Moments in Fashion

Fashion Moments

Caught on Coathangers

In the Capital

June 2010. Ajr

In the Name of Fashion - Melbourne

Acne

Is perhaps the strangest name I have ever come across on a fashion store.

Maybe it's all some wry joke that I don't get.

Ultimately, the name doesn't much bother me because I loved the store itself and their creative approach to design - a little Kusama influence if I'm not mistaken - but toally delicious. Acne is located in Melbourne's beautiful GPO retail complex

A Pictorial Addington - Showtime 18

The Winning Hat

NZ Trotting Cup, Addington 2009

BUT

The Real Winner on the Day

PINK

And Then Came the Body Paint Crowd

AND

Blokes in Hats

Put on a Fine Show

It goes without saying that I was a little obsessed by hats on the day! So if it's information about the horses you're wanting, may I direct you to the official website - www.addington.co.nz

WORLD on a Corner

Leading New Zealand fashion house, WORLD has opened in Christchurch – some months ago now – in one of my favourite Christchurch buildings: this stunning corner edifice on the intersection of High, Manchester and Lichfield Streets. WORLD was established in Auckland in 1989 by Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Francis Hooper, who have taken it from a brilliant idea to one of this country’s leading avante-garde fashion names.

I was wandering around the city with my camera last weekend and as I crossed over this intersection, I saw the morning light catching at the brilliant palette of colour hanging off the coathangers in the WORLD window. I had to stop and capture the moment. It’s a funky little store, bulging at the seams with original garments in the company of nostalgic curios – patterned china displayed on walls, taxidermy animals, old cameras and knick-knacks. I love it; some don’t. In its previous life, this corner location was home to a New Age crystal and Buddha shop that sold everything from incense and tiny figurines to crystals, Buddhas and all things god and goddess. Suffice to say WORLD has given the prime location (at one end of High Street, which is lined with fashion stores) a completely new look. ‘Back at WORLD’ it’s good to see that L’Estrange-Corbet and Hooper continue to defy expectations, combining crazy colours in garments with strong silhouettes. It’s fair to say that it’s been their irreverence, their talent and their fearless approach to taking fashion risks that have set them apart in New Zealand and brought them to the attention of leading international fashion writers and critics. They’ve appeared at London Fashion Week (1999) and they’ve taken part in major shows in Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. Their garments are stocked even further afield in Russia, China, Beirut, Europe and the United States. You can read much more about WORLD and see their latest ranges at www.worldbrand.co.nz

Black is Black

It's no exaggeration to say that 95% of my wardrobe is black - mostly because I live in the delusional world where people believe black is slimming. That said, I also love black for its solid ability to make every other colour so much more alive. Given that I also love words, typography, signs and the colour hot pink (which I NEVER wear), this image was always going nto be a winner for me. It's part of the sign for high fashion store Victoria Black in Christchurch, which I have of course 'fiddled about with' on Photoshop. It's just one of the things I do when I should be doing more productive things.

Architects of Desire

Only in Auckland's Nuffield Street!

Autumn Fashion

One Hot Orange Autumn Moment

@

Annah Stretton, Ponsonby

Auckland

Hands Up Who Likes Karen Walker!

Karen Walker, Wellington April 2009 Ajr

Obviously the work of a very handy window-dresser.

Meet the People - 36

Photograph by Stephen Goodenough

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Make-up artist, Kristen Stewart has just opened KSSM, Kristen Stewart School of Make-up in central Christchurch. Operating from sleek new premises “completely different to anything else out there,” Kristen is fulfilling her long-held passion for make-up, fashion and photography. It was when she was training as a photographer in fact, that she first became interested in make-up as a career option. A stint in the modelling agency, Exposure highlighted her interest, so she taught herself the basics and then set off to London to study at the Glauca Rossi School of Make-up. “I’ve always loved working on fashion shoots and fashion shows,” she says. While abroad she worked on the prestigious London Fashion Week and since she’s been back in New Zealand there have been numerous photographic stints plus work for almost every major magazine in the country, film work and every New Zealand Fashion Week to date.

Photographs by Stephen Goodenough Opening her own make-up school is the culmination of all her passions and she’s confident her students will get a solid grounding in all the key principles of make-up design, enabling them to embark on their own successful careers in the industry. “I love my new premises – they’re beautiful – very boutique-like yet still with a school feel. I want women to come in here and love where they are and enjoy getting taught what they want to know. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and it’s exceeded my expectations," she says. www.kristenstewart.co.nz

Meet the People - 35

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Julia Walker has switched from flying the skies as an Air New Zealand flight attendant to tempting brides with a gorgeous array of bridal gowns. She’s just opened Tulle, a small, intimate bridal boutique overflowing with lavish lace, organzas, silks and satins, vintage jewellery and beaded bags on Lichfield Street beside Christchurch’s Poplar Lane. It all started when she was flying between New Zealand and the United States. “I was looking for my own wedding dress then and I discovered so much more choice in the States. There was nowhere in Christchurch that offered the personal boutique experience with gowns at an affordable price, so I opened Tulle,” she says. Julia says being engaged and looking for the right bridal gown is “a rite of passage, a ceremonial occasion” and she wanted to create a small, intimate boutique and a level of service that would match the significance of the occasion. She imports gowns from USA, Spain, Europe, Canada and Australia – all exquisitely detailed with elaborate beading and lace – and there’s no try-on fee. www.tulle.co.nz

Beads and Lace

Bridal Detail

@

Tulle

www.tulle.co.nz

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them....

High Street, Christchurch. Jan 2009. Ajr

I like the approach taken by Christchurch fashion boutique, Where the Fox Lives. Instead of painting out the graffiti in their High Street doorway they've left it as is, where is and simply added their own splurge of colour on the adjacent wall.

One Green Dress.......

Greymouth. Dec. 2008. Ajr

This bright green dress is no high-fashion number but it 'glowed' like a beacon in the window of this old brick Greymouth building and attracted me across the street.

First Prize For Window Dressing

Plume, Christchurch. Nov. 2008. Ajr

The team at Plume fashion store in High Street, Christchurch ALWAYS have the most fabulous window displays. Their 'crowd' of suspended mannequins are among my favourite and most photographed. Now they've gone all out to create best Christmas display in town - using graffiti art. Three cheers for imagination!

Shoe Shuffle

Black Shoe

By Lipstik

Footwear Freaks should click on Shoes in the label line below

Festive Fashion

Christchurch Retail. Nov. 2008. Ajr

This seems like a reasonable sentiment to me!

Shoe Shuffle

Three Colourways

By Zu Shoe

http://www.zushoe.com/

If you're a shoe lover click on 'Shoes in the label line below to see others

Fashion Fantastic

Alannah Hill, Howey Place, Melbourne, Australia. Nov. 2008. Ajr

I LOVE being enticed into a well-designed retail environment – not because I necessarily want to spend money but because I simply appreciate that some (though surprisingly few) retailers inherently understand that beauty, lavishness, good design, quirkiness and originality are key components of the successful retail equation. One Melbourne store that really did it for me was the fashion house, Alannah Hill in Howey Place. It helped that I LOVE hot pink. (Not that I would ever WEAR hot pink!) Nor would I ever fit into one of Alannah Hill’s lusciously-designed garments; but I made a point of going in anyway – just to savour the sumptuous femininity, the colour, the texture, the aromas and the overall mood of extravagance and romance. Lovely! To get a feel for it all, check out Alannah’s fabulous website. It takes a while to load but it’s worth it. www.alannahhill.com.au

Shoe Shuffle

Store window, Melbourne. Nov. 2008. Ajr

GUCCI

Need I say more?

If you're a shoe fan click on shoes in the label line below

Shoe Shuffle

Block Arcade, Melbourne. Nove. 2008. Ajr

By Zoe Wittner