From an unconventional start to heading up a global sportswear empire, Pip Edwards has never been one to follow the pack. As Co-founder and Creative Director of sport luxe brand P.E Nation, Edwards’ tenacity is undeniable, with an intuitive yet sharply honed nous for both business and creativity that has seen the brand clock hugely impressive milestones in just five years since it launched. Dynamic and passionate, her love of movement extends far beyond just the physical, ensuring she’s running into the future with her sights firmly set on achieving both her own goals and those of her business.
Gathered outside your local café, collectively posing in downward dogs at the yoga studio, or assembling on ski fields countrywide, the groundswell of dedicated devotees of P.E Nation is impressive to say the least. Since the inception of the brand in 2016 by Edwards and business partner Claire Tregoning, P.E Nation now reaches countless women and men the world over, with a team of 55 working to reach over 500 touchpoints in more than 50 countries and 95 retail outlets.
Despite this, Edwards’ journey to this point did not follow a typical fashion trajectory. Edwards has no formal fashion design training — instead, her working career commenced with a Bachelor of Commerce and Law and a corporate job with PwC. It wasn’t long, however, until she shifted her career to where her passions lay. Cutting her teeth at iconic Australian brands such as Ksubi, General Pants Co. and Sass & Bide, Edwards worked around the clock in P.E Nation’s infancy to launch the brand in her downtime. The founders’ dedication has seen the brand reach often unprecedented heights — including becoming the first Australian fashion house ever to partner with Swedish retail giant H&M in 2020.
The global appetite for athleisure has grown to the point where it has far surpassed being merely a ‘trend’, and is firmly entrenched in our everyday fashion parlance. From Australia to the world, P.E Nation has undeniably played a large part in this. Here, Edwards gives a glimpse into her world and the fundamental factors that she relies on to make magic.
When I was young, I very much lived in my parents’ world. I was quite studious and really focused on my academic achievements.
While I wasn’t born in New Zealand, to me I consider it my fatherland. I have a strong affinity for its stealth landscape because of my father’s heritage. New Zealand is my second home.
I developed a passion for fashion and design when I was three years old when I was adamant I knew what to wear. I would constantly draw outfits and I would pull out my trusty scissors and DIY my whole wardrobe. I had an early passion for all things fashion.
Fashion is based on my gut intuition and my personal feelings. My love of fashion history and the breadth of my research means I have a back catalogue of knowledge. While I don’t have an official fashion design qualification, and I don’t necessarily know the ‘design rules’ per se, I follow my innate understanding of aesthetics and I constantly source inspiration from around the world in order to continually drive our designs into something unique.
The journey to where I am now has been somewhat convoluted. I have crossed multiple industries; hospitality, finance and the corporate world and then to fashion. Having this career history has allowed me to have a holistic view of how business comes together. It’s been my varied skill set combined with a burning passion that has led me to where I am today.
I would describe the birth of P.E Nation as the re-birth of me. I guess it’s me arriving at who I am, unapologetically. Combining my study, years of working knowledge, life experience and inspiration has led me to my ultimate ‘Ikigai’ or ‘reason for being.’ It’s a Japanese philosophy meaning, when your mission, your vocation, your profession and your passion combine, and are all in alignment, you can create magic.
Creating a fashion brand from scratch is no easy feat. And it’s not at all what you see on social media. It’s much much more than cool clothes and a great image. It involves a lot of dedication, planning and structure. One of the biggest challenges people don’t really see or consider comes from ensuring we are manufacturing at our very best, and this can be a difficult thing to achieve.
I’d like to be known for creating a community of like-minded people who are all wanting to tap into who they really are to find their inner strength.
People would be surprised to know that I play the piano. I played religiously for 12 years.
The most important lesson that life has taught me is resilience, and to be solution focused, and to bring your team on the journey with you.
Being a mother has taught me selflessness and responsibility and an acknowledgement that life is precious and to always think of the bigger picture. My son Justice is my biggest inspiration. He is my benchmark for love and my benchmark for progress.
My designing process is chaotic, ad-hoc and constant. I also believe strongly that you should make your own rules in work, and in life.
Gaining global notoriety through collaborations with the likes of H&M enhanced P.E Nation’s exposure in untapped markets and aided with brand recall. The next thing we would like to do is take over the US market. And maybe meet Madonna in the process!
I’m immensely proud of both my business and my son, but running parallel to that is my spiritual and emotional journey. Getting to where I am as a single mother, how I juggle being a mum and a business owner at the same time hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud to be doing it, supporting both of us and ticking boxes for both of us.
This doesn’t come without its challenges, though. The biggest thing I have to overcome is my own head. My own self noise and thoughts can get the better of me sometimes. This is a constant work in progress and is the only thing that ever holds me back from doing more. I’m really working hard at the moment on striving towards an inner peace.
At the end of the day, you really should do what you love and you’ll always do it well.
Interior design virtuosi are not the only ones to frequent the famed Salone del Mobile in Milano. Many of the world’s leading luxury fashion houses also showed their extensive design prowess at this year’s special Supersalone event. They created furniture pieces that showcased talents extending well beyond our wardrobes — with statement furniture, shiny cocktail bars and showpiece art, to name a few.
Left: Urania by Pietro Franceschini. Right: Archivio Calacatta Viola’s Table by CARA \ DAVIDE Design Studio x Mille997.
Rick Owens Furniture Rick Owens may be a fashion maverick, but his newest collaboration homed in on his striking furniture designs. With the help of Michele Lamy and the founder of Ygaël Attali, Galerie Philia, ten emerging Italian designers were chosen to create new one-of-a-kind pieces in his honour, like couture for the condo. A marble chair by Pietro Franceschini of PF STudio and a ‘floating’ glass and brass vase by Milan-and-Buenos-Aires-based Agustina Bottoni were paired with a bronze bollard lamp by Owens. Like the other installations, the contrasting and complementary materials began a new, ongoing conversation.
Left: The Campana Brothers’ Aguacate artwork installation. Right: The Campana Brothers’ Merengue ottoman.
LV Objects Curators of style, Louis Vuitton commissioned several designer pieces centring around its artisanal leather. Marcel Wanders Studio’s Petal chair was covered in the Maison’s rich cream hand-stitched leather to resemble a flower in sublime bloom. Meanwhile, Raw Edges’ Cosmic Table rested a glass tabletop, resembling a frozen ripple on a lake, on an organic base shape covered with Louis Vuitton leather. The Campana Brothers’ Aguacate artwork installation was a constellation of brightly coloured, avocado-shaped room dividers in rays of handwoven leather straps by Fernando and Humberto Campana. The colour coordinated Merengue ottomans, also by the Campana Brothers, spiralled together with a soft wool lining and a brass stud at the centre.
The iconic Dior Medallion chair reimagined by Joy de Rohan Chabot (left) and Ma Yansong (right).
The iconic Dior Medallion chair reimagined by India Mahdavi (left) and Pierre Yovanovitch (right).
Dior Maison Since its famed salon opened at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, Dior has seated guests in the Medallion chair — a symbol of refined Louis XVI style with an essential oval surmounted by a Fontanges bow. This year, for a different kind of salone, Dior Maison invited 17 artists to reinterpret the house code. While Christian Dior called the chair style “sober, simple and above all classic and Parisian”, the pluralistic collaboration drew on various cultural and artistic sensibilities to bring a new desirability through boundless creativity. The artists included Nacho Carbonell, Pierre Charpin, Dimorestudio, Khaled El Mays, Martino Gamper, Constance Guisset, India Mahdavi, Joy de Rohan Chabot, Atang Tshikare, Seungjin Yang, Tokujin Yoshioka and Pierre Yovanovitch.
Armani Casa bar cabinet.
Armani Casa All this time at home has us thinking we need a bar cabinet upgrade, and Armani’s Casa limited-edition bar cabinet ‘Royal’ highlights naturalist tones and textures to enhance your living environment. “I took my inspiration for this Armani/Casa collection from nature. We live on this planet, and we need to be in touch with the earth,” said Giorgio Armani. “Natural elements give us calm and serenity and provide the background against which we can express ourselves.” Also inciting a convivial sense of play at the end of the day, the Regini throw doubles as a large-scale chessboard.
Gucci Cartoleria.
Gucci Cartoleria To showcase its Lifestyle collection, The House of Gucci unveiled a whole world of curios at the Milan Design Week. Inspired by the traditional Italian stationery store, the Cartoleria was enriched with surprises, including notebooks in flight, chess sets that played themselves, endless bookcases, and a miniature living room that could be peeped through the skirting boards. All enchanted new releases were defined by the luxury brand’s motifs.
Versace Home.
Versace Home Versace called on the power of its community, to present a collection of objects by Luxury Living Group designed by architect duo Roberto Palomba and Ludovica Serafini. The clean and elegant forms of the collection were stamped with Versace’s iconic codes for a respectful but modern approach. Unveiled at the new Versace Home store in the city (which hosted a special installation by emerging Canadian artist Paul Kneale for the opening), it was an eclectic range of eye-catching decorative elements. The geometric La Greca pattern, which debuted with Versace’s fall 2021 fashion collection, looked mesmerising on larger-scale products, including wallpaper.
Bulgari.
Bulgari Metamorphosis With an eye for the finer things in life, Bulgari hosted an art exhibition at the GAM (Gallery of Modern Art), in the centre of the city. It invited three international artists Azuma Makoto, Ann Veronica Janssens and Daan Roosegaarde and one architect Vincent Van Duysento to develop a kind of metamorphosis, like that seen in the brand’s own Serpenti accessories. Makoto developed a life-size Garden of Eden with nature hanging from a man-made copper tree. Janssen created minimalist glass cases that experiment with light and reflection to show reality in a new way. Roosegaarde installed a wall covered in light and heat-sensitive metallic flowers, which bloom and close to the conditions for a dialogue between technology and nature. Finally, Van Duysen created a monolithic gold and silver metal maze inside a gallery room that became a contemplative space.
Hermès Interior Life Just as covetable, and exclusive, as its leather accessories, Hermès’ interior design collection focussed on luxurious, rich and raw materials. The Sillage d’Hermès armchair, for example, was designed by Studio Mumbai to have a vintage flair to its abundant rounded shape. It was crafted from beechwood, and upholstered with a sustainable cellulosic compound made of 70 percent recycled materials. Assembled in Apulia, the Italian region with a five-century-old tradition in the making of papier-mâché, it was truly precious.
Missoni Home outdoor collection.
Missoni Home With its colourful style and signature patterns, Missoni always makes a statement at Salone del Mobile. This year, it took over three entrancing sites, including the courtyard of the Università Statale di Milano. Here, the luxury Italian brand showcased its outdoor line, including the Nap Outdoor modular sofa, covered in striped fabrics, of course. It has us dreaming of summer days by the pool, complete with those iconic zig-zag towels.
Ask us what our dream wishlist from Partridge Jewellers might be, and we’d be here all day. As Partridge Jewellers’ Marketing and Communications Manager, Madeline Saxton-Beer is no stranger to beautiful things. Here, she gives us an insight into her current obsessions and shares some helpful advice around the latest jewellery trends.
My personal style can be defined by: Comfort, I’m afraid to say. Running around with two little people means that low maintenance is a high priority. I also like to feel polished, but relaxed, like, “I’m trying, but not too hard!”. A blazer, sneakers and some form of unkempt hair-do is probably the closest thing I have to a signature look.
Partridge is most known and loved for: Our family ownership. Partridge has such an amazing family history. It’s been around forever (150 years in New Zealand alone) and attracts many of the best international watch and jewellery brands because of how respected it is. It’s also a business that’s constantly evolving. We have some incredibly exciting projects on the horizon including opening in Westfield Newmarket’s luxury sector.
Currently, our most requested piece of jewellery is: Any Rolex watch. The demand is crazy!
When choosing a watch at the moment, it’s all about: The brand. Each one has different characteristics or caters to a slightly different personality. I think people are also taking the view that if they’re lucky enough, they might own more than one watch in their lifetime; it then becomes about building a collection with diversity.
An object I would never part with is: I’m sentimental about a lot of things but I don’t think I’m bound to any one object.
I am inspired by: My partner Ed, who is forever energised and inspired himself. He is annoyingly put-together. He knows how to work hard, enjoy life and never has any regrets.
An unforgettable place I visited was: This one is hard. I feel like so much of what makes something unforgettable is the people you’re with and the frame of mind you’re in. A few years back, I was lucky enough to spend a few nights at a place called La Colombe D’or in a medieval enclave of the South of France. It’s kind of like a mini Chateau Marmont; there’s a sense that those walls have seen a lot and your existence reduces down to the fortress-like accommodation. I was pregnant with my first child at the time and spent a lot of time contemplating how life was about to change for me. It was a good place to contemplate; surrounded by incredible art and soaking up the special light of the Côte D’Azur.
The other place that comes to mind, and I’m talking about my footloose backpacking days here, is a place called Chacahua on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. I went there with a couple of friends, many of them surfers, and it’s the closest I’ve ever felt to being at the edge of the world. There is no direct way to get there — it involves a flight, van transfer and questionable boat ride — and once you arrive at the incredibly small township, there’s nothing to do except live on the beach; eat, surf, swim, repeat. I don’t think there’s phone reception either. I’m sure it would be torture for some people I know.
Chacahua, Mexico.
When I was younger, I wanted to be: A teacher of some sort. I just wish it was made to be a more compelling profession here in New Zealand. I have huge respect for anyone doing this job.
I recently discovered: The Jane Goodall story, but properly. What a lady, what a life. I’m now having mad ideas about uprooting our family and going to work at her chimpanzee refuge in the Congo for a year.
My guilty pleasure is: The TV show Selling Sunset. Bonbons — any kind.
The latest music I’m loving is: Jungle’s new album Loving in Stereo and the Nomade playlist from the eponymous hotel in Tulum — it’s great for taking you to slightly more exotic pastures than your living room might allow at the moment.
The podcasts I listen to are: At the moment, any interview by Tim Ferriss on The Tim Ferriss Show. I recently went down a rabbit hole after listening to Joe Rogan’s talk with David Goggins. That guy is made of something else. Dig in people!
I can’t miss an episode of:Nine Perfect Strangers – I’m officially hooked! It’s the privileged, 21st-century pursuit for ‘wellness’ at its finest. And it makes me want to go to Byron Bay.
In my fridge you’ll always find: Sparkling water, leftover spaghetti bolognese.
If price were not an issue, the one artist whose work I would collect is: Cy Twombly.
From left to right: Raf Simmons Ruffle-appliqué Oversized Shirt and Dior Book Tote.
The last thing I bought and loved was: A pink oversized Raf Simons tuxedo shirt. Not only can it hide a multitude of sins but it will take you almost anywhere on a dressy occasion.
My favourite cultural/style icon is: The whole Beckham family. They seem like they have it figured out.
On my wish list is: A black Dior book tote and a Patek Philippe Nautilus (below) for my fiancé.
Patek Philippe Nautilus.
The best jewellery investment to make is: Pink diamonds. They recently closed the world’s only mine in Western Australia which was the best-known source. They have one more tender for the last remaining stones, after which their value will likely steadily go up.
The jewellery trend at the moment is towards: At the moment I think layering is big, whether necklaces or bracelets, a combination of textures (both finer and bolder pieces) looks great. I also think there’s a movement out there that’s not about saving your jewels to put on for a special occasion but wearing them every day. Whether it’s a pair of diamond earrings or a gorgeous diamond bangle, these are things that don’t ever go out of style — it’s a very sustainable approach.
A new piece I’m currently in love with is: Some of the ASHOKA diamond wrap-around rings are drop-dead amazing. It’s definitely a ‘more is more’ look.
Anyone who has dined at Culprit knows the inner-city restaurant’s desserts are something special, thanks to its signature blend of nostalgia and innovation. Chef and owner Kyle Street shares his delicious recipe for a soft pavlova with orange and mandarin curd foam for you to make at home.
“My favourite style of pavlova is the one with the wafer-thin crispy topping and the thick marshmallowy centre, the texture found in pavlova roulades of old. Here’s a recipe that tweaks a roulade recipe, and bakes it in a cheesecake tin,” says Street.
“For best results, weigh and prepare all your ingredients before you start. Ideally, you should make the pavlova in one smooth process from start to finish, as when egg whites are whipped early and left to stand they tend to deflate and lose some of their ability to become thick and fluffy.
I came up with this combination when my wife and I were staying with my friend Elle at her cottages out in Waimauku. She had an abundance of bitter orange and other citrus and tasked me with coming up with a dessert on the fly one weekend, hence the crushed gingernuts on top.”
Culprit’s Soft Pavlova with Orange & Mandarin Curd Foam Recipe
Ingredients: Soft pavlova 190g egg whites 275g caster sugar 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp white vinegar ½ tsp vanilla essence
Orange & mandarin curd foam 300g freshly squeezed orange and mandarin juice 6 egg yolks 70g sugar 50ml cream 2 gelatine leaves, bloomed (sprinkled into a little tap water so they dissolve evenly) 50g cream (added separately to the first measure) 50g milk
Optional additions for serving: Fresh cream Grated or shaved dark chocolate Crushed gingernuts Freeze-dried mandarin from Fresh As
Method: Soft pavlova 1. Preheat your oven to 160°C on fan bake. 2. Line a cake tin with baking paper allowing a short collar of the paper to extend past the sides of the cake tin. 3. In a KitchenAid or stand mixer, whip egg whites on high until soft peaks form. 4. Once you have soft peaks, slowly spoon in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time with the motor running at medium speed. 5. Once all sugar is added, beat for a further 5 minutes on high. The mix should become very thick and glossy. 6. Turn off the mixer and gently fold in all the rest of the pavlova ingredients, ensuring you fold from the very bottom of the bowl. Return to the mixer and whip for 1 more minute. 7. Using a clean spatula, dollop a very small amount of some mix into the bottom of the baking tin and press it right into the corners. Add the rest of your mixture and spread with an offset spatula till flat. You should press down firmly and spread right into the corners to ensure there aren’t any large air pockets left. 8. Bake for 20-30 minutes. It should rise evenly, wobbly but firm. If the centre has yet to rise, allow to cook further. 9. Once cooked, place the entire cake tin on a rack and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the tin.
Orange & mandarin curd foam 1. Reduce your orange and mandarin juice in a pot on the stove until half is left (150g). 2. Put your yolks, sugar and cream in a separate small, clean pot. Whisk together then add the hot mandarin juice reduction and continue to whisk until combined. 3. Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a spatula until it thickens like a custard or anglaise. 4. Remove from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin and stir well to combine. 5. Add the milk and the second measure of cream and whisk well to combine. 6. At this stage you could chill in the fridge until ready to serve and serve as a more traditional curd.
Or, if you have the equipment: 7. You could place the curd into a clean 500ml cream whipper (like an Isi Whip) and charge with one C02 charger. Shake extremely vigorously, chill in fridge upside down until ready to use. Before serving, shake well to get the curd to fall to the head of the cream whipper before foaming. 8. Optional is to serve with a dollop of whipped cream, grated or shaved dark chocolate (or even a large shard like in these images), and a sprinkle of crushed gingernuts and freeze-dried mandarins.
Remember cauliflower pizza? It’s still delicious. This nifty alternative first appeared on our radar in 2015, becoming the food trend you simply had to try — and for good reason. The low-carb crust was both crispy and cheesy, while also sturdy enough to ferry your favourite toppings to your eagerly awaiting tastebuds. This recipe makes it easy to revisit this clever creation, whether you’re gluten-free or simply want to try something a little lighter.
Method 1. Heat oven on fan bake at 215°C. 2. Blitz cauliflower florets in a food processor until it resembles the consistency of breadcrumbs. 3. Place chopped florets into a microwave safe bowl and bake for 7-8 minutes until the cauliflower is very tender. Drain the excess moisture with a sieve, pushing the liquid out with a wooden spoon until it is mostly dry before allowing it to cool on paper towels. 4. In a bowl, whisk the egg and combine the finely grated parmesan, mozzarella and season to taste, add in the dry cauliflower and stir (note, if it is too dry, add another egg). 5. Once combined, pat the mixture into the pan, and bake for 5-10 minutes before adding desired toppings and cooking for a further 10-15 minutes.
As the co-owner of Grey Lynn local Lilian, alongside Hugo Baird and Otis Gardner Schapiro, Willy Gresson understands the ingredients of a successful restaurant. We asked him to serve up the details of his influences and inspirations.
My personal style is: Relaxed, comfortable, neutral colours — being on your feet all day and night you want to be comfortable for sure, I like my t-shirts slightly baggy to give a bit of leeway in the winter months.
The last thing I bought and loved was: New sunnies, can never have too many pairs of shades.
On my wish list is: To buy a house.
Chamonix
An unforgettable place I visited was: Chamonix, France. It was a family trip when I was 16 and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I would love to live in France for a while, learn the language and immerse myself in their culture and lifestyle.
The next place I’d like to go to is: Melbourne and Sydney. I still have a lot of friends and family that I haven’t seen in a while living in Sydney and would love to check out the dining scene in Melbourne.
An object I would never part with is: A gold ring I was given by my grandfather. I don’t wear it all the time but it’s a special family keepsake.
The last thing I added to my wardrobe was: A pair of new pants from Commoners.
The person that inspires me: Peter Sullivan, my old boss at Chiswick Restaurant in Sydney. His leadership, passion and ethos in hospitality is something I look up to and try to pass on to my staff.
My favourite app is: Pinterest and Spotify. I love finding new things especially music.
If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood it would be: Paddington, Sydney. I lived there for three years and it has pretty much everything you need from clothing, groceries, bars and restaurants.
Dylan Rieder
My style icon is: Dylan Rieder, seriously slick operator. R.I.P.
The best book I’ve read in the last year is: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.
I can’t miss an episode of: Don’t watch much TV but The Chase is always a good watch.
In my fridge you’ll always find: Anathoth Farm Tomato Relish and Best Foods mayo. Slap that on some Vogels with anything and you’re away laughing.
I recently discovered: During the lockdown I have been doing things I don’t usually have time for. Reading and bike rides are probably top of the list.
The people I rely on for my wellbeing are: My girlfriend, mum and dad. I also have an amazing group of tight friends and we all rely on each other in one way or another. I think surrounding yourself with people you admire and have fun with is hugely important for your wellbeing.
Ken Griffen’s work on the wall at Honey Bones
The one artist whose work I would collect (if price is not an issue) is: I’m not really an artsy person but I really like Ken Griffen’s work. We have one up in the cafe and people are always asking about it.
The last meal out I had that truly impressed me was: Pici, simple and delicious with great service.
The best gift I ever received was: I’d been eyeing up some shoes for a while, so a group of mates got together and bought them for my birthday. It meant more that they’d gone to the effort to work out what I’d love.
The last music I downloaded was: Mac Miller — Circles.
If I wasn’t doing what I am, I would be: I have no idea and have been doing hospo since I was still at school.
For anyone watching, it would seem Chelsea Winstanley (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) has reached the apex of a successful career in film. However, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker will happily tell you she’s still on a journey to discover what this looks like, both for herself and for the stories she wishes to champion. With an impressive amount of projects on the go and in the works, Winstanley’s storytelling prowess is as multi-faceted as the woman herself, and her formidable drive means that, whether pitching to Hollywood executives or putting her all into independent projects, she is a force to be reckoned with.
Raised in Mount Maunganui, Winstanley’s entry into film came “probably later than most”, but after majoring in film production at AUT and graduating top of her class with a Media Peace award for her first-ever documentary, even juggling single motherhood as a 23-year-old, Winstanley shone. Now, with nearly 20 years’ experience as a writer, producer and director, she is one of Aotearoa’s foremost trailblazers in the industry, with a unique and assured point of view that she wields with beauty, courage and sensitivity.
In 2014, she co-produced hit vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows with her former partner Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement (it became that year’s highest-grossing local film), and was the sole producer on acclaimed documentary Merata: How Mum Decolonised The Screen, which was picked up for distribution by famed US filmmaker Ava DuVernay. Winstanley became the first indigenous woman to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award after producing Jojo Rabbit and, this year, was recognised as a Kea World Class New Zealand Award winner.
With a passion for story sovereignty among indigenous peoples — particularly Māori women — Winstanley has dedicated herself to furthering these voices in the stories she tells. With her global outlook and connections, she is bringing Māori and indigenous voices to the world. Early in 2020, Winstanley founded production company This Too Shall Pass, under which she is currently working on a documentary feature film about the landmark Toi Tū Toi Ora exhibition that showed at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, earlier this year.
Coming up, she and co-producer Tweedie Waititi have secured the rights to dub and release two more Disney films — (you may have heard of them, The Lion King and Frozen) — in te reo Māori, following the success of the te reo version of Moana. Here, Winstanley reflects on her journey thus far and shares her thoughts on the industry, her process, motherhood and overcoming imposter syndrome.
When I was young I had an imaginary friend called Kak. She was so real to me. I would make my dad set a place for her at the dinner table, insist the front door be left open until she came inside, and I would squeeze into the middle of the back seat of the car so she could sit next to the window. My siblings thought I was crazy and I guess my parents put up with it. The significance of her existence became more apparent to me as an adult, when I started to delve into my past. When I was around seven and my parents split up, Kak and I would sit in the lounge after school, surrounded by every large object from the kitchen drawer — the place where the sharpest knives are kept. Everything we could muster, from the heavy sword-like knife sharpener, the egg slice, the carving fork… anything we could get our hands on. We sat there, on edge, waiting for dad to get home from work. She was my protector, my best friend and one day she disappeared. I’ve written a short film about her that I hope to make one day.
My passion for film first came about when I saw the merging of still and moving images in the documentary Bastion Point: Day 507 by Merata Mita. I had always been interested in photography and had not seen it used in such a creative way in storytelling before. There was something so arresting about it that made me think about film in a different way. Although I had seen movies at the cinema when I was young, my childhood was rooted in the beach at Mount Maunganui so I wasn’t immersed in cinema or living near a city that had a film festival, so my discovery was probably later than most.
The journey to where I am now has involved a lot of self-belief. When I started in this industry I had put myself through university as a 23-year-old solo mum of a two-year-old baby boy. I had an intrinsic belief that education was the only way for me to get out of the situation I was in, which at the time was a statistic. By all accounts I was a young Māori mother on the benefit with no prospects, but something inside of me knew this wasn’t it. Merata Mita once said, “when you have children, you have an investment in the future”.
I wanted my son to see me achieving and contributing to making the world more empathetic, more understanding and more tolerant, and storytelling was a way to do that. Taking the time to listen to someone else’s journey can be life-changing. I wanted my son to see that no matter what happens in life, you have a choice and to not be held hostage by your past. Accept, acknowledge and move forward. Allow your past to motivate you, not define you.
After university, my first job was at Kiwa Productions, a TV production company owned and operated by two wāhine Māori, Rhonda Kite and Libby Hakaraia. It was thrilling and exciting to be working with women I admired and who are still, to this day, making transformational changes for Māori participation in storytelling. I had made a short documentary for my final year at university, based on my cousins at my marae, Paparoa, who were running a tourism venture while also holding down full-time study. What they were doing was finding a way to transfer traditional knowledge to the next generation, while keeping the ahi kā (home fires) burning. I was in awe of my cousins and I wanted to celebrate them. I called that film Whakangahau (to celebrate/entertain) and I won a Media Peace Award for it. It was the affirmation I needed and I’m grateful because it said to me, in that moment, the path I had chosen was right.
I’m into shining a light on the positive in everything I try to do.
The stories I like to tell are based on celebrating and highlighting the beauty that is Māori. Simply for the fact that, despite the imperialistic pursuits of Britain and the subsequent devastating effects of colonisation, Māori are still here and we are thriving. Our love for the whenua and for one another are values every single person living in Aotearoa can live by. It is only fear of the unknown that inhibits our growth together as a nation.
We are so excited to have secured a further two Disney titles to dub, especially after the Moana reo Māori was so successful. The Lion King gives us a really good opportunity to be quite pan-tribal, and delve into different dialects from different iwi.
For us, first and foremost, it’s about being able to normalise te reo Māori. Disney is such a well-known product — we all know it as a brand and also one that is family-orientated. Because it can reach both Māori and Pākehā, it’s almost like an ‘in’ for people, you know how sometimes people feel a bit afraid to give Māori a go, or think that because they’re not [Māori] that they can’t, but it’s just not true. We all live here in this country, we should all be able to feel like we can have these languages.
The cool thing about The Lion King is it spans so many generations. The themes of morals and looking after the land and one another, are universal themes. We’re really excited that Disney is taking us seriously and that comes down to what Tweedie [Waititi] and her team delivered the first time with Moana.
A goal I have that I’m yet to realise is to korero te reo Māori fluently.
I’d like to be known for being part of a movement that was dedicated to equitable participation in storytelling.
People would be surprised to know that I am named after a Black American singer. Her name was Chelsea Brown. My mother named me after this singer but most people associate Chelsea with England and football — I don’t particularly like either.
My working process is intention first, the ‘how-to’ comes later. When I first started directing and telling stories, I was just fascinated with people and I was genuinely interested in other people’s journeys.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is “this too shall pass”.
I believe the fundamental factors to keep in mind when making a film are to ask yourself questions all the time. What is my intention? Am I the right person to tell this story? Will this story add to my spiritual growth?
Something I would like to see more of in the film industry is women at the table in every facet of the pipeline of filmmaking — from producing through to distribution. They don’t exist without each other and right now we do not (in Aotearoa) hold a position in distribution. I want to change that.
One of the most impactful cinema experiences I’ve had was going to watch Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads documentary by Jonathan Demme. I loved it because I got to sneak in with my sister, who’s six years older than me. I remember watching her and her mates dancing in the aisles.
The most important lesson that life has taught me is “find the courage to stand up for yourself then stand up for someone else” — a quote from the formidable, late Dr Maya Angelou. I don’t believe in the singular or individual pursuit. We are stronger in numbers, we have to be. United we stand, divided we fall. It’s a classic imperialist colonial view to be an individual and it doesn’t work. Throughout history we have seen it played over and over again, and we see it now, with everything that is happening in the world from the current pandemic to mass migration due to famine, war and genocide to basic human rights. Most of the decisions that have led to the atrocities perpetrated by the human race have been made by men. It’s time to hand over the power. We would be better off if women were in charge.
Being a mother has taught me the hardest lessons in life but for that I am grateful. Compassion, love, empathy, selflessness, hard work, heartache and failure. Parenting is the hardest job ever. You have to constantly accept that the decisions you make were, or are, the best you could at the time, for the circumstance you were in. Upon reflection they might not be the best decision but you have to forgive yourself and know it is all part of your spiritual growth. As parents we need to be kinder to ourselves and to be in constant communication with our children about this. I have made some terrible choices but as Dr Angelou says, “do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” I love a good quote!
I perform at my best when my intention is in alignment with my soul’s purpose. It might be weird to say that, at 45, I’m just realising what that is. I really feel like I’m coming into my own, I’m more confident, and more confident to say I’m a storyteller.
The rules are meant to be reimagined.
I would love to collaborate with many people. One is Ripeka Evans, on a story about the women involved in the anti-apartheid Springbok tour movement in the early 1980’s.
I really admire people who, despite what life throws at them, get up and keep going.
While I try not to be too angry these days, I am disappointed that the entitled and privileged in Aotearoa continue to ignore the fact that their intergenerational wealth is accumulated off the back of stolen land and dispossession of Māori.
My definition of success is freedom. Freedom from self-limitation. The freedom that comes from saying yes, and not being afraid.
I’m most proud of the film Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen. It was an honour to work with her son Hepi. I learnt so much about her that I didn’t know. To have Ava DuVernay distribute it was my most proud moment as a producer. I love her fearless approach to participation in the pipeline of storytelling. She is a champion for women, people of colour and groups who have been traditionally left out of the storytelling process. Without her support, the film would not have been seen throughout the world.
The personality traits that have contributed to my success are self-belief, tenacity, happiness, gratitude and gut instinct.
The future for me looks incredible. I am moving into spaces of the film pipeline that we have never occupied before. I am more confident in my choices as a director, writer and producer. I feel incredibly grateful but most of all, free.
Home is transient. I am happy to be living in Tāmaki Makaurau for now, my heart will always be in Tauranga Moana, and I look forward to the time we can travel again and see the world.
Something I want to instil in my children is a love for their culture and language and for them to know they have nothing to fear except fear itself.
The biggest thing I’ve had to overcome is imposter syndrome. When I was a child, I was not taught that I could belong anywhere I wanted to, so I have spent a long time trying to prove that point. I don’t, so much, anymore and I am not sure if that comes down to confidence, age or just not paying attention to that nagging voice anymore. I am enough, I’m enough for me.
I will say this: I accept that I am a work in progress and that life is a soul journey — right now I am just doing the best I can.
While we can’t get everyone together for after-work drinks at Hotel Ponsonby at level 4, we can bring the party to our place with the establishment’s Espresso Martini recipe. It’s sure to shake things up.
Hotel Ponsonby’s Espresso Martini Recipe Serves 1
Ingredients: 60ml vodka 30ml coffee espresso or cold brew 15ml coffee liqueur (Kahlúa, Mr Black etc) 15ml sugar syrup
Method: 1. Add all ingredients to your shaker or vessel. 2. Shake with ice and strain into a glass. 3. Garnish with coffee beans or coffee grind.
Juvenile, thick, blobby, shapeless, comical. While these might not usually be overly positive words with which to describe something, when it comes to one of design’s current favourite trends, these characteristics couldn’t be more charming.
Surely you will have seen, inside the homes of myriad tastemakers and on the curated social media feeds of savvy aesthetes, plush and squishy furniture pieces resting benevolently in the space, looking almost like something out of a Pixar film. Pieces like Gubi’s Pacha sofa and Moooi’s Hortensia chair; Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly chairs, or Arflex’s Botolo armchair — rendered in an irresistibly fluffy finish, the latter would certainly not be out of place in the film Monsters Inc.
The Neotenic Collection by New York design studio Jumbo. Photo: Pippa Drummond.
These amorphous, chunky shapes are everywhere, and it’s a prevalence that has been steadily building in popularity for over ten years — although many of the pieces have been design icons for decades. In 2019, a widely attended exhibition held in Brooklyn examined this genre of design, curated by Justin Donnelly and Monling Lee of renowned New York design practice Jumbo. Donnelly coined a term to describe them: Neotenic.
Pacha sofa by Pierre Paulin for Gubi from Cult Design.
In science, the definition of neoteny is, essentially, the retention of juvenile physical attributes through maturity — in humans and animals. In Donnelly’s context, the reference was to a theory proposed by Nobel Prize-winning ethologist Konrad Lorenz who, in the 1940s, posited that juvenile features in baby animals elicit a nurturing response. In other words, he was talking about cuteness and how it attracts us.
It’s no wonder, then, that when we see something like the spongy Pukka chair by Yabu Pushelberg, we feel so drawn to it. In many of these pieces, their soft roundness is both comfortable and comforting in more than just a functional sense. They might be inanimate objects, but the response they induce is far from stiff and static.
Interestingly, Donnelly believed this overarching trend first came to the fore at the same time as the 2008 financial crisis, and while it has never truly receded, there is no doubt that the current fervour for these playful shapes is bubbling away enthusiastically. It seems logical that, given the dark and stormy state of the world right now, we would be drawn to a cheerfully simplistic lamp or a bright, squiggly chair.
The Family Home by Argyle Design features the Roly-Poly chairs by Faye Toogood for Driade from David Shaw.
This year, resulting (presumably) from much of the globe spending more time inside than usual, the evolution of the Neotenic trend is leaning towards forms that are even more pillowy and plump. The icon status of Mario Bellini’s bobbly Camaleonda sofa has reached new heights and Vogue reported in March that sales of Michel Ducaroy’s classic Togo Sofa (originally designed in 1973 for Ligne Roset) were up 203 percent.
From an interior curation point of view, both Neotenic and generally rotund pieces are often utilised for their ability to soften linear edges and silhouettes within the base architecture, a strategy that Matisse’s design consultant, Caroline Montague, corroborates. “Without a few soft curveballs, a new apartment can look like a hard-edged hotel,” she says. “New spongy, rounded Neotenic sofa designs blur the edges of rectilinear architectural features and turn that vast empty ballroom into an inwardly focused buffer of comfort and style.”
Structured materials like stone, wood, brass and tile are ripe for their role as a stoic backdrop to such playfulness.
Even as a response to mid-century style, one of design’s other key enduring furniture trends, softer pieces can be tastefully mixed in to provide balance and contrast, and are showstopping when employed with appropriate finesse.
The Brighton Colour Interior features the Moel chair by Inga Sempé for Ligne Roset.
The beauty of many of these pieces is that they are sculptural objects, offering functionality when in use and a visually interesting addition when not. Gaetano Pesce’s pioneering Serie Up 2000 armchair for B&B Italia is a prime example; with its undulating lines and anthropomorphous references, it is a work of art in its own right. While on the surface it might seem to embody Neotenic design, as Montague comments, it is also drenched in symbolism and meaning. “This chair is not a convergence of biomorphism, blobism and bug-eyed cutesiness. Gaetano Pesce’s streamlined fertility goddess with attached ball and chain is a layered, meaningful feminist statement from way back in 1969.”
The Collector House by Arent&Pyke features the Serie Up 2000 armchair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia from Matisse.
It’s important to remember that, although some of the shapes may seem reductive, the design nous required to create many of these pieces is sometimes more complex and thorough than a more outwardly intricate object, given that they often appear effortless and rendered as one. For many designers, the impetus boils down to a desire to explore what magical results can be found when one homes in on the essence of an object — Montreal-based lighting design house Lambert & Fils ascribes to this notion with its Parc collection, designed to evoke the archetype of a flashlight with ‘naive and functional’ forms that call to mind childlike, makeshift creations.
While there is a place for the formal and ornate, Neotenic design and its successors are about highlighting the poeticism that can be achieved when furnishings are designed to be welcoming, embracing, almost earnest. What could be more adorable than that?
Left to right: Pacific armchair by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso from Matisse; Bellhop table lamp by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby for Flos from ECC; Aalto vase by Alvar & Aino Aalto for Iittala from The Studio of Tableware.
Left to right: Infinity coffee table by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Arflex from Studio Italia, Plumy chair by Annie Hiéronimus from Ligne Roset.
Left to right: Botolo armchair by Cini Boeri for Arflex from Studio Italia, Oo table lamp by Eny Lee Parker, Pippi Dining armchair by Roberto Paoli for MIDJ of Italy from Sarsfield Brooke.
A favourite treat at the Little Culprit wine bar, these bierstick corn dogs are as much fun to make as they are to eat.
The secret is to choose a gourmet bierstick that is to your tastes. “We use very lightly cured nduja/chorizo biersticks made for us at Salash Delicatessen (which is open for online orders) or you can use your own favourite biersticks,” says Little Culprit‘s Kyle Street.
Little Culprit’s Bierstick Corn Dogs Recipe Makes 12
Ingredients 100g tempura flour 75g polenta (½ coarse, ½ fine) 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp baking powder 200ml soda water, chilled 12 biersticks Flaky salt, to season
Method For the batter 1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the dry ingredients and make a well. 2. Add the soda water and whisk the dry ingredients, adding more and more as you go. You don’t want to add all of the flour at once or lumps may form. 3. Whisk vigorously for one minute to activate the starch in the polenta and flour. 4. Pour into a mug or tall-sided glass and set aside. For the bierstick corn dogs 1. Pre-heat a benchtop deep fryer to 180°C or half-fill a tall sided pot with cooking oil and heat to 185°C. Pay attention to the temperature with a thermometer. 2. Peel the skin from each bierstick. (Sometimes it helps to score first and rub them with hot water). 3. Insert a skewer halfway into the bierstick. 4. Dip the bierstick into the batter, making sure that it goes up to the top of the bierstick and part of the skewer. 5. Place the skewer into the fryer and hold, allowing the batter to set for 5 seconds before letting go and gently pushing away with your hand. 6. Cook for 2–3 minutes depending on the thickness of your bierstick. 7. Allow to drain on a cooking towel. 8. Season with flakey salt and dip liberally into malt spiked ketchup.
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