Dyed in the wool

‘Our pieces become those go-to styles in the wardrobe that you’ll want to wear because they make you feel good.’

DYED IN THE WOOL Cityscape talks style, sustainability and spring with Untouched World founder Peri Drysdale.

You’ve had a strong sustainability focus for a long time. What does sustainability mean to you? In a nutshell, working to protect the future of our planet and its people while meeting the needs of today. This has to be a holistic focus – environmental, social, cultural issues are all interconnected and can’t be solved independently of each other. What are the latest sustainable initiatives you’ve been working on? We have been on our sustainable journey for 20 years now, and over that time we’ve put a lot of work into finding and developing the most sustainable fabrics and fibres and walking the talk when it comes to best practice in terms of our design and manufacturing process. One issue that is still a biggie for us is all the plastic in our environment. It bugs us that we can’t find a genuinely better alternative to poly bags that we use to protect the garments in our warehouse from moths et cetera. We’ve looked at a huge range of alternatives from bags made from sugar cane to bags made from corn starch and while these ‘compostable’ bags sound nice, in reality they’re still not very kind to the planet. Last year we undertook a comprehensive three-month study into plastic bag alternatives. In order to make compostable packaging more flexible, stronger and water-resistant, a biodegradable binding agent such as PBAT is usually added. It is READING

ALWAYS IN MY HANDBAG

Organic Cotton Pleat Face Mask

CAN'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT partially derived from a petrochemical, fossil-based agent that is still not fully renewable. The ‘compostable’ options currently available are not suitable to be placed in kerbside recycling. If they find their way into the recycling stream, then they contaminate all the other material, meaning nothing can be recycled and it will all end up in landfill. Our study showed that there is no transparent, waterproof, insect-proof bag material that is better in our current environment with the available recycling and composting facilities than a poly bag, so it’s something we’ll continue to work on. When it comes to sustainability and sociallyconscious products, how important is it to pair them with good aesthetic design? Good aesthetic design inspires and feeds the soul. The uptake of environmentally and socially-conscious products is much, much higher when a product is aesthetically pleasing, so this is really important to us. It’s always been our mantra that you shouldn’t have to give up luxury and great design to be good to the planet. What is the cornerstone of Untouched World’s design philosophy? Less is more. We believe in timeless design and by using luxurious, quality fabrics and fibres that are easy to wear and easy on the earth, our pieces become those go-to styles in the wardrobe that you’ll want to wear because they make you feel good. We design our pieces to dress up or down effortlessly, so they can take you anywhere and you don’t need as much in your wardrobe. Tell us about Untouched World Kitchen – what can people expect when they visit you? A light, airy, relaxed space where our friendly team serve simple yet nourishing and delicious dishes, catering for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters, with plenty of options for those who are dairy or gluten intolerant. There’s also a cabinet full of irresistible treats to have with your coffee, many of them vegan.

The native garden is a great touch – do you see it as an important part of the café experience? We do. It is an invitation to unwind and soak up a bit of nature. We all live such busy lives these days that finding those little escapes and moments of relaxation really matter. Outside of work, what are you passionate about? Family, friends and the work of our Untouched World Foundation – not completely outside of work, but a passion, and they say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life! What food will you never get tired of? Our wonderful Chef Kerry’s Super Food Salad. As the name suggests, it’s full of everything that’s good for you, and it’s yummy to boot. What’s your favourite guilty pleasure? I love a really good red wine. High on my list of favourites are the full-bodied reds from the Gimblett Gravels wine growing area in Hastings. How do you relax? I am a reader! I’m in my happy place with a really good book. Have you read any good books lately? I really enjoyed ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama, a frank and honest autobiography; 'Shoe Dog' by Phil Knight, a fascinating behind the scenes story of Nike’s beginnings; 'Autobiography of a Yogi' by Paramahansa Yogananda – inspiring, grounding and endlessly re-readable. I’m a fan of nonfiction. What are your proudest moments? 'People moments' with the wonderful bunch of humans I am privileged to work alongside. I recently attended our Untouched World Foundation’s Advanced Leadership weekend in Kaikōura where a group of incredible young people, alumni from our UWF leadership programmes, got together. These capable young people were tasked with coming up with a big lofty goal they could aspire to, to make the world a better place. There was a huge level of passion, the thinking was fresh and unlimited, but at the same time practical. I left there

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PERI'S PICKS

Five hot Untouched World items

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1 Sanctuary Singlet (RRP $259) 2 Paradise Dress (RRP $249) 3 Caden Hoodie (RRP $399) 4 Sky Woolers (RRP $229) 5 Eco Knit Blazer (RRP $249)

truly inspired. Four essential things in your handbag? An Untouched World face mask, hand sanitiser, my mobile and a memobottle to keep me hydrated on the go. What excites you about Christchurch in the spring? The daffodils in Hagley Park, the cherry blossoms lining Memorial Avenue on my way to work, and the pair of ducks who bring their ducklings along for us to admire every year at the office and tap on the glass door if we are not right there! What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? What you think about, you get. If you are radiating love and positivity, that is what you’ll get back. If things are a bit lumpy, check your thoughts. Ask yourself “what great things are going to come out of this?” There’s usually always a silver lining. untouchedworld.com

Read our full Q&A with Peri at cityscape.co.nz

Culture

STAY, ANTONY GORMLEY. PHOTO: SCAPE PUBLIC ART

ART IN THE OPEN SCAPE Public Art is adorning Christchurch’s city centre with thought-provoking pieces under this year’s theme Secrets and Lies.

Get ready to play detective and uncover hidden meanings in this selection of artworks made by local and national artists. Cityscape has a teaser of some of the artworks on show for the six-week season starting October 3.

New Brighton sculptor, photographer and performance artist Melissa Macleod has captured and compressed air from the former QEII site in large bags. Dane Mitchell is erecting the steel armature – the supports used to hold a skeleton in a museum – for a woolly mammoth skeleton, minus the skeleton. Often darkly funny and sometimes uncomfortable, Natasha Matila-Smith's work is based in internet culture and uses recognisable memes and social media tropes. Deep in the Botanic Gardens, Sorawit Songsataya’s The Interior shows the passing of the last moa surrounded by native birds of Aotearoa. And Auckland artist Kate Newby is installing a huge scarlet rope around the top floors of the Old Courthouse. scapepublicart.org.nz

BACKSTAGE TOUR AT THE COURT THEATRE Take this special opportunity on November 28 to see what’s behind your favourite stage shows in a public tour.

VEGAN EXPO New Zealand’s biggest vegan event is back at the University of Canterbury on November 8, bringing tasty planet-friendly treats, inspiring talks, films and demos to the masses.

WORD CHRISTCHURCH SPRING FESTIVAL The South Island’s largest literary festival is coming back on October 28 to celebrate the written word in all its forms. Over 40% of events are free to attend.

COMEDY BAR

GOOD LAUGHS

Your dedicated home of comedy in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Stacked full of drinks and local comedians, with regular out-of-town guests so you’ll never see the same show twice. Find the club on Facebook for the lineup of weekly fall-offyour-chair hilarious gigs and upcoming special guests. FB/GoodTimesComedyClub

HIDDEN GEM

MUSEUM

CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY

Lincoln-born carpenter Henry Nicholas almost singlehandedly overcame 16 German soldiers and captured an enemy machine gun in World War I. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his “most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack”. The medal is displayed in Canterbury Museum’s Mountfort Gallery. canterburymuseum.com

BALLET

RNZB: THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is bringing one of ballet’s most beloved productions to Christchurch. Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, a beautiful princess was put into an enchanted sleep while she waited for true love’s kiss to awaken her. That tale is brought to life in one of the world’s most famous classical ballets, The Sleeping Beauty. Tchaikovsky’s score will be performed by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, with Principal Conductor Hamish McKeich at the helm. Isaac Theatre Royal, Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 Nov premier.ticketek.co.nz

CLASSIC POP

DANCING QUEEN: A TRIBUTE TO ABBA

The world’s premier live ABBA tribute band is back in New Zealand for the first time since their sell-out mega tour in 2018. It’s time to secure your seats to Christchurch’s December 5 one-night-only ABBA show at Christchurch Town Hall. Whether you’re a dancing queen or a super trouper, the acclaimed international tribute band ABBAsolutely fABBAulous will transport you right back to the 1970s. Their show Dancing Queen: A Tribute To ABBA is a full-scale concert production featuring more than two hours of fun. premier.ticketek.co.nz

SUMMER FESTIVAL

SOUTH ISLAND WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL

Whether you’re into North Canterbury Riesling, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, or something a bit more specialised, let the wine tour come to you. The South Island Wine & Food Festival is bringing the best of the mainland’s world-class wine regions to Hagley Park on December 5. Match the wine with a selection of locally-made foods of all colours and cuisines. Live entertainment includes music from Jordan Luck Band, Ladi6, Louis Baker, Reb Fountain, and Adam Hattaway and The Haunters. winefestival.co.nz

Comedy Carnival The comedy carnival is now in its fifth year and features the very best of local and national stand-up talent. The November lineup includes big local names such as Sausage Sizzle, Cameron McLeod and Jadwiga. Events will take place across live act hotspots Good Times Comedy Club, Space Academy, Darkroom, and 12 Bar. The Comedy Carnival is a showcase of stand-up, comedy burlesque, cabaret and other hilarious performances, and is set to be a sure-fire good time. comedycarnival.co.nz

CANTERBURY MUSEUM

Attraction | Central City

Canterbury Museum showcases the natural history of Canterbury and stories of the people who have made their home here. The museum houses a world-class collection and regularly stages temporary local and international exhibitions. The Antarctic Gallery is a must-see, featuring vehicles from Sir Edmund Hillary’s Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. A gift shop and café are on site.