Life + Style - 21 June 2019

21 August, 2015

life+style The Weekend Sun Ë›

New Zealand clothing brand moochi opens new store where it all began.

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THE WEEKEND

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Look! - fashion month

Te Puke Gymsport and Parkour

End of a musical era

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 2015 21August, June, 2019

Moochi Mount Returning to their roots

It’s been 19 years and now it’s time for them to come back to the beginning.

New Zealand clothing brand Moochi started out in Mount Maunganui and is now returning to its roots to open a store just 50m from where it all began.

“Nineteen years ago we had a tiny little design office upstairs on the Mount’s Mainstreet looking over towards the Mainstreet Carpark. We used to carry mannequins down fraying, carpeted stairs to show the shoppers there was a new designer to check out,” says Moochi creative director Kellie Taylor.

“It was really hard when we packed up and moved the business to Auckland – that was definitely an emotional exercise.

We loved living in the Mount so it was really challenging to leave. I think that ultimately it’s cool to be able to get back to where we started.”

With 12 brick-and-mortar stores around the country and a successful online shopping platform, Moochi will open the thirteenth store in the heart of Mount Mainstreet, in the old ASB site.

The Mount Maunganui creative and retail scene has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and with the perfect location being secured, the time to return feels right, says Kellie.

Moochi, founded by Kellie and Chris Taylor in 2000, remains 100 per cent owned by the couple. All design work is done by a team headed up by Kellie with most of the garments manufactured right here in New Zealand. Chris leads the business as managing director and he has almost completed a very busy run of new store fit-outs and refits across the country, with new stores in Havelock North, Nelson, Christchurch CBD and Queenstown most recently. The business has grown steadily from the early years when they were award winners at the local business awards.

“We now have 25 in our head office, it’s

crazy!” says Kellie.

“As a team we do feel genuinely proud of what we are doing, supporting the industry here. We are putting really good numbers of garments through the New Zealand manufacturing businesses which we think is really positive.”

She says the new Mount store will be bigger than the current store in Tauranga and Kellie is excited to show the Bay clientele how much they’ve grown up since their humble beginnings. Each Moochi store has its own name to reflect the location, the new spot is aptly named Moochi Main.

“I’m really looking forward to them seeing and feeling Moochi how it is now.

They can see the variety of product – there’s so much more to the brand than there was and to be able to show it in the new fit out is great.

“The Tauranga store, The Light Capsule, on Devonport Road will remain for its loyal Tauranga customers and the products will largely be the same at the two locations, but the customers at the new Mount store are genuinely going to walk in and feel the brand on a whole new level,” says Kellie.

“I think they deserve that, given they helped get the business on its feet and have stayed truly loyal for two decades and I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to get the Mount store they’ve been asking for, for years, but I’m really excited that it’s happening!”

The growth of the Moochi business over the period since they moved to Auckland has been significant. There were just five stores back then. Their learning has been immense and the Taylors have worked hard. Their children - now 15 and 17 were only 5 and 7 when they left and they would say Moochi was their third child.

“Success in the fashion industry does not happen through luck, it is a real grind but if you love what you do it is worth it, as other local successful brands would agree,” says Kellie.

Kellie and Chris Taylor

“I’m hoping that the local community will go: ‘wow can you believe it’s almost 20 years since they started here, they’ve done really great and it’s awesome that they’re back here with us’,” she says “At our heart, we’re incredibly grateful for being able to start the business at the Mount, for the creative freedom the environment allowed us and the confidence the locals gave us in what we were doing. We must be the only mad fools that were smart enough to move to the beach and foolish enough to leave!”

moochi introducing

m o o c h i main opening 27 june 143 ma u nganui rd, mt ma u nganui

21 June, 2019

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June, 2019 life+style The Weekend Sun 2121August, 2015

Look! – it’s Fashion Month Tauranga’s winter fashion on show I wondered what to wear to the launch of Tauranga’s Fashion Month. I tend to wear black, often buying two or three of exactly the same item, as it eliminates the need to have to choose on a daily basis.

My approach to fashion has been - if it has pockets and fits me, then I’m interested. ‘Can I play piano in it?’, ‘Can I walk five kilometres in it?’ These are my usual questions.

Despite not inheriting a shopping chromosome, I was pumped and excited to go along to Clarence Bar & Bistro to see the latest season’s designs.

Feeling enthusiastic, I wore shoes that look great but pinch the toes.

“It’s for fashion!” I thought, gallantly.

Clarence, located in the old Tauranga Post Office, has an elegant ambience, with charm and warmth that puts one at ease.

Arriving early, I popped upstairs to see the models and found myself among friends. Laughing and excited, they are also going to be part of ‘Tarnished Frocks & Divas’ upcoming show Xanthia.

This evening though, they would be showcasing clothing from four shops – Anna Stretton, High St Boutique, moochi, and Repertoire; and jewellery from Hammon Diamond Jewellers. The models wearing High St Boutique and Anna Stretton would also be modelling Blur Eyecare.

Downstairs, I picked up a ‘goodie’ bag and settled at a table with others.

“Make sure you fill in your name on the card to go in the draw,” I was told. A table for eight to Xanthia. Dutifully I complied.

Soon the bar was packed with women, and one man – Stuart Laing from Blur Eyecare - who was keeping a protective eye on his range.

Millie Newitt, from Downtown Tauranga began the enchanting night.

“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside the men and women behind moochi, Blur Eyecare, Repertoire, High St Boutique, Anna Stretton and Hammon Diamond Jewellers over the past few months, to bring you tonight’s fashion show,” says Millie. “It’s great to have such a collaborative event like this and we thank you for coming and supporting our fantastic fashion houses in downtown Tauranga.”

There was a general murmur as waiting staff brought more canapés around. And a louder murmur when it was announced that Hammon Diamond Jewellers would be giving away a gift hamper worth over $1200 at the end of the evening.

“We are here to celebrate the Look Book Launch and Look Fashion Month in downtown Tauranga,” says Downtown Tauranga’s Sally Cooke. “It’s the second year that we’ve put the book together and it’s something we’re very proud of because it allows us to showcase the amazing brands in downtown Tauranga.”

Over the next hour, Sally interviewed the designers of each of the four fashion houses, and

21 21 June, 20192015 August,

Hammon

Anna Stretton

Blur Eyecare

life+style The Weekend Sun …

Diamond Jewellers

“We are here to celebrate the Look Book Launch and Look Fashion Month in downtown Tauranga”

commentated the ‘pop up’ fashion parades.

“Fashion for winter is exciting,” says Lee Kleiman from Repertoire. “What I’m curious about is how the mega global trends of women’s empowerment are impacting fashion.

“I can see the diversity across this room. There are really no ‘don’ts’ because women are owning their space, owning their right to what feels good. There are no wrongs or right. It’s about what suits your body shape and what you feel confident in.”

She was singing my song!

Lee is full of fashion tips – a timeless classic blazer can look funky teamed with jeans and doc martins, belted in the middle to add an element of excitement. Wider pants seem to have come to the fore.

Definitely playing my song.

Mary Borman from High St Boutique has an eclectic range, including marvellous designs by Valentine Scrivener.

The Anna Stretton kimono, jackets and pants make complete sense to me, and I love the ruffle dress and Sherpa jacket from moochi.

The jewellery is stunning, and a ‘must look’ this week at Hammon Diamond Jewellers.

I’ve always wondered why models don’t smile.

Don’t they like what they’re wearing? The Tarnished Frocks & Divas models however just glow with delight, immediately making the clothing feel even more appealing.

Anne Pankhurst promised Xanthia would be ‘a wild mixture of past and future, the visual

moochi

representation of how music influences our society through the ages, and the breathtaking creation of art on stage’. I hoped madly that I would be able to get a ticket to this 2019 rendition of Tarnished Frocks and Divas, as I’d missed the previous show.

I flicked through the Look Book, realising it features over 25 Tauranga city centre clothing and accessory brands. Anyone shopping in downtown Tauranga any time until the end of July will go into the draw for a $1000 shopping spree.

Part way through the evening, Catriona Fallon spun her magic over us. What an incredible voice! She will be performing at Xanthia, along with Annie Crummer, Jackie Clarke and Bryony Skillington.

I was browsing through the Look Book and making notes about the collections on my phone when suddenly I heard my name being called by Sally Cooke.

People around me were calling me.

“What?” I asked.

“You won the draw! You won the table for eight to Xanthia!”

I have nothing to wear to this fab event! I’ll have to go shopping!

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

High St Boutique

Repertoire

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life+style The Weekend Sun 2121August, 2015 June, 2019

Photos: John Borren

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Bursting at the seams Te Puke Gymsport & Parkour celebrates 65 years Te Puke Gymsport and Parkour has reached the incredible milestone of being 65 years old. A celebration was held at the club near the end of May.

Jocelyn Boyle

“Our story starts back in the 1950s when the club, originally called Te Puke Gymnasium Club, first started in McDowell’s hall in Te Puke,” says Jane McKay, joint president of the club.

“All equipment was basic and mats hard. Everything had to be manually set up and packed down before and after each use.”

When McDowell’s hall burned down the club moved to the Te Puke Memorial Hall where sessions were held on Friday nights, providing a great babysitting service for late night shopping parents. In the 70s the club contributed equipment for the new gymnasium built at the Te Puke High School and classes were held there.

“In 2009 the club made a huge move to our current home,” says Jane. “This building made a huge difference to the club as for the first time ever, equipment could be set up permanently and not dragged out and put away every session.”

The club soon outgrew the main gym and had to rent next door, now known as the Parkour Room.

As Parkour grew and other gymsport-based classes were introduced, the club changed its name to Te Puke Gymsport and Parkour, in about 2012.

“Between 2017 and 2018, the club doubled in size as the committee, coaches and staff members focused

on growth.

“We also won the Trustpower Community Award and the Westpac Business Award for Social Enterprise, in recognition of the previous 12 months’ hard work.”

The club added more classes to provide what the community wanted, including Parkour.

The club now runs an impressive list of classes including preschool gym, Gymfun, trampoline, adult fitness and gym classes, teenage gym sessions, Parkour, and women and men’s artistic gymnastics and tumbling.

“In 2019, we are also running two primary school and one intermediate/secondary competitions, two Parkour jams, one Springfest and one regional TeamGym competition for Gymnastics New Zealand, plus four big holiday programmes.”

At the 65th celebration, there were displays to show the audience ‘how we roll’. Unfortunately the trampoline and tumblers couldn’t perform due to room restrictions.

“Our athletes work extremely hard and train up to 14 hours a week, often with late nights. It is not just a sport but often becomes a family environment with life friendships made for the children and adults alike.”

It’s clear, on visiting the gym premises, that none of this would be possible without all the hard work of past and present coaches, office staff and committee volunteers. There are also the sponsors, parents and of course, the children.

One special lady, Jocelyn Boyle, has seen it all from the start.

21 June, 2019

life+style The Weekend Sun 9

“It is not just a sport but often becomes a family environment with life friendships made for the children and adults alike”

“We are honoured that she is still involved with the club,” says Jane. “She is a lifetime member but a whole lot more than that to all of us who know and love her.”

Due to more growth and development, the club is now pushing into the future and has secured land from Western Bay of Plenty District Council in Te Puke on which to construct a purpose-built gym and Parkour facility.

“Stage One has been completed with a Geotech and topography report on the state of the land and we are all good to go to our next stage,” says Jane.

“This will begin with a meeting with the council about planning. Then lots of fundraising will be happening.”

“The club has wanted its own building for about 13 years,” says the club’s joint president Sarah Elliott. “It’s moved around the town at different times, and ended up in a commercial building in Station Rd, unfortunately with quite a high rent, and quite small for its needs.

“We moved here thinking it was going to be too big for the club, but the club membership has grown so much since then. It’s an unusual club in that if someone wants an activity the committee has tried to find a coach that can make that happen.

“Many things that have grown naturally through the club, one of them being Parkour. Some of the really creative people here decided to give it a go and start it. At the time the Police who have their station across the road were having trouble with

boys tagging buildings. They asked if we could provide something that would keep the boys off the streets. We invited them to join Parkour. Now a third of our membership is doing the Parkour programmes.”

For a town of Te Puke’s size, it’s incredible how quickly the membership has doubled in the last two years, although not surprising with its reputation, and catchment area extending to Rotorua and Waihi.

“We’re over 450 members now per week,” says Sarah. “The size of the building is only 700 square metres. Usage is very high and the children don’t have much space to do their activity.”

For this robust and very active club, 65 years is a stunning achievement. With a lot of community support backing them, let’s see it continue to grow.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

0800 DR ANUYA 0800 372 689

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June, 2019 life+style The Weekend Sun 2121August, 2015

A family business Twenty-five years of Bay City Music Over the last month or so, Nicola Bettley and her brother Stew Weir have been busy emptying their music shop at the top end of Devonport Rd. If you haven’t heard - Bay City Music is closing down, and there are two grand pianos, one drum kit, some violins and guitars left.

Plus a lot of the bits and bobs that musicians need to restring and enhance their instruments and music.

This coming August would have marked 25 years of the music shop being a part of Tauranga’s downtown retail landscape. The doors will probably be finally closed by the end of June. For Stew and Nic, and their parents Norm and Eleanor Weir, it’s been a family tale of two cities and plenty of music.

“We don’t quite make the 25 years, but we’ve had an amazing ride,” says Nic. She estimates thousands of guitars and pianos have sold over the years.

“We put a grand into the Chateau about ten years ago,” says Stew. “I’ve also taken a grand piano to Russell, over on the ferry.”

“In the old days, every weekend as kids we were in the car, delivering pianos,” says Nic. They’ve sold dozens of guitars in the last few weeks, as people flock in to secure one of the last few instruments at a bargain price, and enquire why they’re closing down.

Phone Carlene: 07 281 1519 or 0800 00 58 43 www.southerncrosspartners.co.nz

“Good time to move on,” says Nic. “Time for a change.”

“I grew up in a family business. My parents opened Weirs Music Ltd, a music store in Hamilton, in 1979, so Stew and I have been amongst it our whole lives.

“There was an opportunity in the early 90s for us to open in Tauranga with Technics Musical Instruments, which was a big brand name back then.

“We found premises in Hamilton St, and I opened the store in August ’94.”

At just 21 years old, Nic moved across from Hamilton to Tauranga to start a new life and run the new business. In 2000, she relocated the shop up to Devonport Rd, opposite Farmer’s, and it’s been there ever since.

“We had a great start coming in cold,” says Nic. “Had some fantastic brands and family support.”

Other music stores in town at the time were Tauranga Music World and Mayers.

“They were long-standing and well-respected stores. Tauranga Music World was taken over

by The Rock Shop, I think about eight to ten years ago. And Mayers is now Music Planet.”

“We’ve had great staff, great customers, great brands.”

When Technics ceased manufacturing in 2000, Bay City Music formed a new relationship with another Japanese company, Yamaha.

life+style The Weekend Sun ˛˛ Photo: Bruce Barnard

21June, August, 2015 21 2019

“They buy their first guitar aged 11, and come back six foot tall in their mid-20s. It makes me realise how long I’ve been doing it for”

“The store has been a huge business,” says Nic. “There’s been highs and lows with retail of course, in terms of changing times. People’s interests have changed, technology’s changed.”

The Internet has opened up a new format for people to buy.

“And there’s so much more information available for people to research and give reassurance, and obviously pricing.

“You could come in here once upon a time, and that was all the information you had. But that applies to every sector of society.”

“We were lucky enough to have all the good years, and made the decision now as a family to have a new direction. We’ve had a wonderful time.”

Nic and Stew’s children have grown up in the world of music. She plays piano and Stew plays guitar.

Parents Norm and Eleanor moved to Tauranga about 12 years ago, with Stew running the Hamilton store until closing it in 2015.

“It was Stew the last ten years with Dad involved on a part-time basis,” says Nic. “Dad and Mum have been travelling a lot and are excited that we have the opportunity to do something different at our age and at this stage.”

She’s enjoyed the family environment with children and families coming in.

“We’ve had 80-year-olds who have always

wanted to learn piano, come in and bought one. Wonderful stories.

“A husband wanted to buy his wife a grand piano for a significant anniversary.”

Customers have returned each December to wish her a merry Christmas, and children have returned as adults.

“It’s ‘horrifying’,” laughs Nic. “They buy their first guitar aged 11, and come back six foot tall in their mid-20s. It makes me realise how long I’ve been doing it for.”

She has seen two and three generations of families being a part of her music store experience.

“I once had to fix a guitar for Graham Brazier from Hello Sailor,” says Stew. “It was last minute before a gig. He gave me free tickets.”

He shows me a photo taken about five years ago with his daughter and Hank Marvin. He thinks about other well-known musicians who passed through.

“Joe Satriani, and Paul Gilbert - the guitarist from Mr Big,” says Nic. “There’s always been emergencies with musicians,” says Nic. “Last minute fixes. In the old days, after hours, getting drum sticks, fixing something.”

Soon, the doors that opened to thousands of musicians, children, families, schools and churches will close for the last time, as Bay City Music becomes a part of Tauranga’s rich music history.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Nicola Bettley

Hank Marvin with Stew Weir

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