something else entirely. A camera

and singing.

moving over subjects as they navigated struggles and underbellies, as they moved through potential catastrophes without despair but

She makes poi and Māori wooden dolls that she

with quiet dignity. These were chronicles without condescension,

sells at the markets. Chanel is the face of

portraits upholding lives refusing to buckle under neglect. And in

Tuahine Creatives, with her three sisters. She

this refusal, finding joy, finding power.

would like to be a marine biologist.

Having grown up in a small town myself, the yearning to be seen that one often attributes to people in the city is a strong one;

Ko Ngāti Kahungunu

and in constantly comparing your setting to what you imagine you’re

Ko Takitimu te waka

missing out on, over there in “real” places where money and capital

Ko Tikituki me Ngaruroro ngā awa

flow and mingle, where glamour presides, there’s a sense of being

Ko Kahuranaki te maunga

invisible that you gradually internalise.

Ko Kahuranaki te hauke

Kiwis have a habit of humbling ourselves to bigger countries,

Ko Chanel tōku ingoa

whose stories we’re bombarded with in the media, seasoning our Antipodean flavour of being with constant reminders of everything we’re not. Yes, the isolation of small-town living has wended its way into our national feeling as a whole. But in microcosm.

And for youth in particular, it can be something of a wound.

But times have changed.

Where isolation was once a given, successive generations have found new power in the internet, being profoundly networked to the rest of the world in ways inconceivable even a decade ago.

The kinds of exposure my teen-self might’ve dreamed of, nestled in the hills of Whangārei, have now become accessible, rote even.

Those hills, rising up on either side of the township, effectively putting it in a basin, used to feel like entrapment, like the place was a quagmire that would take every ounce of mental and physical fortitude to extricate myself from. But going back, seeing that northern settlement with more experienced eyes, I see what I couldn’t see then. Not the isolating bars of a prison but the nurturing arms of protection. Not a suffocating geographical amphitheatre, but a shelter.

Not a sense of being trapped.

AALIYAH

But a sense of being held.

Finished school last year, living

MCRAE,

18

Now more than ever, the world is seeing the same thing. That

and working in Whangārei

here, in our southern remove from the worst of a pandemic, our isolation is not a bane but a privilege. That it should take a

What do you love most about Northland? “I

global catastrophe to realise this speaks volumes about the New

love thrifting and going out with friends.

Zealand character. It is a character of humility, a practical one

Everyone has their own sense of fashion here.

that often overlooks itself, blinded by the perceived brilliance of

You can go out on a Saturday night and it’s

elsewhere.

all goth and retro and 80s. It’s amazing.”

It is a character of muted hope, where dreaming has so often taken a back seat next to a geographically limited range of

Aaliyah is one of seven siblings, including

possibility, a character that has historically favoured stoic

her sisters Charlize and Chanel featured

tolerance of hardships and grassroots ingenuity over flashier

here. Aaliyah would love to own a clothing

revolts; revolts that in hindsight might’ve done us some good.

shop in the future selling vintages items.

But digressions over missed opportunities do not serve us.

They’re far from this alleged character that would favour action

“It’s a bit much when you want privacy,” she

and solution over navel-gazing anyway.

says of larger family dynamics. “It’s like

Us Southern-Hemisphere pragmatists.

having little minions running around watching

And as the world continues to shift and grind, changing this

your every move.”

character with it, the kids aren’t blaming anyone. They aren’t burdened with bitterness, wondering why they’ve been lumped with

Ko Ngati Kahungunu te iwi

raw deal after raw deal. No.

Ko Takitimu te waka

In the arms of the north, they are still dreaming. Dreaming without the hobbled sight of their forebears.

Dreaming long and large. So large in fact, we hope wherever they go we can come with. — Sam Tekani 46

Ko Tikituki me Ngaruroro ngā awa Ko Kahuranaki te maunga Ko Kahuranaki te hauke Ko Aaliyah tōku ingoa

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NAKIA, 13 Attends Whangārei Girls’ High School What do you love most about Northland? “I love my culture here and my family. We were all brought up here.”

Nakia has been into dance since she was 4, specifically hip-hop, which she does with the Hardcore Dance Company in Whangārei.

What dream do you want to make a reality? “To become a successful model and travel to New York.”

Ko Manaia tōku maunga Ko Whangārei te reinga Ko Paraoa tōku moana Ko Ngāpuhi tōku iwi No Whangārei ahau Ko Nakia tōku ingoa

TATA

TE RATAHI

RANGI

MAY,

15

Attends Te Kāpehu Whetū Tuakana What do you love most about living in Northland? “The swims.”

Tata plays basketball and boxing in his spare time. He is hoping to get into the Navy so that the cost of university will be covered. He plans to study biology.

Ko Pataua te maunga Ko Taiharuru te awa Ko Hurumanu te waka Ko Ngāti Korora te hapū Ko Te Waiariki me Ngāpuhi ngā iwi Ko Taiharuru te marae Ko Pataua te kainga noho Ko Rangimarie Tuatara tōku māmā Ko Benson May tōku pāpā Ko Tata tōku ingoa

48

KEANA

BECK,

16

Attends Whangārei Girls’ High School What do you love most about Northland? “I think it’s unique in its own way. And it’s where I’ve grown up. It’s a beautiful part of New Zealand.”

Keana enjoys art, and hopes to combine her interest with psychology.

“I want to help people through art. I have a hard time talking so art lets me express myself.

I’d like to help people do the same.”

MARK-HAZE NEREHONA

GARDENER,

16

Attends Te Kāpehu Whetū Tuakana What do you love most about living in Northland? “I like the people. You can go round anywhere and say hi to anyone.”

Mark has an interest in volleyball, diving for kina and different aspects of Te Ao Māori. He is part of a Māori Battalion group, which teaches young Māori boys/men values to live by.

Ko Tangihua te maunga Ko Wairoa te awa Ko Mahuhukiterangi te waka Ko Te Parawhau te hapū Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi Ko Tirarau te marae Ko Pataua te kainga noho Ko Tessa Busby tōku māmā Ko Ruka Gardner tōku pāpā Ko Mark-Haze tōku ingoa

49

ARIANA NGAERA-KANOE,

11

Attends Tikipunga High School What do you love most about living in Northland? “The environment.

Some countries don’t really have trees or green like we do. It’s beautiful.”

Ariana has a keen interest in breakdancing that she does through the I Have A Dream programme.

It helps get her out of her comfort zone and be less shy.

Ko Tangi-Kura tōku maunga Ko Wai-Arohia tōku awa Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua tōku waka Ko Hokianga Whakapau Karakia tōku moana Ko Ngāpuhi tōku iwi Ko Ngāti Wharara rua ko Te Pouka ōkū hapū Ko Te Whakarongotai tōku whare Ko Te Whakarongotai a Toi tōku Whare tūpuna Ko Ariana tōku ingoa

50

PHOENIX

ATKINS,

15

Attends Bream Bay College What do you love most about Northland? “The people. Everyone knows everyone.”

Phoenix also loves the beach and learning te reo Māori.

Phoenix’s favourite subjects are history and English, and she plans on attending Victoria University to study to become a lawyer.

Ko Huruiki Te maunga te rū nei taku ngakau Ko Mokau te awa e mahea nei aku maaharahara E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nehe, o Whangaruru e noho nei au Ko Phoenix tōku ingoa, he uri ahau no Ngātiwai

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

AND

PHOTOGRAPHER Thistle

STYLING ZK Steiner-Fox CLOTHING Search PHOTO SPECIAL

ASSISTANT Matt THANKS

&

Brown HAIR Matt

Destroy,

Hurley CREATIVE

TO Phoenix

Ruka,

Marcel

Waves

Benns MAKEUP Katie

Vintage CASTING Alivia

CONSULTANT Bridget Syron,

Naomi

White

Melody-Rogers Carrington-Hall

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Heather

Brown

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Nora — $380 | Nella — $620

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STOMPING GROUND

W

hat better wardrobe item to help you stay grounded than a pair of romping, stomping boots? “In abundance, galore” is what the French expression “a gogo” translates to — derived from the ancient French word “la gogue”, meaning happiness.

Linguistics aside, we’re absolutely gaga for this go-go boot update from Gucci, the snakeskin print embellished with the luxury brand’s signature horsebit motif zipping up the side of the calf and stopping just above the knee. Go retro and match with a thigh-skimming skirt, or try teaming them with a tidy day dress for a sophisticated pairing.

Legendary French couturier Andre Courreges is widely acknowledged for popularising the earliest go-go boots, immortalised in Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit song These Boots Are Made for Walkin’. Fast-forward to 2021, a pair of wild and free boots like these might just be the boost of confidence one needs to face the complexities of modern life one stylish step at a time.

— Dan Ahwa

Gucci mid-heel boot in python printed leather with Horsebit detail, POA. Gucci.com/nz

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY: Babiche Martens STYLIST: Dan Ahwa

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READY, BOOTS? Coats, bags and boots — a winning trifecta as temperatures cool.

Victoria Beckham trench coat $1600, and Isabel Marant clutch, $980, from Adorno. Nanushka vegan leather trousers $695, and Mineraleir earrings, $329, from Muse Boutique. Iro leather boots, $1539, from Sisters & Co.

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FASHION

After summer must come autumn. So, too, the chance to smarten up our wardrobes. Showcasing tailoring and minimalism with a splash of glamour is international New Zealand model Jordan Daniels.

Home from her New York base to catch up with family and friends, the down-to-earth model and muse keeps it très chic

PHOTOGR APHER

Mara Sommer

MODEL

Jordan Daniels

FASHION DIRECTOR

Dan Ahwa

AT 62 MANAGEMENT VIVA.CO.NZ

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PRECISION WORK Minimalism owes much to the power of a well-cut blazer. An oversized option to engulf yourself in is perfectly offset by languid trousers, suitable for both work and weekend. Paris Georgia blazer $885. Tibi shoulder-padded T-shirt, $325, from Muse Boutique.

Harris Tapper trousers $549.

Ruby sandals $249.

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FASHION

GRAPHIC CONTENT There’s joy to be had in a dress with a bold print — cut into a simple dress, the results are head-turning for all the right reasons.

Maggie Marilyn dress $895.

Iro boots, $1539, from Sisters & Co. Mineraleir earrings, $329, from Muse Boutique.

VIVA.CO.NZ

57

CLEAN LIVING The 90s’ minimalism revival feels apt during times of uncertainty; clothes that require little effort and transition seamlessly through every moment of our day are highly desirable — like this column dress from Florence & Fortitude $580. Prada heels $1570. Flash Jewellery 14k earrings $269.

POWER PLAY (Right) With its broad shoulders and nipped-in waist, Blair Wheeler’s utilitarianinspired blazer is a modern take on 40s-style power dressing (hello Mildred Pierce).

The Auckland-based designer’s BW36.174 label is debuting womenswear this season with a sharp focus on smart and sexy separates.

BW36.174 jacket $800. Kate Sylvester skivvy $279. Nanushka skirt, $1550, from Muse Boutique.

Crocs shoes, from $70.

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VIVA.CO.NZ

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FRESH PERSPECTIVE A well-made shirt can do wonders for an everyday wardrobe, like this crisp Victoria Beckham shirt with brown piping, $2600, from Adorno. Bare Jewellery earrings $65.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE (Right) Clothes that are both professional-looking and comfortable offer versatility as we continue to balance our work and home lives in a pandemic.

Local designer Wynn Crawshaw’s commitment to quality knitwear pieces extends beyond jumpers and tops — like this cutting-edge knit dress.

Wynn Hamlyn knit dress $550. Tiffany & Co. hoop earrings $1800.

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FASHION

VIVA.CO.NZ

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LIFE IN MONO A tailored monochromatic look is the perfect tonic to summer’s abundance of crease-prone linen. Even better with a fabulous feathered hat — because, why not? Adrienne Winkelmann custom hat, POA, and trousers $899.

Wynn Hamlyn top $395.

BETWEEN THE LINES Strapless dresses popularised during the early 2000s make a convincing case for streamlined dressing, easily layered over a simple white T-shirt or singlet.

BW36.174 dress, $700, and singlet (worn underneath) $250. 08 Jewellery custom earring (POA). Iro boots, $1079, from Sisters & Co.

VIVA.CO.NZ

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SPICE GIRL Give after-five dressing a chance in a dress that marries both tradition and modernity with ease, like this scarlet-hued number from Florence & Fortitude, complete with pannier hips for added drama. Florence & Fortitude gown $3000.

Prada earrings $680, and heels $1570.

PUSH THE BUTTON (Right) Known for her love of mid-century silhouettes, Kate Sylvester is our doyenne of smart dressing for every occasion.

A collarless jacket with 3/4-length sleeves is a clean-cut option for busy women on the move — just like Jordan. Kate Sylvester jacket $569, and trousers $399. Bare Jewellery 18k gold-plated freshwater pearl earrings $220.

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FASHION

HAI R Greg Murrell from Ryder Salon M AKEU P Kieke Stanners for M.A.C Cosmetics NAI L S Tanya Barlow from Hello Tanya P H O TO G R AP H E R’S A S S ISTA N T Josh Szeto ST YL I NG AS SI STA N T Zia Prestney W I TH TH ANKS T O Wynn Crawshaw and Lana Morrison

VIVA.CO.NZ

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IN A ST I T C H

Aptly named ‘The Bees Knees’, this jumper is handmade in Aotearoa

by Nicole Leybourne, aka The Knitter, and her team. The heavy wool skirt is from Caitlin Snell’s Massey Graduate Collection, constructed using an old wool blanket, donated scrap leather, her dad’s hardware, and a secondhand zip. The Knitter jumper $830. Caitlin Snell skirt $345. Jasmin Sparrow earrings $499.

66

FOOD + DRINK

Gorgeous knitwear, lovely collars and heirloom-inspired accessories.

Whatʼs not to love about the Sloane Ranger’s off-duty uniform?

Model Cait Kneller cuts loose in all her finery

Heart Of

PHOT O GR APH E R Christopher Collie FA S H ION E DITOR Chloe Hill M ODE L Cait Kneller from Super VIVA.CO.NZ

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FOOD + DRINK

W E L L C O L L AR ED

(Left) A floral dress is given a dramatic update with an exaggerated collar, accessorised with a baker beret, made the traditional way at Hills Hats in Petone. Florence & Fortitude dress $570. Hills Hats beret $115. Jasmin Sparrow ring $349. Spaceygemz earrings $28. Vintage necklace, $990, from Walker & Hall.

H E A D I N T HE CL OUD S

A textured trench coat is a contemporary partner for a pretty dress. Zambesi trench coat $995.

Kate Sylvester beret $99. Kitri x Jessie Bush dress, approx $316. Gloria jumper $340. Meadowlark Love Hoop earrings, $299, and Bluebell Hoop earrings $159.

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After all the rain, the sun Shines on hill and grassy mead; Fly into the garden, child, You are very glad indeed.

For the days have been so dull, Oh, so special dark and drear, That you told me, “Mr. Sun Has forgotten we live here.”

Dew upon the lily lawn, Dew upon the garden beds; Daintly from all the leaves Pop the little primrose heads.

And the violets in the copse With their parasols of green Take a little peek at you; Theyʼre the bluest you have seen.

On the lilac tree a bird Singing first a little not, Then a burst of happy song Bubbles in his lifted throat.

O the sun, the comfy sun!

This the song that you must sing, “Thank you for the birds, the flowers, Thank you, sun, for everything.”

A FINE DAY by Katherine Mansfield

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MAD E I N CH E LSE A

Add a beautiful collar to a classic dress to tap into a playful trend. Dress it up further with vintage touches like pointed heels and a beret. Penny Sage dress $420, and beret $150. Sea NY collar, approx $110. Yu Mei bag $570.

Vintage necklace, $990, and earrings $180, from Walker & Hall. Vintage shoes, $195, from Hunters and Collectors.

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S C H O O L’S OU T

Preppy layering featuring a ruffle collar shirt, colourblock cardigan, an oversized blazer jacket and Nom*D’s kilt-style skirt. Just like a college uniform ordered a few sizes too big. Kowtow shirt $249. Nom*D cardigan $495, and skirt $480. Gloria jacket $580. Kate Sylvester socks $49. Sebago loafers $299.

M A K E A CA ME O

(Right) Add a cameo brooch to the neckline of a printed blouse for a classical update. Kate Sylvester hat $99, and top $369.

Vintage cameo brooch $1940, and earrings, $180, from Walker & Hall.

Jasmin Sparrow ring $269.

Gloria trousers $480.

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IN T H E SW I NG

Mix and match tailored separates, layering a waistcoat over a knitted polo top. Camilla and Marc blazer $720, and pants $456.

Penny Sage knit polo top $350.

Mahsa waistcoat $530. Jasmin Sparrow chain necklace $649, earrings $399 and rings, from $349 each. Spaceygemz pearl necklaces, $55 each. Kate Sylvester socks $49. Vintage shoes, $295, from Hunters and Collectors.

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Outside the sky is light with stars; Thereʼs a hollow roaring from the sea.

And, alas! for the little almond flowers, The wind is shaking the almond tree.

From

CAMOMIL E TEA

by Katherine Mansfield

B O R D E R LI N E

Layer a soft velvet blazer over a dress, like this special tartan number from Frazier, a small Wellington maker that specialises in one-offs and very limited runs (find them on Instagram @frazier.nz).

Twenty-seven Names blazer $560. Frazier dress $380.

Spaceygemz pearl necklace $38.

Kate Sylvester socks $49.

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L A DY I N WA I T I NG

An earthy tonal dream with a structured trench coat over a silky blouse tied in a bow at the neck. Penny Sage trench $860. Ruby blouse $269. Zambesi pants $450.

Samuel Mark Clyma bag $700.

Vintage earrings from St Vincent De Paul Op Shop $29.

P LAYE R O F T H E DAY

(Right) A game of croquet at Kelburn Municipal Croquet Club in Wellington calls for practical pants (PSA: We hear the club is open to new members). Karen Walker shirt $325, gold earrings $1799 and rings, from $1449 each.

Mahsa trousers $565. Spaceygemz pearl necklaces $55 each. Kate Sylvester socks $49. Sebago loafers $299.

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HAIR AND MAKEUP Courtney Taylor FASHION ASSISTANT Lydia Hamer WITH THANKS TO Mary and the

Kelburn Municipal Croquet Club in

Wellington. Thanks also to Tamsin and Poppy the dog.

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RED AL ERT From love to vigour, bold shades of red have long signified a passionate disposition. Zambesi coat $895. 18ct yellow gold South Sea pearl strand, $23,200, from Walker & Hall.

L O C

A M A R OU

PHO TO G R AP H E R

Scott Hardy

FAS H I O N D I R E CTO R

Dan Ahwa MO D E L

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FOOD + DRINK

THE L INE-UP A garment with more than one vibrant hue offers plenty of versatility, like this Kowtow T-shirt $99.

Matched with a blazer in a natural shade against an earthy backdrop of Resene Brown Bramble, it's a surprisingly easy way to wear bright colours.

Gregory blazer $649.

Colour-blocking — the fashion trope popularised in the aftermath of the 2008 recession — has returned to the fore as designers look to temper uneasy times with a jolt of the saturated and joyful. Julia Gessler explores the significance of a bright hue in our wardrobes right now VIVA.CO.NZ

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C t was a busy day for the topiary. Down Villa Gamberaia’s manicured garden paths came a band of manicured men, dressed in fluorescent expressions of hot pink and bright orange, blue and jewel-toned green. Against the 17th-century Tuscan villa’s cypress hedging and a dark, clouded sky, Jil Sander’s spring 2011 menswear collection looked shockingly artificial, like a fever dream cut with a touch of tailoring.

Designed by the brand’s then creative director Raf Simons, the “tribute to the vibrancy of extreme tropical nature” had onlookers walking away feeling changed in some way, by more fun, more saturated forces.

New Zealand-born fashion reporter Tim Blanks proffered the words “synthetic sundae”, while Canadian photographer Tommy Ton dubbed it a “palette cleanser” for the start of the season.

Months later in New York, in the wake of the Great Recession, which reached its end in 2009, Raf’s call to colour — a revolt by one of fashion’s master minimalists against the sparseness and severity of the late noughties — reverberated throughout Fashion Week.

Victoria Beckham presented marigold silhouettes and ultraviolet parachute silk, bold in every fibre; Marc Jacobs served up a circuit of billowing plum sleeves and oversized flower corsages. Diane von Furstenberg’s sumptuous draping was a collision of coral tops and belts in blush and sky-blue.

Raf, too, furthered his exploration of the synthetic colour-blocking shown at his Jil Sander menswear show with a womenswear offering that proved to be even more influential, described later by commentators as fostering a seismic shift in fashion. Called ‘Techno Couture’, the collection was poetically described by Raf as a “millefeuille of colour”, combining frothy couture silhouettes with intense unnatural shades, and man-made fabrics made to hold the hyper colour. Instead of a background of topiary, this was presented in a stark white room, putting the shocking colour into even sharper focus.

But the jubilance was just as palpable; the statement of intent — an about-turn, masked as a confetti cake — was too.

I

F

ast-forward a decade to 2021, and fashion has felt a similar embrace of energetic, effulgent everything. London-based brand Roksanda’s spring 2021 collection was raucous and marvellously blocky; Molly Goddard, Britain’s reigning doyenne of the best kind of frothy, tulle-spun smocks, presented energetic looks of checkerboard neons and zingy gowns; while Miuccia Prada, for Miu Miu, drew on polarity, coupling sporty-chic bowling jackets and kneelength skirts with layer upon layer of chipper hues.

Local designers also received the “wear colour” memo, from Zambesi’s sheer overcoat in a delicious shade of “candyfloss” to Paris Georgia’s slick acidic orange and lemon sorbet tailoring.

Layplan’s ethos is based around “loveliness and boldness”, with racks of candy-hued dresses; Maggie Marilyn is known for its regular and clever use of pink and other unexpected shades (right now designer Maggie Hewitt says she’s into pistachio green and chocolate brown).

Twenty-seven Names’ trippy winter collection features coats in groovy blocks of orange and purple, while Kowtow’s minimal basics come in vibrant shades of magenta, evergreen and acid yellow — a palette partly inspired by the synthetic, almost anti-nature colours of hiking gear and ropes.

The forging of the present from the past is nothing new, yet in the face of an unknowable, post-pandemic hinterland, marked by varying degrees of hardship and unease, there’s assurance to be found in something familiar. Especially when that “thing’s” essential experience feels like a corrective, and when you indulge in a few parallels along the way (read: 70s-inspired denim, sweater vests and exuberance; the fashion world courting Tavi Gevinson, who, as a lead in this year’s Gossip Girl reboot, steps once again into the eye of the sartorial storm; and a world gearing towards recovery). →

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EVENI NG LI G HT A dramatic forest shade like Resene Racing Green is the perfect backdrop for an elegant after-five look, mixing a bright block colour with a more neutral tone. Gerry Weber blazer, $389, from Smith & Caughey’s.

Ruby gown $329.

Vintage brass costume necklace, $860, from Walker & Hall. Zara mules $80.

O P P O S IT E PAGE Colville spring/summer 2021; Pedro Almodovar’s film High Heels (1991); Pierre Cardin models (1965); Jil Sander spring/ summer 2012; poet Amanda Gorman, wearing a canaryyellow Prada coat and red satin headband, performing her poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ at the presidential inauguration in January; Plan-C spring/summer 2021; Roksanda spring/summer 2021.

Photos / Getty Images VIVA.CO.NZ

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→ As The Guardian fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley made her wish back in 2010 — “I want clothes that conjure up those first days in March when the sunshine turns lemony” — so 2021 answered, on Inauguration Day in the US, with its own form of sunbeam: Amanda Gorman, with her poetry and Prada, resulting in a profound sense of upliftment and a 1328 per cent rise in searches for “yellow coats”, according to Lyst.

The rest of the occasion, removed from the politics, didn’t waver in confidence, unfolding as an enviable, pitch-perfect vision that oscillated between the bold and the glamorous — from First Lady Dr Jill Biden’s blue tweed coat and dress by New York-based label Markarian to VicePresident Kamala Harris’ purple swearing-in ensemble by fellow NYC brand Christopher John Rogers, and Lady Gaga’s red flowing Schiaparelli Couture skirt.

“The result was purposeful, collaborative, and coherent,” observed Rachel Symes for The New Yorker. “We are not used to seeing political figures working together on something as simple as colour-blocking.”

SO F T P OW E R Saccharine-sweet pastels are great on nostalgic silhouettes – a nod to more prim and proper style references. Maggie Marilyn blouse $650. Salasai skirt $366. Zara mules $70.

F

ittingly, many of 2021’s collections from both local and international designers can be measured by their simplicity. Pragmatism is their base, and a return to the essential, their end-goal.

“It’s not genius, it’s obvious,” MSGM’s Massimo Giorgetti told Vogue of his spring collection, a sentiment echoed by Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino when talking about his recent couture collection. “The narrative of the collection is the collection itself. No stories. Nothing figurative. I wanted to work on surfaces, not in a decorative sense, but workmanship which becomes the surface itself.”

It’s reduction, if not reversion, on their own terms, where colours are celebrated at their most elemental and fanciful.

This electric Kool-Aid acid colour test could also be interpreted as a rejection of Instagram’s hyper-curated, minimalist, black-white-and-beige aesthetic (the one that sucks any hint of green out of a photo) — and a shrugging off of New Zealand’s old-school black-clad “don’t look at me” stereotype.

Kate Sylvester, who has a long history incorporating offbeat block colour into collections, says boldly hued options now regularly outperform and outsell those in black. “Green is an absolute favourite, it suits lots of complexions, it’s easy to outfit and is a great alternative to black. But often a bold, unexpected colour will surprise me, like a vibrant lavender or turquoise that someone completely falls in love with to brighten up their wardrobe.”

For her winter range, called ‘Sisters’, Kate hoped to express a positive, uplifting energy that translated through warm pinks, a striking turquoise, coral and tobacco. “I wanted the collection to feel like a big hug: safe, warm and reassuring.”

When The Guardian’s Jess Cartner-Morley arrived at New York Fashion Week over a decade ago, she was witnessing a shift. “Fashion was having a moment, and not in a good way,” she wrote. “It was having a why-are-we-allhere, what’s-the-point-of-it-all moment.”

Sound familiar? That current style has rebuked an identical existential crisis with, in many ways, the same sort of sensational, escapist pleasure, one Cartner-Morley noted had “the colours of the kind of holiday cocktails that come with a pink umbrella and two straws”. This has the illuminating effect, for wearers, of telling a similar but nonetheless different story.

The wearer — maximalist, minimalist, maximalistminimalist — must now choose how they show their mettle.

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K EY LIME Citrus hues are a great way to add warmth to the face. Yellow is one of 2021’s key hues, and this bright, saturated jumper from Ricochet, $289, is enough to add some positive vibes to your day. Much like clear blue skies, Resene Fountain Blue offers much-needed optimism when the going gets tough.

Marc Cain skirt, $675, from Smith & Caughey’s.

SUNNY OU TL O O K (Top right) This season’s favourite coat hue — camel — is given a fresh perspective with the easy addition of a sunny knit and a deep red lip. Gerry Weber jumper, $127, from Smith & Caughey’s. Friday Flamingo coat, POA. Meadowlark pearl earrings, from $709.

SH I NE O N (Right) Jewel tones add plenty of interest when it comes to midwinter occasions. This beautiful slip dress in jade green from Ruby, $389, is perfectly complemented by an amethyst-lavender hue inspired by Resene’s Amethyst Smoke. Pleasure State bra, $100, from Bendon. Flash Jewellery 14k earrings $269, and vintage Victorian pendant, $17,900, from Walker & Hall.

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OFFIC E POL ITIC S Colour-blocking for the workplace? Why not. If there was ever a time to dabble in colourful blazers and tops, it’s now. They’re perfect for video calls when you want to be heard and seen. Opt for a rich red backdrop while you’re at it, like Resene Smashing, to signal to everyone on Zoom that you mean business.

Silk & Steel earrings, POA. Friday Flamingo blazer $100. Zara shirt $55.

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3.

2.

1.

4.

5.

10.

IN

LI V I NG

6.

COLOUR A pop of colour is always a fasttrack to a good day

8.

9.

1. Camilla & Marc blazer $960.

2. Yu Mei ‘Phoebe’ bucket bag $595.

3. Louis Vuitton shawl $945.

4. Aje dress $685.

5. Juliette Hogan coat $699.

6. Karen Walker sunglasses $359.

7. Mi Piaci boots $380.

8. Verge trousers $200.

9. Paris Georgia trousers $589.

10. Kowtow top $79. Photos / Supplied, Getty Images See stockists on page 160.

Resene Sassy

MIX AND MINGLE

Unexpected colour combinations add some vivacious zing to autumn style, with a juicy purple like Resene Sassy finding an unlikely friend in Resene Vista Blue. Woo everyone with a kiss of Resene Glamour Puss or the retro charm of Resene Wallpaper Collection 3406, meanwhile a shot of Resene Tequila mellows things out.

www.resene.co.nz/colorshops

7.

Resene Glamour Puss

Resene Vista Blue

STYLIST & PHOTOGRAPHER

Samantha Totty

T I M E

& S P A C E

Elegant accessories, charming homewares and glorious objets d’art provide plenty of inspiration when it comes to selecting forever pieces to cherish and pass on

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MAIN SQUEEZE (Left) The Prada ‘Odette’ handbag, $3350, wrapped just so in a Prada silk scarf $305. Lemon juicer, $20, and tumbler set, $101, from Citta.

CLEAN LINES The Deadly Ponies ‘Crush Tote Mini’ bag $579, so petite it fits in a bowl.

Alentes ‘Catchall’ bowl, $430, from ECC. Bathing Aphrodite figure, $120, and pottery bowl, $45, from Search and Destroy.

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BREAK BREAD The Mulberry ‘Amberley’ crossbody bag is a day-tonight charmer with a gold chain shoulder strap and neat handle, $1350. Ming Dynasty bowl, $585, from Search & Destroy.

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STOP THE SHOW (Right) Pair an 18ct white gold and diamond Tsavorite bracelet, $24,500, with a rubellite ring, $54,100, from Partridge Jewellers. Handcarved table from India.

SCENTS & SENSIBILITY (Above right) Allow the stimulating scent of incense to float on the breeze with a wheel incense holder, $45, from Everyday Needs. Tiffany & Co. eau de parfum (75ml) $210.

CLEAR VIEW A trio of curios, including sake cups, $8 for a set of four, from Flotsam & Jetsam, Clean vase, $23, from BoConcept, and a vintage green lamp, $250, from Real Time.

IN THE RIGHT LIGHT (Left) A shoe to last a lifetime, these leather Prada brogues, $1570, combine craftsmanship and modernity.

PLAYING FOR KEEPS (Below) A Dior pearl choker, $1200, and earrings, $720, deserve special storage, like this sweet vintage box, $150, from Real Time.

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OFF THE SCALE (Left) The Bulgari ‘Serpenti Forever’ bag, $4590, with its maxi chain, red nappa leather and gold-plated brass Serpenti head, is a piece to covet. Chair, stylist’s own.

TEA TIME (Above) Sweet ceramics elevate a leisurely breakfast. Sunray plate, $54, from Tessuti. Le Creuset egg cup $15. Talo coffee cup, $131, from Citta. Knife and fork, $6.50 each, from Flotsam & Jetsam.

STAY A WHILE (Right) The Louis Vuitton ‘Twist MM’ bag features monogrammed leather, a sculptural LV twist lock and sliding chain strap, $6750. Motley handloomed blanket, $659, from Tessuti. BoConcept velvet cushion $119.

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CURTAIN

CALL Popularised in the 1960s by the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin, curtain bangs are staging a comeback in 2021

N

o other hair trend is having a bigger renaissance in 2021 than curtain bangs.

Not only is the wispy, faceframing fringe extremely versatile — they suit any face shape and can be cut into straight, wavy or curly hair — but curtain bangs are a low-maintenance option for those wanting to try bangs without the bi-weekly trims or extra styling time that comes with having a blunt cut.

So, what are they? Curtain bangs are typically parted down the middle, perfectly framing your face and eyes in the same way a curtain does with a window. They’re slightly shorter in the middle, and slowly blend to longer layers out towards your ears.

This more-manageable fringe style has garnered a raft of celebrity devotees including Kacey Musgraves, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Lopez, Dakota Johnson and Gigi Hadid.

Nervous to make the cut? Most hairdressers will cut curtain bangs in a way that makes them blend naturally with the rest of your hair — giving you the option to wear them out, pulled back into a ponytail or tucked behind your ears should you so desire.

And when you’re ready to try the next hair trend, just leave them to grow out and they’ll eventually become face-framing layers.

— Ashleigh Cometti For tips on how to style curtain bangs, visit Viva.co.nz/beauty

BEAUTY PHOTOGRAPHY: M.A.C

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Step into the spotlight with cinematic hair styles inspired by 1920s screen sirens Anna May Wong and Marlene Dietrich — but with a decidedly updated twist. Create a halo of braids, a choppy fringe or a slick bun in homage to these American heroines, with expert guidance from renowned hair stylist Matt Benns

A STAR

IS BORN SHE’S NO WALLFLOWER It was a portrait of movie star Anna May Wong, captured by Edward Steichen, that inspired hair stylist Matt Benns to dream up the concept behind this graphic beauty shoot.

For this pearl-wrapped headpiece look, Matt imagines Anna has “just come off stage, and she’s taken off her wig. Her hair is wig-wrapped. She has to go out for dinner, she has to meet a boy for a drink.

So, she puts on her Jasmin Sparrow headpiece. Just gorgeous.” This freshwaterpearl headpiece by the New Zealand jeweller was secured in place using bobby pins.

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SET THE SCENE Love the look of a topknot but hair not thick (or long) enough to give the fullness you desire? Consider cushioning. It’s what Matt used to achieve this sky-high topknot, rolling it down on to Fabienne’s natural ponytail for density and plumpness. Try the trend yourself by searching for cushioning at selected pharmacies and salons — it looks like a scrunchie but sits on the inside of your hair instead of the outside.

To create the knot visible at the front of Fabienne’s topknot, Matt twisted the hair and tucked loose ends in for a chic, polished finish.

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FOR A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THESE DAZZLING MAKEUP LOOKS, VISIT VIVA.CO.NZ/BEAUTY

A STUDY IN SCARLET One of Anna’s most memorable looks was a strong, blunt fringe, which Matt has recreated on model Sabina. “Her hair is quite short, so I used the R+Co Outer Space Flexible Hairspray and a net to flatten her hair, then added a braided extension to create a bun.

We added a fringe piece to create a different texture and a strength through the front.” Matt usually deconstructs or cuts hairpieces up before use.

Bobby pins secure Sabina’s blunt fringe in place, but most hairpieces come with a clip to secure them to your natural hair. The finishing touch? A spritz of R+Co Neon Lights Dry Oil Spray for added sheen.

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VIDEO VIXEN This braided halo hairstyle references one of movie star Anna May Wong’s most iconic photos. It’s a dynamic up-do that sees two hairpieces braided and secured around the head. “This is a simple look you could do at home,” Matt says. “There are so many colours of braiding hair available and they’re affordable too. Packets of synthetic hair cost between $15-$20. It tangles easily but if you know what you’re doing you can make it work nicely,” says Matt, who pre-braided the hairpieces and wrapped them over one another to create a halo-like silhouette. He used Bumble & Bumble Thickening Full Form Soft Mousse to prep Fabienne’s natural hair before sweeping it back off her face into a concealed bun. Bobby pins secure each hairpiece in place. Matt prefers to braid separate hairpieces rather than headbands of hair that come prebraided. “It’s more malleable, you can move it into different shapes, twist it into a bun, use it as a halo for the head, or add wire and create shapes,” he says.

HAIR & CR EAT IVE D IR ECT OR Matt Benns HAIR AS S ISTAN T Mackenzie Bradley M AKEU P Lochie Stonehouse PHOT OG R APHY & VISUAL T R EAT M EN T Pictvre — Veronica Crockford-Pound & Joseph Griffen LIG HT ING Jake Dennis M OD ELS Fabienne Distelzwey from N Model Management & Sabina Sysantos from 62 Management BEAU T Y ED IT OR Ashleigh Cometti 99

B

y nature, the beauty industry is one of excess. Case in point: the 10-step Korean beauty routines that call for a horde of products purported to give you glass skin, or the 20 products you’re shown while absorbing makeup

tips off TikTok. In many ways, the fast-paced beauty industry follows a similar model to fast fashion — high product volumes, short production schedules and an endless supply of “newness” that serves only to perpetuate the use-and-dispose mindset.

In response, a slower, more mindful approach to beauty consumption is beginning to take root — one that homes in on quality over quantity and sidesteps quick fixes in favour of sustainable, long-term solutions.

Like slow living and slow fashion, the slow beauty movement advocates the careful curation of a handful of products that cover a multitude of needs. And it’s catching on, with a handful of local, independent beauty brands resisting the pressure to launch with an arsenal of bottles and tubes, instead bucking the trend by launching with a tight edit of multi-purpose products that save room in your bathroom cabinet (and your back pocket).

Meet the brands eschewing cluttered shelves for a multitude of reasons, including the environment.

L U C Y V I N C E N T, S A N S C EU T I CA LS FO U N D E R

SLOW

BEAUTY Ashleigh Cometti speaks to the category leaders who have whittled down their product offerings in favour of a slower, more mindful approach to beauty 100

Lucy Vincent is what you'd call an early adopter — she cottoned on to the slow beauty movement before it was coined that.

The slow beauty movement and sustainability go handin-hand, which Lucy says is something Sans Ceuticals has always been mindful of (its moniker was originally an acronym for Sustainable And Natural Skincare).

“Using only what’s necessary to achieve the results you want is an inherent part of sustainability,” says Lucy. “If a brand that claims to be sustainable is putting out new products constantly, there’s an obvious disconnect.”

The consumer appetite for newness is cyclic and Lucy says a number of studies have revealed how: “Newness stimulates people BEAUTY

to buy, so many new products are being formulated not because they really do anything differently or better, but just because people love trying something new.”

Lucy first launched Sans Ceuticals in 2007 with just one product: Activator 7, a multifunctional beauty oil. At the time, she was also running hair and beauty clinic Lucy and the Powder Room in Auckland’s Takapuna, where she had the bright idea to formulate her own range of multiuse products.

Moving forward, Lucy believes the slow beauty movement will see consumer preference shift from big corporates to nimble start-ups. “I believe they’ll move to purchasing smaller, more innovative and sustainable local brands that reflect their values rather than spending their money with huge multinational brands.”

BEC F RA N K H A M A N D CA RL I E H O G A N ,

LISA ANDERSON,

BEC CA P ROJ ECT FO U N D E RS

RE .S K I N FO U N D E R

“We built Becca Project with the idea of slowness in mind,” says co-founder Carlie Hogan of the brand’s range of essential oil-based home fragrance and body care.

“We wanted our range to offer only quality products that can give our customers that feeling of contentment and taking a moment in time to care for themselves.”

It makes sense, then, that the Auckland-based duo first launched Becca Project with a small range of handmade candles spiked with pure and organic essential oils to scent the home and ease the mind.

Each candle is mixed and hand poured into recyclable glass vessels by Bec and Carlie in their Auckland studio but, as Carlie explains, handmade, small batches equal higher costs. “Our process is labour intensive and production is difficult to streamline.”

Bec Frankham says the slow beauty movement shines a light on local producers and restores value to handmade goods. “There is a growing gap between fast and slow, which we feel is to our benefit as more and more customers are appreciating the value in our products being so ‘traceable’ and locally made,” she says.

Chronic skin conditions and premature ageing were two of the driving forces behind Lisa Anderson’s decision to launch a two-step supplement and skincare system, Re.Skin.

After spending 25 years working in the beauty industry, both in New Zealand and abroad, Lisa sought to streamline and simplify her beauty routine with an “in and on” concept that was no-fuss and easy to use.

She collaborated with a New Zealand scientist to create one topical skincare product, and one supplement to ingest, that when combined would deliver the skinboosting and health-giving results she was looking for.

This 360-degree approach to skin health materialised in Re.Skin’s two-step process, which remains the sole product offered by the brand, even today.

Traceability and transparency are important to Lisa, who was conscious of straining the planet’s resources and creating excess waste when formulating her system.

“ HE ALT HY, GL OWING SKIN IS EVE RYONE’S GOA L , BUT TH IS NE E DN’T C OME FROM A PL ETH OR A OF POTIONS .” —

It would have been cheaper for Lisa to formulate and package her range offshore, but she was determined for Re.Skin to sit proudly under the New Zealandmade category.

“If you have a vision and a purpose for a business then you aren’t influenced or pressured by what anyone else is doing,” Lisa says. “I’ve never regretted following my instincts and creating a simple skin system without 50 SKUs.” At this stage, Lisa refuses to succumb to the pressure of mass production, and has no plans on expanding.

Her hope is that consumers will use their purchasing power to make mindful decisions that factor in sustainable options and reduce waste, and that brands will innovate fewer products that glean better results.

“The impact on the industry can only be positive if there is more focus on sustainability and less waste overall,” she says.

“This will ultimately drive new technology that consumers will benefit from.”

E MMA P ETE R S

PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images

E M M A P E T E RS , A L E P H BE AU T Y FO U N D E R

She’s spent decades working in the makeup industry, but for Aleph Beauty founder Emma Peters, looking good shouldn’t have to come at a cost to the environment.

“Healthy, glowing skin is everyone’s goal, but this needn’t come from a plethora of potions and products. By knowing your skin and the result you want to achieve, you can easily pare your beauty routine right back,” she explains.

Her range of hybridised makeup is formulated with ingredients that help to nourish, protect and enhance skin over time, all while perfecting its appearance.

It was a conscious decision made by Emma after realising she kept coming back to a handful of trusted favourites in her kit. “Using a minimalist kit meant that I could create the look I wanted, instead of being subjected to the overwhelm of what to choose from in a sea of “latest” products,” she says.

Emma says that while she’ll always strive to keep the line concise, there are still a few products she’s identified a need for. But unlike other brands that can easily churn out a new lipstick in very little time at all, Emma says her challenge is finding ways to extend the collection in a way that stands up to her brand values.

“We’re not looking to launch a quick-fix, we choose to formulate products that will outlast trends and bring sustainable solutions to the beauty industry,” she says.

“Our biggest challenge is desperately wanting to satisfy our customers’ desires but not being willing to sacrifice our values in that process.”

EMMA LEWISHAM, S K I N CA RE FO U N D E R

It’s a bold move launching a business under your own name, even more so when that business is one that launches with only two products in an otherwise crowded skincare market.

But that’s exactly what Emma Lewisham did when she launched her eponymous skincare line in September 2019, entering the skincare category with just her Skin Reset Serum and Skin Shield SPF. “We have, from the outset, developed our product range to be small, considered and focused on delivering a wealth of skincare benefits into each product,” she says. “We’re about providing more benefits in one product than using a plethora of products.”

It’s this type of skincare philosophy that goes directly against 10-step routines, which Emma says consumers find confusing, expensive and overwhelming — not to mention ineffective. “They are also not VIVA.CO.NZ

always beneficial for our skin.

This shift is being driven by the understanding that putting more on our skin doesn’t necessarily mean more results.

Overcomplicated, excessive skincare routines can interfere with the naturally-occurring oils in our skin barrier, which can cause irritation and more breakouts,” says Emma.

The rise of simplistic routines is in direct response to climate change, Emma adds, citing the 120 billion units of packaging the beauty industry produces annually, 95 per cent of which aren’t recyclable for kerbside collection.

The waste generated by the beauty industry motivated Emma to develop a 100 per cent circular business model — one where all beauty product packaging can be returned via the Emma Lewisham Beauty Circle, where it is sterilised and reused or recycled. “This reduces our demand for new materials, eliminates waste, and drastically reduces our carbon footprint,” says Emma.

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BATTLE OF THE

BL

TCHES

Ashleigh Cometti consulted two skin experts about pigmentation and discolouration — the causes, the cures and what you can do to help prevent it from coming back

PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images

L

et us be the first ones to say that we love summer. But a typically unwanted side effect of days spent by the pool or beach are the newly formed dark marks or patches on skin that indicate sun damage.

Freckles that expand into full-blown sun spots are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hyperpigmentation, with postblemish scarring, discolouration from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, and hormoneinduced melasma all falling under the same spotty umbrella.

Acne, sunlight, skin rashes and the like have the potential to stimulate melanocytes (also known as the pigment-making cells in the skin) to click into overdrive, causing them to deposit their excess pigment (melanin) into the deeper levels of the skin.

Yes, melanocytes certainly have a lot to answer for when it comes to our pursuit of an eventoned complexion.

And while the root cause of hyperpigmentation varies greatly, the overproduction of melanin in the skin is a common skincare struggle. But despite this, it can be very tricky to treat — especially when it comes to hyperpigmentation of the hormonal kind.

Here’s how two skin experts pip pigmentation at the post, along with the products you need to lighten, brighten and restore skin.

Hyperpigmentation is a wide-ranging term that describes a skin condition in which the skin is discoloured or darkened.

“Pigmentation or hyperpigmentation is seen as darker areas or patches on skin. The pigment called melanin is produced as a defence mechanism against different factors including sun, heat, chemical exposure, or injury,” says Dr Ellen Selkon, an appearance medicine specialist at Auckland’s Clinic 42.

Beneath the skin’s surface live cells known as melanocytes, which reside in the base layer of the skin’s epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) and produce pigment.

External factors can trigger melanocytes to begin working in overdrive, churning out more melanin in the skin, causing hyperpigmentation. This natural reaction is the body’s way of protecting itself, and can be caused by a multitude of reasons.

The causes of pigmentation can be categorised into external and internal factors, including genetics.

U V R AY S “Often sun damage accumulated in early years can start to surface many years later.

UV weakens the cell DNA within the melanocytes.

Melanocytes then produce too much melanin in order to form protection for skin cells, resulting in dark pigment on the skin’s surface,” says Brooke Taylor, an educator for Medik8 New Zealand. “This can be superficial (occurring on the epidermal layer — the outermost layer of the skin) or deep (dermal — the inner layer of the two skin layers).”

H O R M O N E S Hormonal changes like the oral contraceptive pill, hormone supplements, pregnancy and menopause can result in spikes in estrogen levels, causing a condition known as melasma.

T R A U M A Chemical peels, laser treatments, waxing, threading, abrasive facials and post-blemish skin injuries can result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. “The increase of melanin is the skin’s natural healing response to any injury.

Fitzpatrick skin types 4-6 are more susceptible due to increased melanin*. As the inflammation subsides, the

skin can often produce too much melanin causing the formerly damaged skin to darken,” Taylor says.

G E N E T I C S Certain skin types are more prone to developing pigmentation issues than others — especially in response to inflammation or skin injury, Dr Selkon explains, adding that up to 61 per cent of people will have a family history of melasma or pigmentation. Those with lighter Fitzpatrick skin types are more likely to suffer with epidermal pigmentation, while darker Fitzpatrick skin types are more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and dermal pigmentation, adds Taylor.

O T H E R T R I G G E R S include inflammation, medication, incorrect product usage, stress, age and free radicals, which Taylor says can all contribute to hyperpigmentation.

W H AT A R E T H E D I F F E R E N T T Y P E S O F P I G M E N TAT I O N ? The uneven distribution of melanin can take form as freckles, age spots or melasma, and while we’ve touched on these briefly, here’s a summary to understand the tell-tale signs of each type of hyperpigmentation.

A G E S P O T S are one of the hallmarks of skin ageing.

They’re commonly caused by overexposure to UV rays (resulting in sun damage). The areas that are most susceptible to age spots include the face, neck, forearms and hands (especially on your driver’s side).

P O S T- I N F L A M M AT O R Y H Y P E R P I G M E N TAT I O N is the term that describes the skin darkening that lingers after skin trauma caused by the aforementioned treatments, but also acne, eczema, a rash or a cut.

M E L A S M A is one of the most common forms of hyperpigmentation and occurs mostly in women due to its hormonal link to estrogen. Patches of melasma are most prevalent on areas of the face like cheeks, the bridge of the nose, the chin and above the upper lip. Melasma is often superficial and once estrogen levels have rebalanced it can fade, but if left untreated it can take an extended period of time to do so.

F R E C K L E S are primarily down to genetics, but excess UV exposure can make them darker and more visible. →

“MELANIN MELANIN IS PRODUCED AS A DEFENCE MECHANISM AGAINST DIFFERENT FACTORS INCLUDING SUN, HEAT, CHEMICAL EXPOSURE, OR INJURY.” VIVA.CO.NZ

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H O W S H O U L D YO U G O A B O U T T R E AT I N G I T ?

Your best course of action depends on the level at which your pigmentation occurs. Selkon says superficial or epidermal pigmentation is easier to treat, and can be significantly lessened with IPL treatments.

“IPL is our favourite treatment for a variety of skin concerns, including pigmentation. The light is attracted to melanin in the skin and helps to pull it up to the surface of the skin over a number of days post-treatment, leading the pigment to either come off completely or significantly lighten,” Selkon says.

On the other hand, dermal pigmentation is generally deeper in the skin and tends to require more sessions to see any improvements — think micro-needling and radio-frequency skin resurfacing treatments.

“Dermapen 4 [micro-needling] is safe for all skin types as it does not include heat, only mechanical stimulation of melanocytes to regulate pigment production. As a result, skin is healthier, rejuvenated, and improved in tone and texture. Nano Fractional Radio Frequency Skin Resurfacing helps to improve pigmentation as well as rejuvenate the skin, improving appearance of scars and wrinkles at the same time,” Selkon explains.

Peels are another effective means of lifting pigmentation from the skin, while minimising more pigment forming.

Taylor recommends the Medik8 Professional Even Peel, which is specifically designed to target hyperpigmentation in all skin types. “It is an effective combination of acids [lactic and glycolic] to reduce pigmentation, age spots, post-inflammatory discolouration and marking. It leaves the skin with improved clarity, an even tone and a natural glow.

Time-release technology is utilised to slowly release acids into the skin, minimising irritation while maximising performance,” she says.

Supplement any in-clinic treatments with overthe-counter options that contain the same active ingredients that a number of dermatologists use in prescription-only formulations.

Selkon suggests looking for a formula that contains hydroquinone, which she believes is the gold standard of treating stubborn pigmentation.

But tread carefully, hydroquinone is a skin-bleaching agent that’s only available over the counter from the pharmacy (when included in creams containing concentrations up to 2 per cent). It’s also intended for short-term use only, and higher concentrations

of the ingredient need to be prescribed by your dermatologist.

She also encourages using medical-grade skincare containing vitamin A, B and C. Vitamin A (retinol) helps to repair weak DNA within the melanocytes, increases cell turnover promotes wound healing and offers antioxidant protection. Among Taylor’s favourite vitamin A products is Medik8’s Crystal Retinal 20, $229, which contains stabilised retinal and is available in five strengths. Crystal Retinal 20 is said to work 11 times faster than traditional retinol to decrease melanin production and target hyperpigmentation.

Vitamin B reduces the appearance of age spots and other forms of skin discolouration by boosting collagen synthesis in the skin while supporting the formation of new skin cells.

Consider vitamin C your go-to ingredient for brightening — this antioxidant helps inhibit melanin production and reduces post-inflammatory pigmentation. It works especially well when used in conjunction with alpha hydroxy acids. Try Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, $155, which is revered for its ability to reduce dark spots, boost luminosity and improve uneven skin tone by way of activated vitamin C and salicylic acid.

Estee Lauder’s new Perfectionist Pro Rapid Brightening Treatment, $158, harnesses 98 per cent naturally derived fermented ingredients alongside vitamin C to brighten, help even out skin tone, reduce dark spots and refine skin texture.

Other new-to-market skin brighteners to consider include La Prairie’s White Caviar Creme Extraordinaire, $1150, which was formulated by La Prairie’s in-house scientists to reduce the visibility and intensity of age spots, improve the appearance of dull and discoloured skin, combat uneven skin tone and leave skin feeling firmer.

In February, Sisley released three new innovations in its Phyto-Blanc range — PhytoBlanc La Mousse, $200, a cleansing foam-in-cream; Phyto-Blanc La Lotion, $210, brightening hydration lotion; and Phyto-Blanc Le Soin, $420, a protective moisturiser — that work together to promote a brighter, more even-toned complexion.

Launching on March 12 is Dermalogica’s new PowerBright Dark Spot Serum, $189, which uses a powerful blend of niacinamide and hexylresorcinol.

It’s said to fade the appearance of dark spots and brighten and boost skin’s luminosity in as little as one week of consistent use.

H O W D O YO U P R E V E N T P I G M E N TAT I O N F R O M C O M I N G B A C K?

This entire paragraph could be summarised in two words: wear sunscreen.

It’s not surprising advice, and this essential skincare step is the best prevention as it shields melanocytes from stimulating excess melanin, halting the formation of pigmentation in its tracks.

Any in-clinic treatments or brightening creams are rendered useless if you’re not diligent with your daily sun protection.

Selkon recommends looking out for a zinc-based sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and remember to reapply it every two hours (or more often if swimming, sweating or toweling).

As tempting as it may be, try not to pick, pop or scratch at your skin. Avoid popping or squeezing pimples, use a plaster over cuts to avoid leaving a permanent dark mark or scar, and leave mosquito bites well alone, as scratching them can cause darkening of the skin.

* The Fitzpatrick skin types (or phototypes) system describes a way to classify skin type according to the amount of pigment your skin has and your skin’s reaction to sun exposure. The skin types are numbered 1-6 with 1 being ‘pale white’ to 6 being ‘dark brown’.

La Prairie White

Kiehl’s Clearly

Medik8’s Crystal

Sisley Phyto-Blanc La

Estee Lauder

Dermalogica

Caviar Creme

Corrective Dark Spot

Retinal 20 $229.

Mousse $200.

Perfectionist Pro

PowerBright Dark

Extraordinaire $1150.

Solution $155.

Rapid Brightening

Spot Serum $189.

Treatment $158.

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BEAUTY NEWS makeup L I V I N G N AT U R E T I N T E D MOISTURISER , $55

If your summer makeup routine resulted in swapping out foundation for a lighter variety, then you’ll love this tinted moisturiser from local beauty brand Living Nature, available in revamped packaging. From selected health stores and online at Livingnature.com Y V ES SA I N T LAU RE N T RO U G E VO LU PT E S H I N E B U R N I N G CHILIS, $66

Spice up your life with the five new fiery shades available in YSL’s best-selling Rouge Volupte Shine.

Think burnt nudes, chilli reds and brick oranges. Available from March 15 at selected department stores TA L I K A L I P O C I L S M A S C A R A , $50

Acting as a mascara and lash lengthener in one, Talika Lipocils Mascara includes a botanical complex in its formula, which gets to work stimulating natural lash growth while you go about your day. Available from Mecca or online at Meccabeauty.co.nz JA M E S R E A D C L I C K & G LOW TA N D R O P S , $ 5 7

Self-tan mogul James Read has the market covered with this clickable tanning pen. Mix a few drops of this multi-vitamin tanning gel with SPF, moisturiser or makeup to create a natural-looking tan.

Available from Mecca or online at Meccabeauty.co.nz S H I S E I D O SY N C H RO SKIN RADIANT LIFTING F O U N D AT I O N , $ 7 9

GO FOR GOLD Achieve complexion perfection with the season’s newest illuminators, glow-givers and spicy lipstick hues

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Go filter-free with the new Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation, which offers lightweight, medium-to-full coverage and boasts lightdiffusing technology to lift, refine and smooth the appearance of skin. Available from selected department stores and pharmacies BO B B I B ROW N LUX E D E F I N I N G L I P ST I C K , $ 6 4

This chic new bullet combines the precision of a lip liner with the smooth application of a lipstick. Available from selected department stores H O U R G L A S S A M B I E N T L I G H T I N G PA L E T T E V O L U M E I I , $ 1 1 3

Hourglass has released the second iteration of its best-selling Ambient Lighting Palette, this time with warmer shades that create multidimensional luminosity on skin. Available from Mecca or online at Meccabeauty.co.nz BEAUTY

PHOTOGRAPHY: Babiche Martens

BEAUTY NEWS fragrance

H A P P Y C H O PA R D B I G A R A D I A 4 0 M L E A U D E PA R F U M , $ 8 9

What it is: Fun, fresh and created with millennials in mind, this uplifting scent is addictive, unexpected and crisp.

Fragrance family: Citrus What it smells like: Top notes of neroli, bitter orange, mandarin and carrot, a heart of orange blossom, jasmine sambac and honey, and a base of labdanum, cedar, sesame and patchouli.

Where to get it: Exclusively from Smith & Caughey’s.

VA L E N T I N O B O R N I N R O M A Y E L LOW D R E A M D O N N A 5 0 M L E A U D E PA R F U M , $ 1 8 7

What it is: Valentino’s newest collection of his and hers fragrances evokes the yellow sunrise in the Italian capital.

Fragrance family: Citrus What it smells like: Top notes of lemon, a heart of rose and a base of white musk.

Where to get it: Selected department stores and pharmacies from March 15.

B O T T E G A V E N E TA K N O T 5 0 M L E A U D E PA R F U M , $ 1 8 5

What it is: This contemporary citrus-floral fragrance takes its inspiration from the salty air of the Italian coast.

Fragrance family: Citrus What it smells like: Top notes of neroli, orange blossom, clementine, lime and mandarin, a heart of lavender, peony and rose, and a musk and tonka bean base.

Where to get it: Exclusively from Smith & Caughey’s.

K AT E S PA D E N E W YO R K 1 0 0 M L E A U D E PA R F U M , $ 1 6 3

IN THE GARDEN Fall in love with these fresh, floral and fruity fragrances

J I M M Y C H O O I WA N T C H O O 1 0 0 M L E A U D E PA R F U M , $ 1 8 8

What is it: “Daring, fun and glamorous” is how the noses at Jimmy Choo describe their newest scent — the epitome of the Jimmy Choo woman.

Fragrance family: Floral What it smells like: Top notes of peach and mandarin, a heart of jasmine and red lily, and a warming base of vanilla.

Where to get it: Selected department stores and pharmacies from April 27.

VIVA.CO.NZ

What it is: A modern, joyful and feminine scent that celebrates women and their individuality.

Fragrance family: Floral What it smells like: Top notes of wild strawberries, bergamot and citrus, a heart of freesia and rose essence, and a base of cashmeran and ambrox.

Where to get it: Selected department stores and pharmacies from April 5.

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BEAUTY NEWS skincare B I O LO G I B C R E F R E S H C L E A N S E R , $ 7 5 Singleingredient skincare experts Biologi harnessed the nourishing qualities of soapberry in this foaming cleanser. The Australian native ingredient helps to deeply clean skin, removing dirt and impurities without interrupting the skin’s delicate acid mantle.

Available at Adorebeauty.co.nz S I S L E Y T R I P L E- O I L B A L M M A K EU P R E M OV E R & C L E A N S E R , $ 1 7 0 Sisley’s waterless cleansing option transforms from a balm to an oil to a milky emulsion, which melts easily into skin to lift stubborn makeup, impurities and traces of pollution. It uses babassu, shea and macadamia nut oils to leave skin feeling soft, nourished and hydrated.

Available at Smithandcaugheys.co.nz from April 18 E L E M I S P RO - C O LL AG E N ENERGISING MARINE

Think of this new gel cleanser as an espresso shot but for your face — it helps bring energy back to the skin with its supercharged blend of minerals like magnesium, zinc and copper. Add a trio of acids to the mix and you’ve got an advanced cleanser that deeply cleanses skin and reduces excess oil. Available at Mecca and Meccabeauty.co.nz

CLEANSER, $109

T R I L O GY T R I P L E-A C T I O N

This non-abrasive gel exfoliator is designed to gently polish, smooth and nourish skin. The sensorial experience starts with the first pump — cold-pressed rosehip oil and manuka honey combine with cooling aloe vera to leave skin feeling refreshed. Available at selected department stores, pharmacies and health stores or Trilogyproducts.co.nz J E L LY E X F O L I AT O R , $ 4 4

Clarins’ new coterie of cleansers and toners are designed to melt away makeup and impurities, while keeping the balance of bacteria of the skin’s microbiome intact. It’s all thanks to Clarins’ Gentle Complex, which is made of two organic Alpine herbs to soothe and soften skin with every wash. Available at selected department stores and selected pharmacies

C L A R I N S S O OT H I N G G E N T L E FOA M I N G C L E A N S E R , $ 5 7

CLEAN SUPREME Soothe and smooth a tired, dull or dehydrated complexion with these refreshing cloths and cleansers 108

KO R R E S O LY M P U S T E A O LY M P U S T E A D E E P D E T O X C L E A N S I N G

We’ve long been advocates of a double cleanse and these new cleansing cloths by Korres act as an ideal first step in any nightly skincare regime. Each cloth has been soaked in Olympus Tea and calendula, which work together to detoxify the skin. Available at Mecca and Meccabeauty.co.nz

C LOT H S , $ 2 6

BEAUTY

BEAUTY NEWS hair K E R A S TA S E B L O N D A B S O L U S E R U M C I C A N U I T, $ 7 2 This restorative new product is an overnight serum designed to hydrate and nourish blonde, bleached, lightened or highlighted hair while you slumber. Adorebeauty.co.nz RE D K E N EXT RE M E BLE AC H R E C O V E R Y L A M E L L A R WAT E R T R E AT M E N T, $ 4 0 Lamellar water is to hair what micellar water is to skin — a lightweight, liquid treatment that hydrates and conditions, leaving hair stronger and shinier. Redken’s version is a rinse-out treatmentslash-conditioner that targets rough texture, dryness and brittleness on lightened hair.

Available from selected salons and online at Adorebeauty.co.nz C O L O R W O W D R E A M F I LT E R P R E- S H A M P O O M I N E R A L

Brassy, dull or darkened hair has met its match with Color Wow’s pre-shampoo mineral remover spray, which yields lighter, brighter hair in just three minutes. It removes mineral deposits and metal build-up (often caused by hard water), brightens colour, rids brassiness and smooths the hair follicle, all without stripping hair. Adorebeauty.co.nz

R E M OV E R , $ 5 5

B R I O G E O S C A L P R E V I VA L C H A RC OA L + C O C O N U T O I L M I C R O - E X F O L I AT I N G S H A M P O O , $ 7 4 Flaky, dry or itchy scalp getting you down?

Try this Binchotan charcoalbased exfoliant to draw out impurities and excess oil while lifting away product build-up and dead skin cells. Healthy scalp = healthy hair, so use once weekly to get the most out of other products in your haircare routine. Available exclusively from Mecca or Meccabeauty.co.nz L’ O R E A L P R O F E S S I O N E L S E R I E E X P E R T B L O N D I F I E R

DAMAGE CONTROL It’s not too late to say sorry with this arsenal of products that promise to revive, restore and protect colour-treated, damaged or brittle hair

B L O N D I P L A S T, $ 3 2 This limited-edition restoring balm won’t be around forever, so act quickly if you want to restore softness and strength to highlighted blonde hair. It cares for sensitised hair by sealing the hair fibre while providing heat protection. Available from selected salons and online at Adorebeauty.co.nz R E V I TA L A S H V O L U M E E N H A N C I N G F O A M , $ 2 3 9 Meet the new Revitalash Volume Foam, a unisex hair volume enhancer developed for fine and thinning hair. It recruits the same BioPeptin Complex featured in both Revitalash and Revitabrow, and works to intensify natural volume at the root and combat breakage, while adding shine and body to hair.

Available from selected salons and online at Revitalash.co.nz VIVA.CO.NZ

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Easy & delicious entertaining

Open 7 days a week 57 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, Auckland. Tel 09-630 8751 www.sabato.co.nz

THE

BIG

CHEESE

F

rom the award-winning to the new and interesting, these fine New Zealand cheeses are all worthy of a spot on any connoisseur’s cheeseboard. On top of the pile (in position only) is cl eved on b u f fa l o co’s luscious Walnut G ou d a , made from 100 per cent buffalo milk and studded with premium walnuts, as beautiful atop a cracker as it is tossed through a salad. Next up is the pungent D evotio n by Thorvald, a sheep’s milk washed rind by Nelson’s Thorvald Cheese, with a smooth, creamy texture, slightly funky taste and aroma to match. Hailing from Hamilton, M eyer G oat’s Milk Gouda is made with 100 per cent goat’s milk for a sweet and creamy fromage. Speckled with horopito and kawakawa, N ative B ush by Mercer C h eese is a young, buttery Waikato cheese developed last year and bestowed a gold medal at the 2020 NZ Cheese Awards (visit Nzsca.org.nz for 2021’s winners). Resplendent in orange from the addition of annatto, a natural food colouring, is a wedge of Ta sma n B lue from Little R iver Estate in Upper Moutere. This striking cheese has a creamy texture offset with rich, spicy blue notes. At the bottom of the stack, G r inning Gecko ‘R ek a R awa’ Truffle Brie is an indulgently smooth brie infused with Italian truffle sauce. Last but not least, the Nieuwenhuis ‘Poukawa Fog’ Ashed Goat Cheese is a fudgy, earthy and tangy white cheese. Do give them a whirl.

— Johanna Thornton

FOOD & DRINK PHOTOGRAPHY: Babiche Martens

VIVA.CO.NZ

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ITʼS

ALL

HERE Leisha Jones uncovers the people, places and movements that are shaping Aotearoa’s food scene, from natural wine to new-wave Korean, savoury cocktails to small-batch charcuterie S M A L L B AT C H , B I G B O T T L E Our appetite for wines that are unfined, unfiltered and processed by hand continues to rise with more producers joining the likes of hans h er zog, h a l cyon d ays and h el io — a small winery in Hawke’s Bay that allocates a certain number of bottles per customer to ensure everybody gets a taste. Although we prefer the grape load to be small, we want the bottles big and more magnums are becoming available on menus, especially along Auckland’s Karangahape Rd, where you can taste and buy natural wine to your endless desire. All the way down the strip are restaurants and bars that champion artisan winemakers, accompanied by knowledgeable staff who will school you on your pet-nats and prosecco. Within an easy stroll of each other there is ea s t s tr eet h a l l , pici, peach pit, l owb r ow and cl ay. If you want wine to-go, the latter also doubles as a wine shop; but there’s also ev eryday wine, an expansion of its wine shop in Cuba St in Wellington, with six rotating taps to fill a flagon with your favourite juice; and at s ta r s u per ette you can stock up on many of the wines, beers, ciders and spirits served at b a r celeste — as a bonus it also offers same-day delivery. In the South Island check out a l f r ed in Christchurch, a small wine bar with restaurantquality snacks that are all prepared right behind the bar; and if you make the hour drive out to b l a ck estate you will not regret it. The food, wine and warm hospitality at this family-run winery are some of the best in the country.

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FOOD + DRINK

TOMATO

PARTY Mixologists are getting creative with the last of summer’s tomatoes, and cock tai ls with a savoury profile are taking the place of anything overly sweet or fruity. Fans of dirty martinis and Bloody Marys can sample the drink of their dreams at Ponsonby bar cl i pper. Its tomato martini is made using tomato vine and green chilli-infused vodka, lending a herbaceous aroma to the liquor. It’s mixed with an intensely fresh tomato water and finished with a salt and pepper tincture. Served ice cold, it is the perfect late-summer aperitivo. At a l ma — the new Andalusian eatery from Hip Group — the cocktails are centred on savoury profiles to complement the smoky Spanish flavours on the menu. Here, the ripest tomatoes become clarified gazpacho, which is mixed with manzanilla sherry, chilli-infused vodka and garnished with a sprig of pickled samphire and compressed tomato wafer. Across town at b oxer , where the drinks are always refined and unexpected, they use a rotary evaporator to distil neutral grain spirits with flavours and aromas you wouldn’t expect in cocktails. The menu is always changing but currently there is saffron, tomato, coriander and sherry served short over ice; and a very clean and clear distilled watermelon — all of its sweetness removed in the process — which mingles with jalapeno, chilli, tomato and black pepper.

O P P O S ITE PAG E , F RO M TO P T H E SU N -S OA K E D VI N EYA RDS O F H A N S H E RZO G I N M A RL BO ROUG H ; A BOT T L E O F KŌTA RE F RO M H AW K E'S BAY W I N E RY H A LCYO N DAYS ; N ATU RA L W I N E S POT BA R C E L EST E O N AUC K LA N D'S KA RA N GA H A P E RD. TH I S P H OTO A SAVOU RY TO M ATO C O C KTA I L F RO M A L M A .

Photo / Babiche Martens

The average tourist arrives in New Zealand with a lust for crayfish, b l u f f oys ter s and sauvignon blanc but that’s not a true representation of what our shores have to offer. As more chefs seek to celebrate the ingredients that are unique to our waters, national treasures such as k in a and pāua are appearing more frequently on menus than before. Some say raw is the only way to eat kina to best enjoy its saline sweetness — and often it is. At cocoro, wagyu beef and kina combine for a blissful bite of nigiri sushi; at h u go’s b is tr o ribbons of roe are laid on buttery, charred toast — but it can also be blended into sauces to add an umami lushness.

At ca n d el a , the new Spanish spot on Auckland’s K Rd, the sourdough is served with a moreish smoked kina butter, perfect with a crisp glass of white. At Arrowtown’s aosta it’s tossed through fresh pappardelle with fried leeks and confit egg yolk; you can even make it rain with shaved pāua at an extra cost. The pāua pie at a mis f iel d in Queenstown has fast become iconic. Chef Vaughan Mabee says it is constantly requested when it comes off the menu. At Peter Gordon’s h omel a n d he serves it piled on toast — it’s old-school, rich and creamy, just as it’s meant to be.

NATIONAL

TREASURE

TH I S P H OTO PĀUA O N TOAST F RO M C H E F P ET E R GO RD O N 'S H O M E LA N D RESTAU RA N T. Photo / Babiche Martens.

O P P O S ITE PAG E , F RO M TO P A S M AS H E D PAT T Y F RO M C U LT BU RG E R PO P- U P BA BY G ; S OU RD OUG H P IZZA F RO M U M U; W E L L N ES S- M E ETS- BO OZ E D RI N KS.

GET SMASHED When it comes to how we take our burgers these days, one thing is clear — we want the patties smashed. More contact with the grill means more caramelisation, a crispy crust and more flavour — and who doesn’t want that?

The sell-out success of pop-ups such as b ab y g b u r g er and l u c ky g ’ s are proof that people will queue for literally hours to get their mitts on a smashed patty.

Keep an eye on their social pages to see where you can join the line next. At the Hahei campground there are some serious smashies at s e ri al g ri ll er ; and some late nights at Bar Celeste on K Rd you can relive one of the fondest food memories of lockdown with a c ant i n e smashed patty burger. Vegans can get smashed too at w i s e b oy s b u r g er s , where the patty is composed of mushrooms and tofu and can be ordered as a single, double or triple stack. In Auckland’s Commercial Bay food court, g o o d d og b ad d og puts the smash on a sandwich with its chopped cheese — a bodega classic born in the boroughs of NYC. Here the patty and the cheese is chopped as it cooks on the grill and loaded into a soft hoagie roll with tomato, lettuce and pickles, onion and special sauce.

L E T ' S G E T I T S T A R T E D 2020 was a big year for S OUR D OUGH , but now that we have resumed life as normal, what of the starters we left bubbling in the back of our cupboards? Sourdough’s reign is not set to end anytime soon.

Expect to see it showing up everywhere from pizza bases, like those at FORT G R EEN E and UM U, to hotcakes, crumpets and icecream as chefs come up with creative ways to use their starter or leftover bread. At S I D AT TH E FR E NCH CA FE, Sid Sahrawat serves a dessert inspired by the ingredients used to make their sourdough bread: porter beer, apple juice and molasses. A sourdough icecream is made by infusing toasted bread in to the cream, accompanied by apple, beer and molasses caramel and finished with honeycomb, freeze-dried honey, fresh apple and raspberry crumble.

D R I N K T O G O O D H E A LT H There’s no denying this has been the summer of seltzer. Cold, fizzy, fun drinks in a can are the perfect beach, barbecue and road trip companions. But as long days draw to a close and the focus turns to building our health back up, expect to see a rise in drinks that promote wellness and enhance immunity. s ooch i is a sparkling berry drink that contains collagen, prebiotics, vitamin c and hyaluronic acid, ingredients said to set skin, hair and nails aglow and strengthen your insides. komb u ch a b ros has also launched a yuzu, blueberry and collagen drink, alongside its alcoholic kombucha range. With words like green tea and slow pressed whole root ginger juice on the can, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s blended with gin. And there’s plenty more alcoholic booch to be had. b l u me b y b atch wel l mix kombucha with fresh pressed juice, spirits and sparkling water; and ma ma’s b r ew shop Happy Hour Hard Kombucha comes flavoured with lemongrass and ginger, or lavender and hibiscus.

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T H E W H O L E F I S H Until recently, the fish on our plates have been white fillets such as snapper and tarakihi. But increasingly, diners and chefs want to celebrate lesser known species, eat the whole fish, and use the prized bits and pieces left after filleting. At pas t u re in Auckland chef Ed Verner works with whole fish, serving sashimi from the belly or loin and ageing some cuts to enhance the flavour and texture.

He finds the most inspiration in the offcuts. Nothing goes to waste — the trimmings and guts are used to make garum (fish sauce) and the frames are hung by the fire to make a broth that is currently used to make leche de tigre.

More chefs and restaurants are committing to using independent fishermen who fish sustainably and take better care of the ocean, such as gr av i t y f i s hi n g and b e t t e r f i s hi n g . In Christchurch, at seafood-centric gat h e ri ng s , chef Alex Davies says he only buys directly from the boats and takes whatever they have to offer. He enjoys serving the fish whole, regardless of the species, and loves to teach people how to eat fish properly, and prove it tastes better on the bone.

Also in Christchurch, chef Simon Levy (Inati) is doing great things with fish at new restaurant ha l i .

The seafood-led menu features cuts of groper, each prepared differently — some is spiced like pastrami and is accompanied by pickled apple and seaweed; the collar is roasted and sauced with salsa verde; and the tail, aged then roasted, is served as a slab for two.

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N E W W A V E K O R E A N Kimchi made its way into our fridges and hearts a few years ago but we have a new wave of innovative Korean chefs to thank for making dishes such as japchae, bulgogi and bo ssam part of our daily cravings. At G OCHU in Auckland, Jason Kim offers playful interpretations of Korean classics but the flavours remain authentic, such as the riff on the popular drinking snack buldak: gochujang-charred chicken, which is covered in melted comte cheese when it arrives at the table; and the shaved ice dessert bingsoo, which is served here with coconut milk, mango and chewy rice cakes. At O C K H E E Paul Lee and his wife Lisa serve recipes that were learned from Lisa’s mum, a homely style of deep broths that simmer all day, seasonal kimchi and dubbap rice bowls accompanied by soju cocktails and natural wines. In Parnell, chef Min Baek recently returned to a more traditional style at his moody restaurant, H A N . Come here for a Korean charcoal barbecue cooked at your table where a set will include beef, japchae, seaweed soup, pickles, Korean side dishes, kimchi and lettuce and perilla leaves for wrapping your rice and beef. On Waiheke Island, Yutak Son recently became head chef at THE SH E D and, while the menu is by no means Korean, his influence is noticeable in places — in the Korean beef taco; the pink-hued pickles and the house-cured meats, dusted with a hint of gochugaru. It’s subtle, but something we hope he will give us more of as time goes on.

A BOV E L E F T A D EL I CAT E G RO P ER D I S H FRO M C H RI STC H U RC H 'S HAL I RESTAU RAN T. A BOV E I NVE N TIVE KO RE AN D I S H ES, FRI ED BL AC K P U D D I N G AN D M U L HWE ( RAW KI N G FI S H ) AT GO C H U. O P POS I T E SALT AN D VI N EGAR M US H RO O M S FRO M M I C HAEL M ERED IT H 'S M R M O RRI S RESTAU RAN T. FOOD + DRINK

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As we continue to seek out plant-based options that don’t lack meaty substance, mu s h r ooms are having a major moment. At Michael Meredith’s mr mor r is, one of the tastiest snacks on the menu is the salt and vinegar oyster mushroom, coated in a light tempura batter. The mushroom has a piscine texture, so the bite evokes seaside memories of fish and chips at the beach. At omn i you’ll likely go for the highly ’grammable meat dishes such as the katsu sando, and chicken meatballs with that gleaming egg yolk; but the treatment of vegetables here is worth a visit alone, particularly the mushrooms. A cheerful cluster of oyster mushrooms is cooked over white hot embers, the coal enhancing their earthiness, then brushed with cultured thyme butter — an exercise in striking simplicity. At a da in The Convent Hotel, meaty slabs of porcini are served simply atop stracciatella, then showered with mint. If you want to munch on ’shrooms at home try mu sh r oom h ou s e crispy oyster mushroom chips for an addictive little snack, or grow your own with a good vib es f u n gi kit, which will sprout half a kilo of oyster mushrooms on your benchtop.

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R E A L - D E A L M E X I C A N For too long Mexican food in New Zealand has been a lacklustre imitation of the real deal. But a slew of new operations are treating us to tacos the way they should be: considered fillings, proper salsa and corn tortillas — no chipotle mayo in sight. In Auckland, mr tac o is owned by Mexico City native Manuel Moreno Gonzalez, whose success since opening on Federal St has led him to open a sister establishment around the corner, m i s s t o r ta , where the eponymous Mexican sandwich is served alongside other staples such as tortilla soup and chile relleno.

At l a me x i c ana in Grey Lynn tortillas are made with fresh masa dough, fillings are slow-cooked, and the fridge is full of horchata and tamarind agua fresca. Out west in Henderson, c i e li t o li n d o is renowned for its nopales (tender cactus) taco, which you won’t find anywhere else; and on Waiheke Island tac os y ma s a pops up at markets and The Pinter throughout the week (check @tacosymasanz for details). Joel and Nathayla Larson make their own fresh corn masa dough for tacos and everything is kissed by the fire at some stage. The salsas start with a base of charred tomato and pineapple before adding a combination of chillies to produce 10 different salsas, which Joel — a taco-obsessed chef for 15 years — makes each week. Wellington locals say v i va me x i c o is loved for its authentic flavours, festive vibes and extensive mezcal offering. The all-Mexican kitchen team is dedicated to importing less ingredients, working with local farms to grow habaneros and tomatillos.

W H AT M E AT E AT S The quality of New Zealand’s red meat and sma l l -b atch ch a r cu ter ie keeps getting better, propelled in part by consumers’ increasing demand for transparency about how the animals are raised. In North Canterbury, the heritage-breed pigs at poa k a are free to roam in open pasture and feast on the acorns and sweet chestnuts grown on the farm. The resulting products have a melty mouthfeel and nutty sweetness, marbled with flavourful fat.

At a otea b a r n , an organic farm in Kaipara Harbour, the sheep and cattle co-exist with other animals and snack on fruits and nuts. Aotea’s cured meat products include Angus beef salami with macadamia and persimmon, grown on this patch of land. a l a d y b u tcher, Hannah Miller, makes local charcuterie using grass-fed and free-range meats, cured with horopito, wild juniper and rosemary. To sample her work, head to Churly’s on Auckland’s Dominion Rd for a tasting board of meats sourced from Northland to Southland. On the same road is ca za d or , renowned for its wild game meat. Visit its newly opened deli, specialising in dry cured meats fermented long and slow, such as venison and pistachio salami and heritage pork lonzo.

S O W I N G S E E D S In disused corners of New Zealand’s cities tired old concrete is being upheaved to make way for soil and seeds, transforming spaces into thriving u r b a n g a r den s that produce hyper-local food for the surrounding communities and some of the country’s top restaurants. At OMG — o r g a n i c m a r k et ga r d en — in Auckland, the team has converted a desolate corner of Symonds St into an abundant and productive garden that supplies restaurants such as Sid at The French Cafe, Gemmayze Street and Lillius; as well as members of the Community Supported Agriculture programme, who get veges on a subscription basis. In Wellington, there’s k a i cycl e, which collects compost around the city by bike, and has a regenerative urban farm where it grows food that is shared with volunteers and donated to community food projects. And c ult i vat e c hr i s t c h u r ch in the central city is within walking distance of the city’s best restaurants, so chefs can pop in daily to collect herbs and greens. Founded by a youth worker and an ecologist, it also serves as a training centre for high school students to gain knowledge, independence and creativity.

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Viva restaurant reviewer Jesse Mulligan asks some of his favourite New Zealand chefs which local restaurants have a special place in their hearts

CHEFʼS I

n the olden days when people used to travel overseas, I had an almost foolproof method for finding the best food in a new city. I would book my first meal at a renowned restaurant then, afterwards, linger around the kitchen and ask the chef where he or she liked to eat. You’d be surprised at how seriously they take this question, often sitting down with a biro and a torn-off receipt roll to compile an exhaustive list. With that list I would walk the streets, often dropping in between meals just to eat one single dish that had been underlined twice for emphasis. There’s truly no more exciting way to explore a city.

Inspired by these former journeys, this month I approached some of my favourite local chefs and asked each to choose their favourite restaurant. Most baulked at having to narrow it down to just one but, under deadline pressure, eventually coughed up an answer. So here are New Zealand’s best restaurants, according to New Zealand’s best chefs.

Inevitably some chose restaurants where they had friends in the kitchen. Logan Brown’s Shaun Clouston

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C LOC KWI S E F RO M FAR LE F T T H E P I N K I N T E RI O R O F P I P I I N H AV E LO C K N O RT H ; D I S H ES O N T H E BA R O F W E L L I N GTO N 'S M AS O N ; C H E F SA M C LA RK O F C E N T RA L F I RE STAT I O N I N N A P I E R. Photo / Kirsten Simcox; KA RA N GA H A P E RD'S A P E RO W I N E BA R.

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A BOV E OYST ERS FRO M WELL I N GTO N BOWL I N G C LU B ( WBC) ARE S HAU N C LO USTO N 'S P I C K .

makes Wellington Bowling Club (WBC) sound like the definitive place “where everybody knows your name”. He ate there with his wife last year for their 25th wedding anniversary but also took a group of his own chefs for a recent catchup. He’s particularly keen on the oysters, which are freshly shucked with around four different varieties on offer.

“They have this map of New Zealand up on the wall with arrows pointing to where on the coast each of the oysters is from. They’re really knowledgeable about them too, so I’ll sometimes go in and ask them, ‘What are the oysters from this place like at the moment?’ and then try them out.”

His dish of choice right now is a raw Goan fish curry — “like an Indian ceviche”. It’s served with poppadoms and “on a hot day with a cold beer, it’s primo!”

Kelda Hains knows the chef at Mason too, but that’s because he used to work for her at Rita.

For her, eating at Matt Hawkes’ “restaurant masquerading as a bar” is an opportunity to enjoy her former protege’s cooking.

“He has quite a playful approach and will often make something quite surprising. He has access to the same produce as I do, from the same suppliers, but he’ll take a vegetable and use it in a different way, so it’s fun to experience that sense of surprise.”

I was hoping to uncover a few secrets on this journey and Samrudh Akuthota came through in a big way. He’s the man behind Satya Chai Lounge, Auckland’s exciting Indian street food bar, and there’s a lot of nostalgia behind the meal he eventually chose as his favourite. When Samrudh was at high school he discovered China 122

A BOV E C I BO'S KAT E FAY CAN ' T GO PAST SAT YA'S MASAL A D OSA .

Hong Kong Cuisine, on Auckland’s North Shore.

“It was behind our kickboxing gym. My friend and I would do a training session, go for a run then come back and smash a threecourse peking duck between us,” he laughs. “Course one is pancakes, for your second course you wrap the duck up in lettuce leaves and then for your third course you get the deep-fried bones. And it’s BYO!” Part of what he loves is that the experience is all about the food.

“You can go in your PJs if you want to. They don’t care, they just want to serve you good food. Service is non-existent: when you’re ordering it’s almost as if they’re yelling at you! But they care about you.”

Samrudh usually visits on a Sunday but, he warns, “You have to book ahead or you might not get a duck.”

Kinji in Bryndwr is something of a secret too, Alix Davies of FOOD + DRINK

Gatherings restaurant tells me, but if you know, you know. Found “tucked away in the suburbs, in a strip mall next to a gas station”, Kinji serves the best Japanese food in Christchurch. The menu changes daily and Alix always chooses the “trust the chef” option, so he gets something different every time. Still, there are a couple of individual dishes he recommends, including the “amazing” groper head, which is slow roasted and brushed with soy, and an incredible sounding scampi.

For Al Brown, a favourite restaurant is as much about the people as the food. He doesn’t have to think long before deciding on Northcote’s The Engine Room, namechecking proprietors Natalia Schamroth and Carl Koppenhagen as two people who’ve “put the time and graft into that restaurant. I have so much respect for them.”

He likes Carl’s famous goat’s

A BOV E VE N I S O N TARTARE WIT H P I C KLED CARROTS

ABOVE AL BROWN'S TOP DISH IS THE ENGINE ROOM'S

FRO M C E N T RAL FI RE STATI O N I S O N E O F C H EF REG NAR

GOAT'S CHEESE SOUFFLE. Photo / Babiche Martens

C H RI ST E N S E N 'S FAVO U RIT E D I S H ES. Photo / Kirsten Simcox

cheese souffle but also “the schnitz!” — their iconic wiener schnitzel, offered with an optional fried egg. Al’s advice? “Get the egg.

Every time.”

I had an informal rule that no restaurant could appear in this list twice, and I only had to enforce it once, when Samrudh tried to nominate K Rd’s Apero.

Unfortunately for him it had already been claimed by master Japanese chef Makoto Tokuyama.

“Like us, they’re owneroperators, so you can trust them — they’re always there! It’s simple food — nice, seasonal local ingredients cooked perfectly.

I love fine dining as well but on my day off I’d rather spend time with my family so I’m looking for a comfortable place, with comfortable food. Moe, the owner, always pours me a nice glass of wine to match with the food, even if it’s on the menu by the bottle.

It’s hard to order a bottle of wine if you’re out with family, so that scores high with me too!”

Sorry you got scooped, Samrudh. But perhaps you’ll cheer up when you hear that the wonderful Kate Fay at Cibo is a fan of your parents’ restaurant chain, Satya. Chefs have a reputation for sniffing at dietary requirements but Kate has had it tough herself, after being diagnosed as a coeliac mid-career. When she eats out, it’s often at Satya’s Great North Rd restaurant.

“We go there all the time. I love the masala dosa. It’s a lentil pancake and you can choose from various fillings, but I always go for the potato. And it comes with roasted cashews, tomato chutney and raita. I always go in and think, ‘Tonight I’ll have something else.’

But then it’s, like, ‘Naaah!’ They’re so big — huge pancakes — and they’re so f***ing cheap! I started

A BOV E G RAN T S O EBERG O F BL AC K ESTAT E WI N ERY N O M I NAT ES T H E SALC I C I P IZZA

eating them 13 years ago, before I went gluten-free, but it turns out they are gluten-free, so, bonus!”

That’s the main centres covered but I had to call in favours from a couple of other brilliant chefs in the regions. Regnar Christensen has worked in Wellington and Auckland but, when pressed, chooses a favourite from his new home in Hawke’s Bay, where he runs the restaurant at Black Barn. Central Fire Station is a newish venture in Napier where, he says, everything is good.

“Sam Clark’s cooking is really clean and simple, which I love. There is nowhere to hide when you are doing food like his and it all comes down to food delivered fresh with flawless seasoning and a thoughtful approach.”

Regnar recommends the marinated diamond shell clams with paprika and lemon, the venison tartare with harissa mayonnaise and pickled carrots, followed by the smoked Matangi short-rib with sweet corn, shiitake and black garlic sauce. Even typing this made me hungry.

Grant Soeberg at North Canterbury’s Black Estate Winery used to cook at Black Barn himself, and is still loyal to the region. After some deliberation he chose Pipi, the world-famous-in-New Zealand cafe in Havelock North, for what he believes are fairly obvious reasons.

“There’s a ‘help yourself’ beer fridge — that speaks for itself! And the pizzas are incredible. The Salcici would be my favourite: mushrooms, caramelised onions and freshly picked thyme. What makes the restaurant special is quite an intangible thing.

Something about the vibe, the way everybody is seated together. And it’s where I met my wife Alice. So it’s an anchoring point for us in Hawke’s Bay, where we’re from.”

Wonderful food, a little X-factor and something personal that connects you to a restaurant. That seems to be the formula and each of us would probably arrive at the same sort of mix if we were unlucky enough to be forced to pick our one favourite. It doesn’t need to be a special-occasion venue, though it will usually be somewhere that makes any occasion feel special.

Aotearoa is blessed with restaurants that can transport us in this way, and if you ever run short of local holiday ideas, well, now you have a pretty good road map.

FRO M P I P I RESTAU RAN T. Photo / Florence Charvin FIND JESSE MULLIGAN'S RESTAURANT REVIEWS AT VIVA.CO.NZ

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Natalie Christensen W I N E R Y Y E A L A N D S E S TAT E POSITION CHIEF WINEMAKER

GRAPE

EXPECTATIONS Jo Burzynska talks to four exceptional female winemakers whose achievements outside of the vineyard are just as impressive

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A bachelor’s degree in music, an MSc in psychology and a post-graduate diploma in oenology is an eclectic assemblage of qualifications, but one the multitalented Natalie Christensen manages to blend in her winemaking.

The classically trained double bass player, initially envisaged a career as a film soundtrack composer. “I loved the way music could make people feel, set a mood and bring people together on a journey.” Fascinated by the healing possibilities of music, she studied psychology, then gained a master’s in industrial organisational psychology for a safe path into human resources, a career that lasted six months and that she “hated”.

Subsequent jobs in a wine bar and handling pumps and hoses as a volunteer fire fighter made her feel at home when she worked her first vintage in Marlborough in 2006. So, in tune with her creative and scientific temperament, wine emerged as her true vocation. In the following years she was “worked like an animal” in Bordeaux, appreciated kind mentorship in Oregon, gained experience in New Zealand, then left a job, boyfriend and cats to make wine in Spain’s Galicia. She describes her Iberian adventure as both an “amazing” time and a “really lonely” one as a young single female winemaker with minimal Spanish in a familyoriented area.

Natalie decided to head home to New Zealand, starting work at Yealands Estate and became chief winemaker in 2018, a role that saw her named one of the World’s Most Influential Women in Wine by The Drinks Business magazine. From more than 1000ha of vineyards, she now makes wine that’s been enjoyed in more than 70 countries.

“I like being part of something that’s larger than just me,” she says of this scale. “I enjoy the collective energy and the possibility of creating something more than you could on your own.

“When we’re doing a twomillion-litre sauvignon blend that comes from many different parcels it’s a big maths puzzle,” says Natalie, whose training in musical counterpoint comes in handy.

“Music is quite mathematical too.

There is lots of structure, systems and rules, as well as creativity, freedom and beauty. The same applies to winemaking.”

She’s also eager to channel her growing engagement with meditation and mantras into wine research. “I want to play certain mantras to ageing wine to see if I can physically change the structure through vibration,” she explains.

“I feel like that would be really interesting and marry all my loves into one.”

Jane Hunter W I N E RY H U N T E R ' S W I N ES POSITION MANAGING D I R ECTO R

Catapulted by tragedy from her role as a pioneering viticulturalist to becoming an award-winning business manager, Jane Hunter triumphed in helping put New Zealand sauvignon blanc on the world’s wine map.

“I grew up on a vineyard in South Australia but never intended getting involved in the wine industry,” Jane recalls. “I was hoping to be involved in farming, so went to see about courses at Roseworthy Agricultural College only to find that they didn’t accept enrolments from girls.”

Plan B was a degree in agricultural science, specialising in viticulture. This saw her go on to work in the vineyards of Australia and New Zealand, where she was appointed National Viticulturist for Montana Wines at a key time for New Zealand’s developing wine industry. “In my early days in the wine industry, viticulturists were the behind-scenes operators but early on we coined the phrase, ‘Good wines are made in the vineyard’ and used this in our earlier advertising,” says Jane of the grape-harvesting role that is often overshadowed by that of the winemaker.

“Times have changed, and I think viticulturists are recognised for the major input they have in the production of quality fruit.”

In 1984 Jane met and married Ernie Hunter, who established Hunter’s Wines in Marlborough in 1979. In 1986, Hunter’s sauvignon blanc won the UK’s prestigious Sunday Times Vintage Festival, drawing the world’s attention to the quality of New Zealand wines.

Then tragically in 1987, Ernie

H E AV E N LY C RE ATO RS WH E N S H E 'S N OT MAKI N G WI N E , NATAL I E C H RI ST E N S E N ( LEF T ) MAKES M US I C ; JAN E H U N T ER ( BELOW ) I S LE AD I N G T H E WAY FO R WO M E N I N WI N E .

was killed in a car accident. Jane stepped up to take over Hunter’s Wines, where she remains as managing director, moving out from the vines to a front-facing business role that saw her guide Hunter’s to many more international victories.

“I was a reluctant business manager when I took over Hunter’s, and learned by experience and great mentoring from people over the years.”

That paid off as in 2019, Jane was inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame, something she “never expected”, for her outstanding local and international success with Hunter’s and wider work in the industry. She added this to a host of major awards, including an OBE and CNZM for her services to viticulture.

“Winning the Donna del Vino

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Women in Wine Award (UK) in 2003 was amazing and showed that the acceptance of women in all aspects of the industry was recognised as leading the way for women in the global industry,” says Jane. She regards this as one of the high points of her career, along with receiving a World Class New Zealander Award, which she jokes is “not bad for an Australian!”

Throughout her career, Jane has acted as an ambassador for New Zealand wines. “I’m continually amazed at the strength and ongoing success of New Zealand sauvignon blanc,” she notes of the variety she has done so much to promote. “Thirty years ago, I can remember me and others saying growth would probably plateau and other varieties would come to the fore. But that hasn’t happened — yet!”

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Helen Masters W I N E R Y ATA R A N G I POSITION WINEMAKER

The maker of one of the country’s top pinot noirs, a creator of beautiful wallpaper, a mother of school-aged children — it’s all in a day’s work for the indefatigable Helen Masters.

“I’m the youngest of 12,” says Helen. “With the benefit of watching and learning from 11 older siblings, it became obvious that hard work and tenacity goes a long way.” That diligence has seen her early interest in wine, stimulated by the bottles brought home by her older brothers, culminate in becoming an award-winning winemaker herself, behind one of New Zealand’s most revered pinot noirs at Ata Rangi.

“I wanted to be a winemaker from the age of 14,” says Helen.

“I liked the conversation we had at home around the provenance and what we liked or disliked about the bottles.

Wine seemed to be a conduit to good conversation. I love this aspect of being a winemaker; you meet people all over the world who, through a shared passion for wine, come together for a tasting or dinner, and new friendships are forged.”

A “huge stroke of luck” — or tenacity — saw her score a gap year job aged 18 at Martinborough’s

iconic Ata Rangi. After studying food technology and a short stint at Nestle that reinforced her desire to become more connected to growing as well as production, she returned to winemaking.

Vintages in New Zealand and overseas ensued.

Then in 2003, she made a distinguished return to Ata Rangi, taking over at the winemaking helm.

This might have been intimidating for some, but not Helen. “Looking back on it I don’t know how I did it,” she says. “I went into the job in 2003, then had two children in quick succession — my partner Ben did an amazing job of looking after them, which allowed me to concentrate on the job. I didn’t really have a lot of time to second guess myself, so maybe that was a blessing.”

That most demanding of grape varieties, pinot noir, is at the heart of Helen’s work at Ata Rangi. It’s also a passion that’s seen her appointed as co-chair of Pinot Noir 2021, New Zealand’s major pinot noir event (on pause until international travel resumes).

“I love the way there are more shared experiences around pinot noir as winemakers and drinkers than any other grape variety. I think it’s the challenging nature of pinot noir, of really making wines that express the subtle nature of the variety that draws people in.”

You’d think she had enough on her plate. But with her artist-designer partner, Ben, she also started PaperHands, which makes handprinted wallpaper inspired by New Zealand nature. “I guess the connection to winemaking is that in both, the aim is to make something beautiful, that is tangible, that stimulates the senses and enhances the feel of your surroundings,” she says.

Celebrating 39 Years of Marlborough Vintages Open 6 days 9:30am - 5:30pm BRINGING WORLD CLASS WINES TO THE WORLD

GOLD Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships

2020

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“When it’s your name on the bottle, it’s a very personal thing.”

— Jane Hunter, CNZM, OBE

0800 HUNTERS | www.hunters.co.nz | @HuntersWinesNZ Distributed Nationwide by Eurovintage New Zealand

PAS S I O N AT E P RO D UC E RS : JAN N I N E RI C KARDS ' C O N N ECTI O N TO T H E L AN D I N FO RM S H ER WI N E MAKI N G ; H ELE N MAST ERS ( FAR LEF T ) P RO D UC ES P I N OT N O I R AN D WALLPAP ER .

Jannine Rickards W I N E R Y U R L A R E S TAT E POSITION WINEMAKER

Strong connections with the land and its produce have grounded Jannine Rickards, both in her work in wine — launching one of the most exciting wine labels of recent years — and as a dedicated huntress. “Our farm was 1000 acres [404ha] of beef and sheep in the firth of Thames. It gave me an appreciation for the environment, an understanding of life cycles, and instilled respect for food and where it comes from,” explains Jannine. “Wine and hunting came later.”

Wine crystallised for Jannine in her early 20s, when her boss at a food and wine store suggested

she do a vintage at the Hawke’s Bay winery he owned.

“Since that first harvest in 2003, I haven’t looked back,” she says, subsequently working for some “amazing vineyards” including Martinborough’s Ata Rangi to vintages in Champagne and Burgundy.

“Each season you learn something new, taste new wines, learn more of the history, soils and culture of a region. People you meet enjoy what they are doing and love to eat, drink and discuss,” Jannine says of her wine travels, before she put down new roots in the Wairarapa as winemaker at the organic Urlar Estate.

While continuing to make beautiful wines at Urlar, she

VIVA.CO.NZ

launched her own impressive wine label, Huntress, in 2018. This started with a pinot noir from the historic Martinborough On Giants’ Shoulders vineyard. Next was the Waikura rosé, and now the Waikoa white blend, with white grapes fermented in their skins for aromatics and texture.

“I enjoy the freedom of my own brand and it’s just an extension of me,” she says.

“Structured, generous, and honest wines that I hope bring interest and joy to the consumer. My aim is to diversify Huntress and have other products that I make, ideally from my land one day as part of its story.”

Her label’s name references another of her great interests.

Initially prompted by her frustration with the quality of meat she could buy, compared with what she’d grown up eating on the farm, a trip foraging and hunting with a friend saw her become interested in wild food. Soon after, she met Mick the Hunter, who shared his techniques, and is now her partner.

“The skills involved and the reassurance of knowing where the meat you eat comes from are very important and give a sense of food security,” says Jannine. “Hunting gives me the time in nature that I love and need. Observing the seasonal changes and being in touch with the environment is awesome.” As Ngā Puhi, Ngāi Te Rangi, she also relates “to Te Ao Māori and the philosophies Māori have with regard to land, water, kai and living creatures, and the interconnectedness of them”.

Of course, wine and game also go wonderfully together. “It’s hard to go past pinot noir with venison neck osso bucco, or rolled and stuffed wild pork roast cooked on the camp kitchen with a delicious chardonnay.”

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INSPIRED BY THE COAST

H T N O L L A

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PG.

131

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130

FOOD + DRINK

Iced Watercress Soup

Flounder with Burnt Sage Butter and Pea Risotto

Three-Hour Lamb with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Kūmara

stock is the key to this simple

SERVES 4 Beautiful flounder doesn't need

SERVES 6-8 For this lamb recipe, try

yet striking soup, made in 20

a lot of cooking and its unique flavour

cooking it on the barbecue for maximum

minutes. This soup freezes

needs no messing with. Carefully eat

flavour. Alternatively, low and slow in

well, making it ideal to whip

one side then flip for the big reveal

the oven is your best bet. The pesto can

out on any occasion. Try it hot

— another side of succulent flesh. It

be made ahead of time, ready to spread

with a dollop of yoghurt or

should take only 10 seconds to get the

over the lamb during the final hour.

iced as a refreshing starter.

sage leaves crisp if the oil is hot.

SERVES 4 A good-quality chicken

LAMB

The watercress stalks add extra flavour, so don't throw

RISOTTO

2kg leg of lamb

them out.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 stalk rosemary

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup Arborio rice

1 cup red wine

1 large onion, finely chopped

¼ cup white wine

PESTO

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups chicken stock

1 red capsicum, roasted, seeds and skin

1 medium potato, peeled and

2 cups peas, cooked then pureed

cubed

removed

1 cup grated parmesan

1 cup sundried tomatoes

3 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, chopped

3 cups watercress

4 medium-sized flounder

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups chopped spinach leaves

SAGE BUTTER

½ cup olive oil

Pinch nutmeg

100g butter

½ cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup sage leaves

½ cup toasted pine nuts

Crushed ice and watercress leaves, to serve

Salt and pepper, to taste METHOD

CANDIED KŪMARA

1. First, get the risotto under way. In

4 kūmara, cut lengthways

METHOD

a heavy-based pan warm the oil. Add

2 tsp orange zest

1. In a medium-sized pot melt

the onion and garlic, cooking for a

¼ cup orange juice

the butter. Add the onion

few minutes to soften. Add the rice,

¼ cup brown sugar

and garlic, stirring until

stirring for 2 minutes, then the wine,

the onion has softened.

cooking until evaporated. Pour in

METHOD

Add the potato and stock,

the stock, cooking until the liquid

1. Preheat an oven to 170C.

bringing to a simmer for

is absorbed. Add a little extra if

2. Place the lamb in a deep oven tin.

10 minutes to soften. Add

needed. Stir through the pea puree

Rub with oil, season, then add the

the watercress, spinach and

and parmesan, and season with salt

rosemary and wine. Cover tightly

pinch of nutmeg, cooking

and pepper. Set aside while you cook

with tinfoil and place into the oven

until the greens are wilted.

the flounder.

(or place on the barbecue) for three

Season to taste. Cool for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat a grill to a medium heat.

hours. After two hours, remove the

Place the flounder on to a greased

cover and spread the pesto (see step

baking tray, season with salt and

3) over the top of the lamb, then cook

completely smooth, then

pepper. Grill the flounder for 4

for the remaining hour. Allow to rest

refrigerate until cold or

minutes on each side or until cooked

when needed.

through.

2. Blitz the soup until

3. To serve, place some crushed

for 10 minutes before serving.

3. While the lamb is cooking make the

3. Heat the butter and half the sage

pesto. Roast the capsicum on the

ice into bowls. Pour over

leaves in a frying pan until they

barbecue or in a hot oven and place

the soup and garnish with

begin to brown. Reserve to pour over

into a plastic bag to cool. This

fresh watercress leaves.

the flounder.

allows the skin to peel off easily.

4. Fry the remaining sage leaves in a little oil until crisp.

5. To serve, spoon some risotto onto a

Into a food processor, place the roasted pepper flesh, sundried tomatoes, garlic, lemon, oil,

plate and serve with the flounder,

and parmesan, blitzing until well

a drizzle of butter and a few crisp

combined. Add the pine nuts, blitz,

sage leaves.

then season with salt and pepper.

4. For the kūmara, cut a criss-cross in each half. Place into an ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and cook for 15 minutes. Combine the orange zest, juice and brown sugar and pour over the kūmara. Cook for a further 15 minutes until golden and caramelised.

5. Serve the lamb with candied kūmara and vegetables of your choice.

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PG. 131

Three-Hour Lamb with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Kūmara 132

FOOD + DRINK

PG. 134

Fig, Radicchio and Gorgonzola Salad

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133

Fig, Radicchio and Gorgonzola Salad

Tofu Creme Brulee MAKES 4 This vegan version

SERVES 6 This is a 10-minute

of a creme brulee will knock

salad. All it takes is a little

your socks off. Don’t forget

separating, slicing, shaking

to keep an eye on it while

and putting it all together.

caramelising the top – there’s

Ensure you have ripe figs as

nothing more annoying than

they will be full of juice

burning the sugar. Try putting

and sweetness. A New Zealand

some berries under the custard

blue cheese is the perfect

before cooking for a little

accompaniment, as are locally

extra treat.

farmed hazelnuts for a crunchy addition.

INGREDIENTS 600g silken tofu

DRESSING

¼ cup caster sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp orange juice

¼ tsp ginger

1 tsp runny honey

¼ cup soy milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp vanilla

SALAD

2 Tbsp cornflour

1 medium-sized radicchio,

TOPPING

leaves separated

4 Tbsp caster sugar

1 orange, segmented 6 figs, halved or quartered

METHOD

150g gorgonzola

1. Preheat an oven to 160C.

½ cup NZ roasted hazelnuts

2. Place the silken tofu into a

Salt and pepper, to taste

colander for 15 minutes and

¼ cup micro herbs, to serve

allow any excess liquid to drain away.

METHOD 1. For the dressing, into a

3. Into a blender place the tofu, sugar, cinnamon,

small jar combine the oil,

ginger, milk, vanilla and

orange juice, honey and

cornflour, blitzing until

mustard, shaking well.

completely smooth. Scrape

2. For the salad, on to a platter place the radicchio

down the sides to get every GET THE LOOK: Soup: Bowl stylist’s own. Green

last bit.

4. Pour the smooth mixture into

Laminex Laminate in Juicy, POA, from Laminex NZ.

cheese and nuts, roughly

four ramekins. Place them

Narina wallpaper by Cole and Son, $299 per roll,

chopped.

into a deep ovenproof dish.

from Artisan Collective.

Pour hot water into the

Fish: Platter and fork stylist’s own. Prisma

with the dressing and

dish, halfway up the sides

wallpaper by Boras Tapeter from the Scandinavian

season with salt and pepper.

of the ramekins. Put them

Designers collection, $195 per roll, from

Sprinkle over the herbs.

into the oven for 30 minutes

Artisan Collective. Orange Laminate in Energise

and bake until the middle

from Laminex NZ.

is set. Remove and cool

Lamb: Platter and knife stylist’s own. Luxor

completely, or refrigerate

wallpaper by Cole and Son from the Geometric

overnight.

II collection, $303 per roll, from Artisan

leaves, oranges, figs,

3. Just before serving drizzle

5. Just before serving,

Collective.

sprinkle 1 Tbsp sugar over

Salad: Country Road platter $35. Grey enamel

the top of each brulee.

plates, $20 each, from A&C Home. Green glasses,

Either place under a hot

$25.50 each, from Father Rabbit. Everything

grill for 4 minutes until

else, stylist’s own.

the sugar has caramelised or

Creme brulee: Laminate in Memphis Red from

use a blow torch.

Laminex NZ. Retro chair, table and spoon, stylist’s own. Citta glass ramekin $5.

SEE STOCKISTS ON PAGE 160.

134

FOOD + DRINK

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135

AINSLEY ROSE THOMPSON, E X E C U T I V E C H E F, T H E D I S H E R Y It’s exciting to have Ainsley Rose back on the scene.

The Wellingtonian who has Matterhorn, The French Cafe and Floriditas on her CV, won our hearts and tummies at Queenstown’s Sherwood and is doing so again at The Dishery.

Here, the menu sees Ainsley Rose heroing the ingredients rather than the ethnicity of the dish, which enables her to mix things up. The Southern fried cheese roll is part breakfast burrito with a tortilla wrap, scrambled egg and a bechamel sauce that has the requisite onion-soup-mix flavour.

There’s a Southern influence.

“I love the energy of the South Island — strong, but beautiful, ” she says. It’s bistro-style because that’s the food that she likes to eat — unfussy, honest and relaxed.

You can arrive at 8am and order anything on the menu — a sharing platter of Stewart Island smoked salmon, if that’s what you want.

Chorizo hash is a popular dish that Ainsley Rose created for owner Scott Stevens. The Bloody Mary salad is for a friend and the burgers are for her partner. The slow-cooked brisket is for the tradies who lucked out onsite during food sampling. “That’s how I do a menu,” she says. “I think ‘what would Mum have? What would Dad have?’” Scott says the crayfish pancake brings his fancier friends to mind — a light bite with a glass of Central Otago wine.

As mum to two boys under 5, Ainsley Rose intends to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible and her experienced head and sous chefs enable this.

“I’ll do my admin from home and pop in and make sure everything’s alright.” She also says she’s a hands-on person — a hands-on mum and a hands-on chef. Good luck with that one, Ainsley Rose.

136

HAPPY PLACE Jo Elwin makes a strong case for her beloved Arrowtown as Central Otagoʼs go-to for top-notch food, drinks and much more

D

espite living 30 minutes away, Arrowtown has become, over five years living in Central Otago, my local — the place where I eat, drink and have fun. But I find myself defending my oasis when people brush it off as a pretty, historical village that you wander through every now and then.

I was outraged when a colleague recently wrote that it was “twee and geared only for the vulgar business of parting middle-class tourists from their money”. I assume that he, like others, hasn’t taken a good look. They FOOD + DRINK

didn’t find Good Day, for a well-made cup of roasted-in-Arrowtown Wolf Coffee. Didn’t take their repose in the garden at Provisions.

They glanced at the shop windows of pounamu, gold and outdoor adventure wear and didn’t discover the gems within, such as the pre-loved clothing section in Hawksburn High Country. Didn’t have a gin made just the way you like it on the balcony at Dorothy Browns cinema. Didn’t climb stairs to view the work of emerging artists at the Astor Bristed Gallery, or the well established at Nadene Milne Gallery. I could go on, but it’s →

T H E C H E E S E RY A N D T H E W I N E RY

The Gibbston Valley Cheesery and its neighbour The Winery are a delight for cheese and wine lovers. The Cheesery serves darn good scones, toasted sandwiches and macaroni cheese alongside tailor-made cheese platters and picnic hampers. The Winery is an opportunity to taste an extensive range of wines and spirits. Settle in over a glass or bottle of your favourite and take advantage of the weekly specials to stock up the wine rack at home.

→ the town’s food and beverage scene that I am here to commend.

Anyone wanting a decent coffee, drink or meal served well, will find it in Arrowtown and we can thank a handful of experienced owner-operators for that — they know their stuff, they are locals, and they know their market.

When Penelope (PJ) Johnson and Sam Gruar were opening La Rumbla in 2012 the bank manager asked who their target market was and they said, ‘people who don’t go out in Arrowtown’. “She didn’t quite get that,” PJ laughs. “Everyone was getting taxis to Queenstown for a night out and we were like ‘why don’t people go out in their own town?

That taxi money can be spent on cocktails’.”

There wasn’t much to go out to back then. Saffron – Pete Gawron and Melanie Hill’s restaurant that set the Arrowtown scene – was going strong, The Fork and Tap and New Orleans were wetting whistles and The Blue Door was entertaining night owls.

“The Blue Door was the first thing that was kind of cool in Arrowtown,” say Provisions’ Jane and Hal Shaw. “Pete and Melanie opened it across the lane from Saffron and both establishments were successful. “It showed that you could do something here.”

Today’s owners (a group of shareholders that include Arrowtown residents Michael Hill and caterer to the stars Dave Arnold) have transformed Saffron into Aosta, a topnotch modern Italian spot, but The Blue Door is still The Blue Door. Locals would revolt if this charming bar was messed with.

Provisions has been leading Arrowtown’s cafe culture for over a decade. The jam

and chutney business was originally in Old Cromwell Town but when Jane wanted to expand, she couldn’t get a licence because the town already had a cafe. Things weren’t so restrictive through the Gorge. And, when the Arrowtown Historical Trust were looking for tenants for their restored cottages (they were perilously close to being knocked down under previous ownership), Jane found her “happy place.”

Cromwell’s loss was Arrowtown’s gain.

Jane is one of Central’s food pioneers, setting up the region’s first farmers’ market in Cromwell in 2003 to service locals and says she did the same with the cafe.

“Arrowtown wasn’t created for tourists; many of us geared our businesses around the locals — and by locals we also mean holiday homeowners.”

That is why Arrowtown’s food and beverage businesses are doing well. Hal says, “Arrowtown has become a food and beverage precinct for adults and I think that has happened because Queenstown got very young — it’s the party town. At the same time Arrowtown started some lovely food and beverage offerings and the Millbrook and Dalefield divisions brought in more people who had no desire to go to Queenstown. Product stepped up because the demand was there, and the demand came because there was good product.”

“People are looking for something authentic,” says Jane.

“The buildings are mostly original, and the town is building on what was already there. The community is already there looking after itself, so it’s very real, it’s not contrived; not big high rises to get big rents.

VIVA.CO.NZ

P E N E L O P E ( PJ ) J O H N S O N

PJ and Sam have impressive credentials. The La Rumbla, Slow Cuts and Good Day owners met at The Blue Door in 2006. Sam’s an Auckland boy, who did his apprenticeship under Jimmy Gerard at Harbourside, and PJ is from a hospitality family in Waimate. They spent time in Auckland working at The French Cafe, The Engine Room, Ponsonby Road Bistro and Botswana Butchery and for a hospitality company in Ibiza before returning to Arrowtown to start their own thing. They’re a hard-working couple who have built a loyal team. PJ says, “We do about 20 hours in service a week, filling in where needed. I can be running food one night and Sam can be on prep or dinner service. We love it, it’s been a fun nine years and I feel like we’re only getting started.”

They encourage the development of their 38 staff, and when executive chef Jay Sherwood (ex-Amisfield) and his partner Anna Kerslake started Lake & Wood Brew Co, PJ and Sam were ardent supporters. They became minor shareholders and made a home for Lake & Wood in their restaurants, building a brewery at the back of Slow Cuts two years ago. “It’s small, we’re not even a micro-brewery, we’re nano!

“As well as La Rumbla and Slow Cuts, The Fork and Tap, Jack’s, Amisfield and The Dishery have it on tap and that’s all we can brew. We’d like to get it around the country, but we’ll need another brew site for that!” PJ laughs.

AND SAM GRUAR

M A I N I M AG E PO RK BELLY WIT H C O US C O US AN D S LOW- C O O KED

→

BRI S KET WIT H C O RN BRE AD AN D D I LL P I C KLES AT T H E D I S H ERY.

137

Wolf Coffee’s Alexander Tong (pictured) and Devan Tyler say they feel “blessed to be in Arrowtown where the community and the cafes look after each other. If someone runs out of oat milk, we share.”

Alexander says coffee can be quite competitive in bigger cities such as Auckland, where he trained as a barista and coffee roaster and worked hard to save for the 1950s German-built coffee roaster that now, after refurbishment, roasts Wolf Coffee beans. The couple named their company Wolf because of the way wolf packs move around and support each other, and that’s how they approach relationships with their wholesale and retail customers.

They hope that soon they can apply this philosophy to the coffee farmers, cutting out the middlemen and being able to work closely with farmers to help support them and their communities. Alexander would also like to share more of what he knows with coffee drinkers, educating people on the origins of coffee beans and the different flavour nuances by holding tastings, as we do with wine. There is also hope for a new roasting site where he doesn’t freeze in winter and overheat in summer, and the pride-and-joy roaster can be on display.

Wolf coffee can be enjoyed and bought at their Good Day cafe in Arrowtown, or buy online at Wolfcoffee.co.nz.

WOLF COFFEE

→ People have a strong sense of what’s good for the community.”

The community welcomed The Dishery in November 2020 and it fits perfectly.

Scott Stevens is another local owneroperator and hospitality veteran who knows the market. He’s created The Dishery for himself and his stage of life, as he did his first bar in Queenstown in his mid-20s. A late-night party bar was where it was at for him, now it’s lunch over a glass of wine in a gorgeous spot where he can also take his young children. He points to the fenced lawn in front of the restaurant where they set a little table and umbrella for children.

It was through his kids’ Mainly Music group that he found executive chef Ainsley Rose

In what’s possibly the friendliest local pub in New Zealand, you’ll find a deliciously classic food menu and blackboard of seasonal dishes accompanying an ever-changing line-up of tap beer and more.

Everyone’s welcome at ‘The Tap’.

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FOOD + DRINK

Thompson. Having left the Sherwood in Queenstown to be a mum, Ainsley Rose wasn’t actively looking to get back into cheffing, but what Scott was offering was a dream job — the opportunity to be involved in creating not just the menu but the whole vibe of the restaurant. “Along with my wife Emily, Ainsley is another voice and set of eyes on the whole design of the place,” says Scott. “I felt that Arrowtown could do with a daytime bistro. If you want to go somewhere for a bistro-style lunch you need to head out of town to Akarua or Amisfield. La Rumbla and Aosta have evenings covered, so 8am until 8pm is where we saw the gap that The Dishery could fill. We designed a breakfast, lunch and early-supper menu based around →

A BED FOR THE NIGHT

M A I N I M AG E JAY S H ERWO O D,

On the accommodation front, Arrowtown is more motel than hotel and the Airbnb scene is healthy. You’ll find a clean room for a good price in the heart of town at The New Orleans Hotel. For something more boutique, Paul Stephenson (yet another hospo-industry veteran) will look after you at Arrowtown Lodge — the creme de la creme of many good bed and breakfasts. The Arrow Hotel has five luxury apartments and Millbrook Resort is a quick shuttle ride down the hill. → what others were doing and what we could do to complement it. There are not two hospitality businesses in Arrowtown that are the same, they’ve all got something different to offer and there are enough foodies in this little corner of the Whakatipu that will keep coming if the offering is new and varied.”

PJ and Sam are certainly doing their bit.

La Rumbla, their flagship restaurant with a really good bar that pumps late into the evening, was community-focused from day one and it took off. “Everyone was curious and fascinated,” says PJ. “A few dubious Southerners had to get their heads around sharing plates in 2012, but it was cool, we put on some ceviche and introduced them to chilli and away we went.

“We weren’t targeting tourists and we didn’t build a space so big that we couldn’t fill it with locals.” Things haven’t changed much – they still serve dishes with a Latin American/Spanish twist that you would like

to eat at home but don’t want to cook, and a wine list that changes every day.

Local support led to the creation of Slow Cuts in 2015, giving residents a decent takeaway option.

“We wanted to pick up on the burger trend and rotisserie chickens seemed to be on the up. There was a market here, and a lot of people work from Arrowtown, so we wanted to give them a good, healthy lunch that’s not restaurant-based. I also wanted to do a takeaway shop where you could get a glass of Champagne,” PJ shrugs as if to say, “why wouldn’t you?”

Slow Cuts followed the same trajectory as La Rumbla and the space became too small. In 2018 they moved it to a bigger site where it has gone from 80 per cent takeaway to 75 per cent dine-in. They put Good Day into the vacated space to fill the breakfast gap. This collab with Alex and Devan from Wolf Coffee has also gone down a treat.

EXEC UTIVE C H EF O F L A RU M BL A AN D OWN ER O F L AKE & WO O D BREW C O.

PROVISIONS OF A RROW TOW N

Jane Shaw’s love of baking had her making sticky buns 17 years ago and she still has people coming into Provisions looking for them.

“It’s something I could never take off the menu,” she says, “but there have been plenty of changes.” Provisions’ historical cottage and garden setting belies the contemporary interior and menu of seasonal and plant-based dishes. “We have many healthconscious regulars who appreciate the fresh, light meals we make using local ingredients.”

D U D L E Y ’ S C O T TA G E P R E C I N C T

Scott Stevens has carefully developed the historical Dudley’s Cottage, where he ran a cafe for 10 years, into a small precinct of retail and office spaces. The cottage, which is Category 2-listed, needed to stand out, so the building that houses The Dishery has been set back and cut into the rock behind it. The new buildings are designed to look like back sheds and the corrugated iron has been dulled down to ensure the cottage is out in the limelight and nothing overshadows the Chinese Settlement and the Category 1 Ah Lum’s Store next door.

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139

Horizon coffee table designed in our Auckland studio

by David Moreland & Nikolai Sorensen CITTADESIGN.COM

D O U B L E DUTY A

new holiday retreat at Park Point on Waiheke Island takes its design cues from a scene-stealing wooden structure. Initially designed by architects Nicholas Stevens and Gary Lawson of Stevens Lawson to serve as New Zealand’s pavilion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale, the Gateway Pavilion was eventually built for Waiheke’s Sculpture on the Gulf art trail in 2017. The owners of the Mawhiti Waiheke retreat have relocated the sculpture to its new hillside location, where it captures a beautiful snapshot of Rangitoto Island through its gabled

frame. The dwelling now sits alongside a new architecturally designed house, also by Stevens Lawson, featuring a series of living and bedroom pavilions that gently curve around the site to complement the undulating shape of the Gateway Pavilion. Conceptualised as a luxury getaway, Mawhiti has four bedrooms, an art-filled living space and a state-of-the-art kitchen in a palette of timber, concrete and stone. With the chapel-like pavilion right on its front doorstep, the options for memorable stays are endless.

Mawhitiwaiheke.co.nz

DESIGN

INTERNATIONAL ART CENTRE PRESENTS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY ART AUCTION

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BANKSY | Keep it Real | Acrylic and spray paint on canvas 30 x 30cm Private Collection, Auckland | Authenticated by Pest Control | Estimate NZ$600,000 - 1,000,000 Catalogue www.internationalartcentre.co.nz Attend the live auction, bid by phone or download our App auctions.internationalartcentre.co.nz and bid remotely Auction includes Important Contemporary & Historical New Zealand & International Artworks by Frances Hodgkins, Colin McCahon, Michael Smither, Toss Woollaston, Pat Hanly, Sigmar Polke and so much more Enquiries Richard Thomson 0274 751071 richard@artcntr.co.nz Toll Free 0800 800 322

202 Parnell Road, Auckland Telephone + 64 9 379 4010

Celebrating 50 years of art auctions in new zealand 1971 - 2021

DESIGN NOTEBOOK Add a bit of psychedelia to your home with this reversible 100 per cent cotton Amigos Blanket by Swiss design brand Schoenstaub, a collaboration between the brand’s founder, Nadja Staubli, and the Portuguese graphic designer Braulio Amado. $380, from US online store Shop.sightunseen. com. Complete the look with the Lex Pott Twist Candle, $119, from Littleandfox.co.nz, with its curved wax base in a pleasing shade of purple.

MICRO DOSE

L I V I N G I N N AT U R E

compiles 50 contemporary, architecturally designed marvels that each have a unique relationship to the natural world. $70, published by Phaidon.

H A U S O F T I L E If you’ve ever chosen tiles for a kitchen, bathroom, floor or laundry project, you know the overwhelming feeling of staring at aisles of tiles in every shade, shape, size and finish. Auckland sistersin-law Louise Jacobsen and Renee Woolcott believed there must be a better way — so they created it.

TileHaus is a just-launched online store (a surprisingly rare thing in the tile-shopping world) that makes it a breeze to turn Pinterest pins into reality. With a shared background in interior design, product-sourcing, trend-spotting and online marketing, Louise and Renee have created a highly curated store that guides customers via the aesthetics they love to the tiles they need to create them — at a range of competitive or luxury price points. You can browse tiles and articles, order samples (five for $15, redeemable on purchase), book free interior design consultations by Zoom or order mood boards by email, and place orders all without leaving the couch (or bathtub). Tilehaus.co.nz

A C C I D E N TA L LY WES ANDERSON

collates the world’s most Anderson-like sites in celebration of the filmmaker’s much-loved off-kilter aesthetic. $45, published by Hachette.

R I TA A N G U S : A N ARTIST'S LIFE

was created ahead of the Rita Angus exhibition opening later this year at Te Papa museum. $60, published by Te Papa Press.

R ATTAN RIGHT NOW

The material of the moment is expressed in three stylish pieces for the home, including a handmade “Nama 1” pendant by Ay Illuminate, $750, from ECC; the sculptural Lincoln lounge chair from A&C Homestore, $1000; and the Liana sofa by Hawkeʼs Bay industrial designer Scott Fitzsimons, a finalist in the 2020 Best Design Awards. $5616, from Citta.

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AGENT Dunedin-based Jane Dodd tells Kim Knight about her path from curious artistic teen to musician to world-renowned jeweller

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tart this story with an atlas. A big book of maps and the roast lamb-legged outline of Mexico. Add a soundtrack. Neil Young singing Cortez the Killer across the water with galleons and guns.

“As a family, we always looked at maps,” says Jane Dodd. “We had a beautiful old Rand McNally atlas and, for some reason, I would just look at the map of Mexico. I don’t really know what that was about.”

Neil Young sent a young Jane to the library to read more about the 16th-century Spanish conquistador.

At 17, her parents gave her a book on Mexican art.

Once, for a high school art project, she designed and illustrated a children’s book based on an Aztec myth.

When she was 28, with a musical resume that included playing bass for The Chills and The Verlaines and the Able Tasmans, she got on a plane to Mexico. It changed her life.

Wild Domain: The Natural History of Jane Dodd Jewellery has just opened at The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt. It’s a major survey show featuring more than 120 pieces from a three-decade career. It’s part of the museum’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. And, by any measure of contemporary jewellery-making in this country, it is a big deal.

Early January, and Jane is in her kitchen in Ōpoho, Dunedin. Seven weeks out from opening night and the washing machine is on, the radio is off and she has

made peppermint tea in a second-hand china cup — a birthday present from Martin Bergmans, her partner of 28 years.

“They have to be bigger than a normal china cup and they’re very hard to find,” she says. “I have noticed it’s got a crack. I’m realising it’s just going to go, one day quite soon.”

Jane is a noticer. An observer. A musician who became a librarian who became a jeweller because, in Mexico, she saw that almost everything had been touched by an individual.

“Something was embroidered, or a wall was painted, or the ceramics were very rustic and homemade. It was just sort of impressed on me how clinical New Zealand was in the late 1980s. So I came back and applied to go to craft school.”

She went to Auckland’s Carrington Polytechnic (now Unitec) to study ceramics (“but the department was kind of imploding”), considered working in glass (discounted because of its financial and technical requirements) and discovered she loved making jewellery. Jane was the 30-year-old graduate in a class full of 18-year-olds.

“That was quite weird but also quite good, because they were all sniffing around each other and having dramas and stuff and I was just sort of head down, working, taking every opportunity I could to get the most out of that education … probably all the other kids hated me because I was so nerdy!”

This is funny because, at a seminal moment in New Zealand music history, she had been one of the coolest women in the room: Jane Dodd, rock goddess.

The goddess snorts: “It was never like that! I was the right person in the right spot at the right time. I grew up with [Dunedin musicians] Martin Phillipps and Graeme Downes. They were both really great friends of mine at school. The culture I found myself in was this lovely, creative, fun musical scene. Some of the most important people are completely unfamous in terms of the popular mythology of what went on ...

I just wanted to be involved in it.”

Jane played guitar but Phillips had a vacancy for a bass. So she learned a new instrument and, at 17, joined The Same, which became The Chills. Too young to play pubs, they’d perform short sets in hired halls alongside the likes of The Clean, Bored Games and Sneaky Feelings.

“It was always slightly terrifying, because there was always a threat of violence going on outside the hall. We were young punks and we raised the ire of other sectors of society. A lot of people got beaten up outside and probably seven times out of 10, things got closed down by the police or noise control. It was chaotic, but ... I think about how lucky I was to be there during that time and how amazing it was as a teenager — not even thinking about what the ‘Dunedin sound’ was to become to popular culture — having that kind of sub-culture going on around you.”

She says every week somebody would come to the practice room with another new, great song.

L E F T JAN E D O D D AT H O M E I N D U N ED I N . A BOV E JAN E I N T H E VERL AI N ES.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Guy Frederick

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“It was blossoming and blossoming and blossoming.

It was very, very exciting and that’s all I think about it really. In terms of trying to make sense of it as a cultural phenomenon and how it affected New Zealand or even the rest of the world, I don’t really think about that too much. I’m just so pleased to have had such a great time.”

But if New Zealand fell in love with the idea of the “Dunedin sound”, for the musicians who became famous on the Flying Nun record label it’s a descriptor rooted in hindsight. The romanticism of a collective success ignores individual horrors. When the Double Happys’ Wayne Elsey was killed leaning out of an overnight train, “that shook the core of my social group. We were incredibly f***ed up by that,” says Jane.

“Dunedin was in a bit of a dark spot,” she says, partly explaining her eventual post-Otago University move to Auckland. “We had a few deaths among my community. There was some quite heavy drinking and drug-taking going on and part of me just wanted to get away from that.”

The magic, she says, is playing the same song at the same time as everyone else on that stage. But she very rarely tried to write the songs (“maybe when I’m 70?”) and playing bass never really fed her creatively.

“I got a zing but it was not a creative zing.” When she started making jewellery “there was a creative process that was really satisfying, completely engaging and I wanted to do it all the time. The problem-solving, the germ of an idea and then the actual process of actually bringing a piece to life ... I can’t help but do it.”

Jane, 58, is the youngest child and only daughter of Jean and Jack. Her brothers are John, a music teacher and musician, Nick, who works in finance and Tim, a musician and producer at Radio NZ Concert. Her Coventry-born mum was a social worker and teacher who met Jack when he travelled to Birmingham to do a PhD in physics.

“It was a very broad education in terms of what we were presented with at home,” says Jane. Reading, music, art, family holidays in Wānaka and, three times, an overseas sabbatical with her dad. She started primary school in Colorado; studied anthropology,

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history, philosophy, te reo and phenomenology of religion at university.

“As a child, I was probably spoilt, especially by my dad. But then, as I got into a teenage relationship with him, we just locked horns all the time. We’re very similar in temperament but I started to play rock ’n’ roll and wear miniskirts and too much eyeliner ...

“He was a very liberal man but he liked to play the devil’s advocate in all arguments. As my sense of social justice and my environmental concerns were developing, he would challenge everything. He would really go after me, in terms of making me express my argument, which, of course, I realise now, was a really valuable thing to do.”

Jack, the physicist and Otago University professor, the loud and gregarious storyteller, died in 2005. Life lessons: “What you had to do, as a thinker, was learn to debate and to be able to robustly defend your arguments.”

A handmade career is not for the faint of heart. For years, Jane’s income was subsidised by her job at the University of Auckland’s Elam Fine Arts Library. She became part of Auckland’s Workshop 6 collective and, in 2017, was invited to show at Germany’s Schmuck, a prestigious and important event on contemporary jewellery’s world stage. Her work is held in public collections here and overseas — but it can take up to 30 hours to complete a single piece that will almost certainly never produce the pay-day of its massproduced, mainstream counterparts.

What even is contemporary jewellery? Last year, when Covid-19 put New Zealand in lockdown and we all learned to video chat, Viva interviewed Jane about the idea of adornment. Back then, she emailed: “It can be anything you want and I hope people feel free to play with the form. It can be a precious heirloom, or a funny joke. It can be pretty or ugly, safe or rude.

It can be something you have been thinking about or something you’ve never thought about. A question or a statement. It doesn’t have to ‘fit’ or ‘go’. It’s just something stuck somewhere on the body that hopefully makes someone say, ‘What the f*** is she wearing?!!’”

Now, Jane says 2020 was an interesting year for artists. “People really started to value the handmade.

We re-evaluated the way society works and we also perhaps wanted as many people to have an income as possible. We wanted to support people, and people recognised that there was something special about something that had been made by a person in your community. Kind of treasuring the slow, I guess.

Because we all had to go slow.”

Jewellery is art made personal; we stick it on ourselves, not the wall. Ask Jane, for example, what she is wearing and she talks about two of her own rings and a fine gold staple necklace by Justine Pollock. She describes them not as jewellery but “these three things that live on my body”. (It can be alarming, she says, to see a piece worn the wrong way around but, more pragmatically, “I don’t actually see my work being worn that much, because even though I’ve made s***loads, the critical mass has not ... overtaken me!”)

The Dowse show and an accompanying book have forced Jane to think about career progression — the what and whys of her art that began with small landscape and geographical pieces and moved into a

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C LO C KW I S E F RO M L E F T N O EVI L , 20 1 9 , BRO O C H ; JAN E AT WO RK I N H ER STU D I O ; PAN T H O OT, 20 1 9 , BRO O C H ; P RO BOSC I S P RO BLE M S 1 , 2 & 3 , 20 1 9 , BRO O C H ES.

fascination with fairy tales and macabre Europe (think plaited Rapunzel rings, storybook charms and wild creatures holding severed human body parts in their mouths). Most recently, she’s focused on taxonomies and scientific classifications. New work looks explicitly at the impact of humans on the natural world.

“I want to look at issues of extinction and infestation, cruelty and conflict: issues that arise at every branch of our Family Tree, affecting coral, ants, magpies, elephants,” she writes in a statement for The Dowse. “I want to challenge our ideas of animal intelligence, and exalt different sensory strengths and acumen. I want to berate us for thinking we are above or distinct from the natural world. I want us to feel that we are being watched and that stock is being taken. I want us not to get away with it.”

In art, as in life. Jane is a master of the devastating blow. Broadcaster and Able Tasmans' bandmate Graeme Humphreys (aka Hill) says, “I love our disagreements — she entertains them and makes them fun but has a sublime attitude and timing.”

In fact: “Jane is one of my favourite people, alive, dead, plain or famous. Despite meeting her for the first time only 37 years ago it feels like she’s now part of my DNA. Aural or visual, there’s a private intensity to her work. Jane likes things to mean something. She’s thoughtful and forgiving. Very forgiving, as I’ve found out, the morning after downing two bottles of Selleys No-More-Friends, but the most treasured memories I think are laughter. Helpless, belly-sore, tearstreaming laughter.”

Karl Chitham, Hutt City Museums’ director and curator of the Natural History show, says Jane’s work “has a key message about humans’ impact on the environment — a topic that is incredibly urgent globally” but he also recognises the “great humour” of the exhibition.

So, yes, that is a seal wearing a false beard and an ape’s finger giving the finger. Of the former (called In Hiding and one of Jane’s recent personal favourites) she says “it’s just a funny idea that came to me, that people might disguise who they are, they might go incognito into situations ... so I thought about that with regard to a seal trying to avoid a seal hunt, trying to disguise himself perhaps as one of the sealers, instead of as prey”.

The animal work showcases one of the biggest shifts in Jane’s career. Cast silver jewellery made her famous (and, in the early days, paid the mortgage — landscape brooches and staircase earrings, in particular) but now she carves natural materials: a scorpion’s tail from ebony, a jellyfish from kauri gum, a proboscis monkey from mother of pearl. A bear’s face and a crab’s claw are remade in beef bone; a flatworm from lignum vitae — the simplest threecell layered animal in the world, made almost liquid to look at in the heaviest and hardest wood.

And if all of this sounds a million

miles away from a Pandora charm or a Michael Hill watch, then that’s the whole point.

“Jewellers such as Jane, through their practice give us markers of our unique position in the world,” says Chitham. “They use materials and cover topics that resonate with all New Zealanders and offer us keepsakes that remind us of important people, places and moments in our lives.”

Three brand-new works have just been finished for The Dowse. Secret Agents are carved, draped shrouds with little bits of animals poking out. There were supposed to be four, but, says the artist, “one of them is going into my follow-up show, Dodd’s Duds.” That’s at least 20 hours’ work, she estimates, that will be pulled apart or reconfigured because “so often a piece can get dis-made after it’s been made”.

Carving is an exhilarating process: “I almost feel like I’m hunting the animal. I’ve got this blank wood or bone or whatever and I’ve got to find the animal within. I might think I’m carving a bear but then it starts looking like a cat and then, oh no, I’ve taken that bit off and now it looks like a dog. You’re sort of skirting along the evolutionary tree.”

She likes to err on the side of ugly, concerned her work might be construed as “cute”. In her Dunedin workshop (she moved home a few years back to be closer to family) she maps ideas in a workbook and makes art on a small, kitset work bench created by a furniture-maker friend. In this room, interesting is more important than beautiful.

“You have to slightly undermine things or f*** things up in some way ... most things I do tend to have a slight sort of ugliness about them. They have to have an intrigue.”

Wild Domain: The Natural History of Jane Dodd Jewellery is at the The Dowse Art Museum, Upper Hutt, until June 27.

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LAKE HOUSE A new architecturally designed family home in Acacia Bay floats above Lake Taupō, taking cues from the waterscape’s chameleon bluegreen palette, writes Ginny Fisher

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pon opening the wide cedar door of the Dickie family’s home, you instinctively look and are lured down the long hallway to a porthole of light. Sparkling like a gem and framed by an oversized picture window lies the lake beyond, today calm as a millpond in hues of inky teal and petrol blue. “We never get tired of it,” says owner Charlotte Dickie. “It’s always changing and the view makes the house feel much bigger than it is.”

Clever use of space is one of the hallmarks of the home — not surprising considering Charlotte has a degree in spatial design. “We wanted smaller but better. We agreed we’d rather pay for quality on a more compact scale.” Charlotte and husband Tom engaged

ABOVE R IG HT O N T H E C USTO M M A D E OA K S H E L F I N T H E L IVI N G RO O M S I TS T H E ' L I N E D U O' TA BL E LA M P BY D OUG LAS A N D BEC, A N D WO O D E N M AS K BY TO NY M A N U E L .

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ginny Fisher

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BELOW THE BOWLS ON THE SHELF ARE BY KIM MORGAN AND QUIRKY POTTERY; GLASSWARE BY BROSTE AND CHOPPING BOARDS BY OWL; ECHASSE VASE ON BENCH BY MENU. THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH IS AN OLD FAMILY SNAP. BOTTOM THE WIDE CEDAR-PANELLED HALLWAY FEATURES TWO CUSTOM-MADE SLIDING BARN DOORS. OPPOSITE PAGE PAINTING OF WHAKAIPO BAY BY LOCAL ARTIST CLAIRE ANDERSON. ART IN THE MASTER BEDROOM IS A MIX OF CONTEMPORARY WORKS, INCLUDING ONE BY GEORGINA HOBY SCUTT.

sought-after Taupō architect Fraser Cameron; his brief was to maximise the vistas and make the 306 squaremetre footprint, including the garage, work for their family of five.

Fraser came up trumps. “We can see the lake from almost every room in the house,” says Charlotte.

Even the bunk room that opens out on to the interior grass courtyard has more than a glimpse of the water through the glass sliders.

Charlotte considers the intimate exterior courtyard as another room, albeit with a grass carpet and a fireplace and dining table — it’s the ultimate entertaining area, as it’s sheltered, private and just steps aways from the kitchen.

The couple had plenty of time to figure out exactly how they wanted the footprint to work, as they had been living on the site in the old dwelling for nearly eight years before building. Residing in Acacia Bay had never been on the cards until they fell upon this site all those years ago. “We’d always imagined living in town, so a view was off the cards, but nothing came up. The first time we saw this site it was the most beautiful 150

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day and we instantly changed our minds and bought it right on the spot.”

It was a quick gut decision that paid off, even though Charlotte admits it was a bit of a leap, as the old home wasn’t so pretty and was modest in size at 105 square metres.

“We called it the old brick s***house!” she quips.

The original property was spread over two levels, with the garage underneath, so after demolition, the section was raised up and levelled, giving the site an elevated feeling. The new cedar-clad house faces southeast and is bathed in sun from the east in the mornings and the west in the afternoons.

While the main focus of the layout is the lake view, the house is anchored by the internal courtyard that has an immaculate lawn, fastidiously manicured by Tom. “We love the fact the kids can watch a movie lying on the grass by turning the wall TV around in the bunk room,” says Charlotte.

Naturally the interiors and fittings in the home were designed by Charlotte, as her job as owner of Charlie Who — an edgy Taupō fashion and homeware boutique — means she is constantly researching products and trends the world over.

“I see my job as a bit of a scavenger hunt. I’m often on Instagram looking at interiors, fashion and what influencers are wearing.”

Her knack for mixing classic, affordable pieces

with luxe labels draws customers from all over New Zealand looking for less common brands, like Dutch label Rabens Saloner or French label Leon & Harper.

Along with a beautifully curated collection of clothing, including New Zealand favourites Mahsa, Bird & Knoll and Commoners, her shop is also packed with chic homeware, ceramics and artworks, as well as coffee table books and imported glassware. It’s little wonder that her house is punctuated with interesting artworks and objets d’art from her travels, as well as from online sourcing.

There are many aspects of the home Charlotte believes work well spatially and aesthetically — for instance the broad, lengthy hallway makes the house feel super-spacious. She’s also a fan of the architectural, cedar-panelled hallway that conceals a hidden door to the garage and features two custommade sliding barn doors. “I love the feeling of wood inside, it gives the house a really natural feel.”

Drydens oils were used for the interior in Silver and in Stone for the exterior cedar. Inside the oil finish gives the walls a smoky, whitewashed look, so VIVA.CO.NZ

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TAUPŌ TO-DO LIST RI G H T C ERAM I C TI LE

E AT . . . BRE AKFAST I N T H E GARD E N AT

ART WO RK BY N ELL I E RYAN .

L’ART E CAFE AN D GALLERY. FI N I S H WIT H

CAST G L AS S AN D WOVE N

D I N N ER O N T H E PATI O AT T H E BRAN T RY.

BOWLS FRO M WAVERLEY

O N S AT U R D AY S . . . G RAB A C O FFEE AT

G L AS S ART STU D I O.

KEFI AN D H IT T H E L AKEFRO N T L I O N ’S WALK .

L ARG E STO N E VES S EL

W A L K . . . M O U N T TAU HARA .

BY S I M O N E KARRAS AN D

S W I M . . . AT M I N E BAY N E AR T H E MĀO RI

S MALL BERRY BOWLS

RO C K CARVI N GS.

BY D EBO RAH SWEE N EY.

A R T I S T S T O W AT C H . . . PAI N T ER C L AI RE

BE LOW A D U O O F RAT TAN

AN D ERS O N AN D Q U I RKY POT T ERY

C HAI RS, S O U RC ED FRO M

FO R C ERAM I C S.

T H E KI N LO C H MARKET,

D R I N K . . . A C O LD L AKE MAN AT T H E N EW

FRAM ES T H E VI EW.

T WO M I LE BAY SAI L I N G C LU B. V I S I T. . . WHAKAI PO BAY. IT 'S S O C LOS E TO TAU PŌ BUT FEELS A M I LL I O N M I LES AWAY.

to match these tones, Charlotte and Tom treated the oak cabinetry in the kitchen and the custom-made shelf in the living room with a white oil.

All the cabinetry and shelving was produced by a local master cabinetmaker, Allan Crompton, who Charlotte says is so clever he’s in demand all over the country. The batten and board panelling was made by the builder and adds texture to the interior walls while complementing the internal trusses.

To save the need for hanging pendants, Charlotte opted to have all the lights inset to the rafters. “I’d had pendants before and I’m not a fan of the way they draw in the flies. This way the ceiling has a lesscluttered feel.”

Charlotte’s art collection is a mix of contemporary works and more personal, nostalgic pieces. The large-scale black and white photograph in the kitchen was a family snap, hidden in a drawer, discovered by Charlotte. Charlotte had it professionally scanned and blown up and she says it’s a great way of creating a substantial artwork that has personal significance.

“Tom’s father Marty won show lamb of the year back in 1969. It was the end of an era, as soon after, live shipments to England began.” Another eye-catching artwork includes the green John Eaden gardenscape that hangs above the fireplace. “It looks like a place I’d like to explore,” says Charlotte. “It reminds me of the gardens of my childhood.”

Then there is the loose, earthy-coloured abstraction of nearby Whakaipo Bay by local painter Claire Anderson; another work she’s fond of is the cubist abstraction in natural tones by Melbourne artist Charlotte Swinden.

In the hallway, a pair of moody photographs by Whanganui-based artist Lynne Hurst are a modern contrast to the wood panelling — Charlotte happens to stock this artist, so fell for these works when they were hanging in the shop. Georgina Hoby Scutt, a painter from Nelson who goes by the name of Belle Hawk, creates small-scale abstract landscapes that feature throughout the home — her work can also be found in-store.

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C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P T H E H O M E 'S P ERC H ABOVE L AKE TAU PŌ HAS P I CTU RES Q U E VI EWS ; BLU E TO N ES C O M BI N E I N T H E L IVI N G RO O M WIT H AN ARMAD I LLO & C O 'AG RA' RUG , C US H I O N S BY T H RE AD D ES I G N AN D PAI N TI N G BY J O H N E AD E N ; C HARLOT T E REC L I N ES I N T H E C O U RT YARD WE ARI N G BI RD & KN O LL . T H E O UT D O O R C HAI RS FE ATU RE GOT L AN D S H EEP P ELTS FRO M C HARL I E WH O ; T H E EXT ERI O R FI REP L AC E BY T RE N DZ WAS C USTO M P L AST ERED FO R A S O F T-T EXTU RED FI N I S H .

Objects displayed throughout the home point to Charlotte and Tom’s personal histories. Charlotte was born in the West Coast and this is where she picked up the Māori mask by artist Tony Manuel; the jade mussel sculptures were carved by her step-father, Jeff Beckworth.

Tom’s hometown of Waverley is home to Waverley Glass Art Studio and it was there Charlotte picked up the blue-green cast-glass mountain and the two woven glass bowls.

The balance of vintage and antique pieces with contemporary fittings gives the home warmth and character. “I could never live in a stark home,” says Charlotte, who often visits vintage stores and markets, and enjoys the odd trawl on Trade Me. The rattan chairs near the window and the seats outdoors were sourced from the yearly Kinloch Market on Labour Day, which Charlotte says is growing larger every year. The rattan-style coffee table in the

living room, crafted from pig’s leather, had a previous life as a bench seat and was gifted to Charlotte by her mother-in-law, while the slingback chairs were sourced locally.

The textural sheep pelts dotted throughout the home came from Tom’s family farm in Waverley where they farm Gotland sheep for their soft, silverygrey, curly wool. “They are the softest sheep pelts you can buy. We sell out of them in the shop every year, particularly in winter.”

Winter, summer or fall, Taupō appears to be buzzing more than ever, says Charlotte. The couple first moved here 18 years ago and every year visitor numbers grow. As a result, there has been a flourishing of new eateries and stores. So with little time to spare and customers to tend to, Charlotte rushes out her sweeping cedar door. “I wish I had more time to spend at home!” she laments. Surely the sign of a muchloved lake house.

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A Taste of Adventure Explore some of Aotearoa’s sweetest spots and indulge in Kapiti ice cream al fresco Some of life's true pleasures can be found right here on our shores — from the unparalleled beauty of our unique geography, to the top-quality food that we are lucky enough to enjoy.

Kāpiti captures the flavours of Aotearoa across their wide offering, and their locally-made ice cream range harnesses ingredients like Kāmahi honey, nectarines and Black Doris plums from Central Otago, Nelson-grown boysenberries and, of course, New Zealand’s famously good dairy. Taking cues from the picturesque landscape on our doorstep, why not enjoy your ice cream further afield. If packed skilfully it can have surprising longevity, and for those that like to be adventurous with their food, ice-cream can be the perfect reward at the end of a walk, or the reason to make a special drive to a magical destination in the fi rst place.

Caramel and Almond Ice Cream by Lake Rotoiti Kāpiti has paired almonds with the moreish sweetness of salted caramel for their newly released flavour, an ice cream that we think would taste delicious by the waters of Lake Rotoiti, found in the Tasman region’s famously scenic Nelson Lakes National Park. Lake Rotoiti boasts a network of tracks around the lake that provide myriad walking options for all skill levels. You can enjoy a shorter option, like the Black Hill Walk from the lake’s West Bay, or the wheelchair-accessible Bellbird Walk from Kerr Bay. Keen hikers can do the whole Lake Rotoiti Circuit loop in one day (making sure to stop by the stunning Whisky Falls) or stay overnight at one of two charming huts. Start your adventure from the small town of St Arnaud, which sits next to the lake, handily only an hour or so from Nelson or Blenheim. Make sure to pack some of Kāpiti’s Caramel and Almond ice cream and enjoy it at the most picturesque spot you can find around the lake — like the famous jetty.

Vegan Dark Chocolate and Berries Sorbet in the Waikato Waikato is home to rolling green fields and the mighty river with which it shares its name. Where better to see all this bucolic bliss than from above in a hot air balloon? A site to behold, these colourful giants take fl ight over the fields, farms and tributaries of the Waikato River, and a balloon ride is worth the early start as you watch dawn break. Once your feet are back on solid ground, the moment calls for something sweet and celebratory — like Kāpiti’s Vegan Dark Chocolate and Berries Sorbet. It’s all a rather uplift ing idea, and there’s even a festival for those who are particularly keen on this mode of transport; Balloons Over Waikato runs from March 16 to 20.

Hazelnut and Chocolate Ice Cream at Craigieburn Forest Park Tussock grass, braided rivers and snow-capped peaks give Craigieburn Forest Park a distinctly Cantabrian vista. Nestled between the Waimakariri and Wilberforce Rivers, and neighbour to the famous Arthur's Pass National Park, Craigieburn is only 100km from Christchurch on State Highway 73. Perfect for day walks, it offers everything from the ten-minute Bridge Hill Walk with views of Castle Hill Basin to the alpine Craigieburn Valley Track that takes around three hours. All the routes off er unforgettable destinations for enjoying Kāpiti ice cream alongside a dash of adventure, and the North Canterbury region is an apt spot for enjoying the aromatic fl avours of hazelnut alongside the rich sweetness of chocolate in this newly released product from the New Zealand brand.

COOL IDEA!

How to keep your ice cream looking like ice cream Dry ice is colder than regular ice, and placing some at the bottom of your chilly bin, covered in cardboard or a towel, will help prevent your ice cream melting.

You can also try salted regular ice, which lowers the temperature too.

Keep your chilly bin out of the sun (if possible) and avoid opening unnecessarily.

From Top : L ake Ro t o it i, Waikat o Rive r, Cas t le H ill and t he C raig ie bur n Rang e .

P ho t os / G e t t y Imag e s .

V isit Kapit iice cre am. co . nz f or m ore re cipe ins pirat io n. @Kapitiicre am #Le tt he a dve nt ure be g in

G E TAWAY S

WITH A TWIST

Experience a holiday with a difference, from a horse-riding trek with a conservation bent, to a stunning photography tour, or an unforgettable wellness retreat

Horse trek along the Rangitīkei River V I S I T R I V E R V A L L E Y. C O . N Z

We’re so fortunate in New Zealand to have beautiful landscapes to visit and explore — but did you know so much of it is under threat? Introduced predators such as stoats, weasels, rats and cats are killing our native birds and invertebrates.

But you can support tourism and adventure providers who offer exciting holidays while still giving back to the community and the environment.

River Valley in the Rangitīkei District runs custom horse-riding holidays, while also investing in conservation. It services 100 stoat

traps, which cover about 20km of the river area as a way to help give back to the environment.

River Valley’s Home on the Range multi-day horse-riding holiday will see riders explore the countryside, be challenged to progress their skills, and in turn boost their confidence.

Accommodation is at the River Valley Lodge, a deluxe lodge, with meals produced with a farmto-table ethos, using as much produce as possible from its own regenerative and spray-free gardens.

The holiday begins with a stables guide assessing your ability, VIVA.CO.NZ

and matching you with the best horse. You’ll learn about natural horsemanship techniques, which are said to help the horse stay calm, trusting and confident, which enhances the relationship with the rider, as horses are more responsive. The horses are ridden bit-less and barefoot, meaning there is no metal in their mouths or on their hooves. Those new skills are then put into practice while riding through the northern Rangitīkei District.

River Valley’s horse-riding holidays are available for all abilities. — Juliette Siversten 155

Go on a wellness retreat at Aro Ha VI S I T ARO - HA .C O. NZ

If you’re craving a reset from the pressures of daily life, Aro Ha Retreat in Glenorchy provides everything you are looking for — and so much more. Forget alarm clocks, endless appointments and shots of coffee to navigate through a day. Here, apart from a Tibetan prayer bowl gently singing at 6am to ease you from a deep slumber, there is no need to worry about time until you flop back into your gloriously comfortable bed around 9.30pm. The days are long and busy — but in a gentle meandering way.

A shot of turmeric and orange juice kickstarts your tastesbuds before a morning yoga session eases your weary body into life. The days unfold with sessions that challenge old habits and help reset new ones.

Discussions about values, relationships, goals and life directions are interwoven between connecting with the breathtaking nature that surrounds you. One day you will find yourself walking a lakeside track barefoot.

The softness of the grass and the warm earth beneath your feet remind you of carefree days as a child.

Another day you’ll climb high into the mountains, through low lying alpine forests and the cool of ancient beech trees, to pop out on a clearing with stunning views. The fresh peach you’ve packed as a snack never tasted so delicious. You may find yourself walking with a fellow guest or an Aro Ha teacher

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and, as the layers unfold through the week, find yourself deep in meaningful conversations. Or you walk alone — with your thoughts and just the sound of nature — the birds, the insects, the breeze in the trees, the gurgle of a creek, the rush of a river. There’s time to lie in the grass and watch the clouds overhead, or dive into the freezing clear waters of the lake and laugh.

Exhilarated.

Everyone is here for a reason.

There are corporates escaping their hectic schedules, couples reconnecting, those looking for new ideas for life, ways to improve their wellbeing through exercise and a healthy menu of vegan deliciousness.

Oh the food, each meal a work of art, the produce fresh from the abundant garden, eaten at a long communal table where conversations grow louder and more revealing with each meal.

DESIGN

The afternoons are for workshops and classes, from making sauerkraut to boosting your immune system in a hot sauna before plunging into the ice-cold pool. There are soul-searching and profound sessions about letting go of the thoughts that no longer serve you, a powerful session on breathing that is like nothing you’ve experienced before. A daily deep-tissue massage ensures every last knot in your body is loosened, and wisdoms are passed on by the talented team, who know exactly what you need and when.

Inhibitions slip away as you dance and play, loosening your mind and body into a place that gives you a newfound sense of freedom. You will leave feeling taller, clearer and with a sense the change you are looking for — be it big or small — is possible.

Anything is possible.

— Amanda Linnell

Learn to dive in Tutukākā V I S I T LO D G E 9 .C O. N Z

There are few places in New Zealand as spectacular as the Poor Knights Islands, off the Tutukākā Coast in Northland. It’s known as the country’s best dive site due to its rich marine life as well as its impressive caves, arches and cliffs underwater; a playground for scuba divers of all levels and abilities. The area is a marine reserve, an internationally renowned dive site — one that French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once rated among the top 10 in the world.

If you’ve always wanted to become dive certified, spend a few days staying at Dive Tutukākā’s Lodge9 accommodation, which is a resort-style retreat. You can do your PADI e-learning in your own time before heading out in the onsite pool with the instructors to learn the basics. Once you’ve mastered the pool dives, you will spend two days diving the Poor Knights Islands marine reserve. There is also an option for divers who already have their Open Water dive certification to complete their Advanced Open Water qualification.

The trendy accommodation has a saltwater pool and sauna, and inside is decorated with bespoke furnishings and original artworks by local artists.

The bedrooms are light and airy, and you can have breakfast delivered on a tray to your door each morning should you wish. All dive gear required for your certification is provided. Conservation is a key theme at Lodge9. It uses natural spring water from its own bore in the valley and also relies on rainwater.

Only organic cleaning products are used, including washing powder and fabric softener.

You might not be able to stay in a dive resort overseas just yet, but this is pretty darn close to it.

— Juliette Siversten

Luxury photography tour in Fiordland V I S I T Q C C P. C O . N Z

By far one of the best ways to learn impressive photography skills is to immerse yourself in a creative photography holiday, in some of the most dramatic scenery in the country.

Photographers Jackie Ranken and Mike Langford, of Creative Photography Workshops, run luxury photo workshops in stunning New Zealand regions including Fiordland, Mt Cook, Stewart Island, Central Otago, The Catlins and the Chatham Islands.

Their Fiordland holiday explores Milford and Doubtful Sounds, with the goal of capturing unique imagery that other photographers might have missed.

It’s about experiencing the region on a five-star adventure, while learning to photograph its incredible contrasting landscapes.

Expect sunrise photoshoots in Fiordland’s majestic fjords, and a portfolio of dramatic and moody waterfall photography.

The workshops are aimed at inspiring clients to push their VIVA.CO.NZ

creativity, so they leave the tour feeling inspired and energised.

Jackie and Mike will show you camera craft and technique to make the most of your holiday, including learning about composition and design.

There will also be some downtime where you can review your files, and have your images critiqued to learn how to improve your photography skills.

Because of the wild and frequently changing weather in Fiordland, expect to capture impressive images with unique textures and patterns.

The tour has a maximum of six photographers, as well as Jackie and Mike. There are two nights luxury accommodation included; one night on an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound, and the other in Milford Lodge. You’ll spend a night in Te Anau to review your work and two nights in Queenstown to start and conclude the tour.

— Juliette Siversten 157

An evocative Bay of Islands escape V I S I T D O N K E Y B AY I N N . C O . N Z

Heading for the boutique bliss of Donkey Bay Inn in the Bay of Islands, the journey in a sleek charcoal-grey Range Rover Evoque sets the tone for this elegant getaway. With a panoramic sunroof and ambience-enhancing lighting, it literally maps out the comfortable four-hour drive from The City of Sails to Russell. Winding up the North Island, navigating blind corners with ease, it gives polite notifications of upcoming speed cameras, all while handling the road with a sophisticated grittiness.

Access to Donkey Bay Inn is a little mysterious.

“Look for the golden gates,” a text message says.

A code is received and the gates grandly swing open. This cannily named venture is a luxury lodge, housed in a mansion in Russell — with a living roof and a sweeping balcony that overlooks the private bay owned by hotel founder Antonio Pasquale (the inn is Pasquale’s personal home).

The charming Antonio — expect a kiss on the hand if you’re lucky — and his well-chosen staff make you feel like family. Donkey Bay Inn is not pretentious but eclectic, luxurious and rule-breaking. Why paint your walls white when you can paint them Tiffany blue and hot pink?

That was Pasquale’s choice of colour scheme for the garden walls. The most magical feature? The inn is hidden. A flax plantation on the roof and bushy foliage hug the building, a sophisticated camouflage.

And where else to stay but the honeymoon

158

suite, otherwise known as the Skyfall Suite, complete with expansive bathroom — the shower equipped with Hollywood lighting — sweeping decks overlooking the private bay, the suite designed so you can truly appreciate the view.

Unwind for the evening with a glass of rosé, and settle into a pre-dinner outdoor bubble bath with an exceptional view.

Speaking of dinner, restaurateur Michael P. Dearth, owner of Baduzzi and The Grove restaurants in Auckland, set up shop at the boutique hotel over summer, closing The Grove and opening it as a pop-up restaurant at Donkey Bay Inn. It delivered in all its finery (ingredients were locally sourced from Donkey Bay Inn itself and on the road from Auckland to Russell) and the dishes were impressive and delicious.

When Antonio had Donkey Bay designed, he did not scrimp on the details. Everything is curved, paying homage to the shape of the land. Antonio prioritised achieving an environmentally friendly residence, which is off the grid, and providing guests with fresh produce from the gardens and honey from resident bees. Artwork collated over a lifetime dresses the inn.

It’s all breath-taking, and the awestruck feeling lasts until the end. Departing through the golden gates and winding home through the Far North feeling fulfilled and spoilt, the Evoque provides a final memento of a luxurious getaway.

— Andrea O’Hagan

DESIGN

ADV E RTO RI AL

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Yealands Reserve Rosé $22.95

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Sweet Escape Where indulgence meets the taste of adventure; the new Kāpiti ice cream flavours pair the right ingredients with the finest dairy in the world. Dive into a sensory adventure with new flavours Hazelnut & Chocolate ice cream, Caramel & Almond ice cream and Vegan Dark Chocolate & Berries Sorbet, crafted right here in New Zealand. Let the adventure begin.

Kapitiicecream.co.nz

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RevitaLash Advanced features proprietary BioPeptin Complex, a breakthrough blend of vitamins and nutrients that your lashes need to thrive. The result? Lashes that speak volumes. The curl results of using RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner last for six months.

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ST O CK I STS

FAS H I O N

08. 08jewellery.com ADORNO Adorno.co.nz ADRIENNE WINKELMANN Adriennewinkelmann.co.nz AHO Ahocreative.com AJE Ajeworld.co.nz ALLBIRDS Allbirds.co.nz BARE Barejewellery.co.nz BENDON Bendonlingerie.co.nz BIRD & KNOLL Birdandknoll.com BROTHER VELLIES Brothervellies.com BULGARI Bulgari.com BW36.174 Bw36.174@gmail.com BY NATALIE Bynatalie.co.nz CAMILLA AND MARC Nz.camillaandmarc.com CLAUDIA LI Claudia-li.com COS Cosstores.com CROCS Crocs.co.nz DEADLY PONIES Deadlyponies.com DEUCE from Merchant1948.co.nz EDIT Edit-store.com FABRIC Thisisfabric. com FLASH JEWELLERY Flashjewellery.com FLORENCE & FORTITUDE Florenceandfortitude.com FRAZIER Instagram.com/frazier.nz FRIDAY FLAMINGO Fridayflamingo.com FURLA Furla.com GLORIA Gloriagloria.com GOOD AS GOLD Goodasgoldshop.com GREGORY Gregory.net.nz GUCCI Gucci.com H&M Hm.com/nz HARRIS TAPPER Harristapper.com HILLS HATS Hillshats.co.nz HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS Huntersandcollectors.net.nz JASMIN SPARROW Jasminsparrow.com JASON NATHAN from Kirinathan.com JULIETTE HOGAN Juliettehogan.com KAREN WALKER Karenwalker.com KATE SYLVESTER Katesylvester.co.nz KITRI X JESSIE BUSH Kitristudio.com KOWTOW Kowtowclothing.com LEVI’S Levis.co.nz LOUIS VUITTON Louisvuitton.com MAGGIE MARILYN Maggiemarilyn.com MAHSA Mahsa.co.nz MATCHES FASHION Matchesfashion.com MEADOWLARK Meadowlark.co.nz MERCHANT 1948 Merchant1948.co.nz MINA Minaforher.com MI PIACI Mipiaci.co.nz MULBERRY (09) 520 1122 MUSE Museboutique.co.nz NICHOLA Nichola.co.nz NOM*D Nomdstore.com OPSM Opsm.co.nz PARIS GEORGIA Parisgeorgiastore.com PARTRIDGE Partridgejewellers.com PENNY SAGE Pennysage.com PRADA Prada.com RICOCHET Ricochet.co.nz R.M. WILLIAMS Rmwilliams.com.au RUBY Rubynz.com SALASAI Salasai.com SAMUEL MARK CLYMA Samuelmarkclyma.com SCOTTIES Scottiesboutique.co.nz SEA NY Sea-ny.com SEBAGO Sebago-usa.com CHAOS Shop.chaos.club SILLS + CO Sillsandco.com SILK & STEEL Silkandsteel. co.nz SISTERS & CO Sistersandco.co.nz SMITH & CAUGHEY’S Smithandcaugheys.co.nz SPACEY GEMZ Spaceygemz.com SPECSAVERS Specsavers.co.nz ST VINCENT DE PAUL Svdp.org.nz/our-shops SUPERETTE Superette.co.nz TATTY’S Tattys.co.nz THE KNITTER Theknitter.co MERCER Themercerstore. co.nz TIFFANY & CO. Tiffany.com TWENTY-SEVEN NAMES Twentysevennames.co.nz VERGE Verge.co.nz VIDERIS Viderislingerie.com WALKER & HALL Walkerandhall.co.nz WORKING STYLE Workingstyle.co.nz WORKSHOP Workshop.co.nz WYNN HAMLYN Wynnhamlyn.com YU MEI Yumeibrand.com ZAMBESI Zambesistore.com ZARA Zara.com

B E AU T Y

ADORE BEAUTY Adorebeauty.co.nz AESOP Aesop.com ALEPH Alephbeauty.com AOTEA Aoteamade. co.nz BECCA Beccacosmetics.com BIOLOGI Biologi.com.au BOBBI BROWN Bobbibrowncosmetics. com BOTTEGA VENETA Bottegaveneta.com BRIOGEO Briogeohair.com BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Bumbleandbumble.com CHOPARD Chopard.com CLARINS Clarins.com.au CLINIC 42 Clinic42.com COLOR WOW Colorwowhair.com CORETERNO Coreterno.com CREED Creedboutique.com DERMALOGICA Dermalogica.co.nz DOUBLEMOSS ARTE Arte.doublemoss.com DYSON Dyson.co.nz ELEMIS Elemis.com EMMA LEWISHAM Emmalewisham.com ESTÉE LAUDER M.esteelauder.co.nz GIVENCHY Givenchy.com HAU BOTANICALS Haubotanicals.co.nz HOURGLASS Hourglasscosmetics.com JAMES READ Jamesreadtan. com JO MALONE Jomalone.co.nz JIMMY CHOO Jimmychoo.com KATE SPADE Katespade.com KÉRASTASE Kerastase.com KIEHL’S Kiehls.com KORRES Korres.com LA PRAIRIE Laprairie.com LIVING NATURE Livingnature.com L’ORÉAL Loreal.com MAYBELLINE Maybelline.com MECCA Meccabeauty. co.nz MEDIK8 Medik8.com R+CO Randco.com RE.SKIN Re-skin.com REDKEN Redken.com REVITALASH Revitalash.co.nz SANS CEUTICALS Sansceuticals.com SHISEIDO Shiseido.co.nz SISLEY Sisley-paris.com SMITH & CAUGHEY’S Smithandcaugheys.co.nz TALIKA Talika.com TIFFANY & CO. Tiffany.com TRILOGY Trilogyproducts.com VALENTINO Valentino.com YVES SAINT LAURENT Yslbeauty.com.au

DESIGN & FOOD

A&C HOMESTORE Achomestore.co.nz APPLE Apple.com/nz ARMADILLO Armadillo-co.com ARTISAN Artisancollective.co.nz BOCONCEPT BoConcept.com CHARLIE WHO Charliewho.nz CITTÀ Cittadesign. com COUNTRY ROAD Countryroad.co.nz DEBORAH SWEENEY Deborahsweeney.com ECC Ecc.co.nz EVERYDAY NEEDS Everyday-needs.com FATHER RABBIT Fatherrabbit.com FLOTSAM & JETSAM Flotsamandjetsam.co.nz HACHETTE Hachette.co.nz KIM MORGAN POTTERY Kimmorgan.co.nz LAMINEX Laminex.co.nz LE CREUSET (09) 303 3539 LITTLE & FOX Littleandfox.co.nz MAWHITI WAIHEKE Mawhitiwaiheke.co.nz MENU Menuspace.com PEN CLASSICS Penclassics.co.nz PHAIDON Phaidon.com REAL TIME Instagram.com/realtime_ponsonby SEARCH AND DESTROY Searchanddestroy.co.nz TE PAPA PRESS Tepapa.govt.nz TESSUTI Tessuti.co.nz THREAD DESIGN Threaddesign.co.nz TILEHAUSE Tilehaus. co.nz WAVERLEY GLASS ART STUDIO 027 684 3641 160

TOP Vintage 9ct yellow gold pounamu pendant, $990, from Walker & Hall. Crivelli pendant, POA, from Partridge Jewellers.

. . . .

FASHION FOOD DESIGN BEAUTY TRAVEL

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I learned from Atomic Habits by James Clear that tiny changes can create remarkable results.

Why not give that extra one per cent every day?

Right now, one of my most precious memories is eating in Guangzhou — yum cha and lots more.

It’s the taste of home and of being with my family.

Tubereuse Nue by Tom Ford is a scent I have recently discovered and is fast becoming my favourite. It “conjures the fresh petal of nightblooming tuberose and jasmine as they sway in moonlight, exuding extravagant sensuality”.

It’s perfect, day or night.

“ʻJust be yourselfʼ is a mantra I try to live by. But they are easy words that are hard to do! Happiness is knowing yourself and loving/caring for yourself.

Just follow your heart, do whatever works for you.

Always remember you are you.”

Skydiving in Queenstown is the craziest thing I’ve ever done. It was last year, just before the first lockdown.

I’ll never forget the incredible views from the sky, then jumping out at 15,000 feet.

Embrace your fears, I say. We need courage now more than ever.

L E F T ST EP H E N I E Z H O U ( @ _ H I BARBI E _ O N I N STAG RAM ).

My latest purchase is this Bottega Venetta ‘Jodie’ mini knotted leather tote.

It’s my current favourite handbag because of its miniature size — it’s ideal for parties and drinks with friends.

I am obsessed with my Arizona Love sandals — I have worn them pretty much every day since I bought them. They are chic with their flower-like faux pearl clusters yet comfortable with their platform soles and practical Velcro straps.

A FEW OF MY

FAVO U R I T E

THINGS

Stephenie Zhou moved to New Zealand from China many years ago and has carved out an impressive career as a beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger.

Her busy world includes creating content and YouTube videos for her social media following, and married life with two children. She is passionate about sharing her experiences to promote a healthy, positive approach to life 162

THE LAST WORD

I love minimalism.

A well-tailored blazer [pictured is Maggie Marilyn], a timeless handbag and a pair of comfy sneakers are always in style. They can be dressed up or down.

Lime Basil & Mandarin. Wonderfully unexpected.