Fifty is no longer ‘over the hill’, it’s standing on top of it with a better view. This is the milestone for leaning into everything you’ve earned, and looking fabulous while doing so.
From timeless jewellery to couture-level pieces, here, we share an edit of what to wear to celebrate 50 in statement-making style.
Embrace a half-century celebration with statement-making style that feels confident, chic, and considered.
There are birthdays, and then there are monumental celebrations; nights that you’ll remember forever. For Olivia Carter, General Manager of Soul Bar & Bistro, her recent celebration wasn’t about turning a year older, but about pressing pause and sharing a moment of joy with the people she holds dearest. “We’re all so busy,” she says. “I wanted to create a night that brought my favourite people together; no distractions, no obligations, just connection,” Carter says. “I wanted to take a moment to be present with the people I love, to enjoy how far we’ve come and how lucky we are.”
Soul Bar & Bistro was the only choice for this celebration; familiar, yet reimagined. As Soul’s General Manager, Olivia Carter is well-versed in events, but this time she stepped into the role of host. The result was an evening that felt fresh, fun, and completely personal.
Naturally, the setting was Soul. But this time, Carter took centre stage, reimagining the iconic venue with a deeply personal lens. “I wanted to do something we hadn’t done before at Soul, something with meaning, style, and a little mischief.”
The brief? Over-the-top elegance. Guests were asked to wear black and white — a request she cheekily flipped on the night by arriving in a stunning pink gown. A single, beautifully styled table ran the length of the outdoor terrace while fabric draping, rich burgundy florals, clusters of grapes, and candlelight set the atmosphere. The playlist, courtesy of SweetMix Kids, set the tone for a night full of energy and heart.
Food and drink were essential. Signature cocktails, stamped ice blocks, and even caviar-topped chicken nuggets made an appearance. The hero pour of the evening was the incredibly rare RSRV Lalou Cuvée 2008 Champagne, gifted in support of Carter’s vision and served generously throughout the night. “It was such a thoughtful gesture. RSRV completely understood what I was trying to create.”
The menu mirrored Carter’s signature style, from Mumm RSRV Champagne flowing freely to caviar-topped chicken nuggets. With the rare Mumm RSRV Lalou Cuvée 2008 as the hero pour, every bite and sip was crafted to honour friendship, elegance, and living fully in the moment.
Dessert was theatrical; a magnificent strawberry-topped cake, sliced and shared just as the dancing kicked off. Rather than gifts, Carter invited guests to donate to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, a cause close to her family’s heart. She and her husband matched all contributions.
“I looked around the table and thought, ‘This is exactly where I want to be.’” For someone who spends her life creating special moments for others, this was Carter’s time to savour one for herself, with grace, style, and the people who matter most.
There are bags that follow trends, and those that define them. The Gucci GG Marmont sits firmly in the latter category — a modern icon shaped by heritage and quality design. With its softly sculpted silhouette and archival Double G emblem, it’s a piece that has rightfully become a signature of the House, worn by those who understand that true style doesn’t ebb and flow, but endure. From its debut on the runway in 2016 to its current iteration today, the Marmont remains a masterclass in enduring elegance.
First introduced in 2016, the Marmont was never meant to be a fleeting moment. From the start, it carried the essence of Gucci’s DNA — the Double G logo, drawn from archival designs dating back to the 1970s, and a certain irreverent elegance that channels the glamour of the Château Marmont, for which the bag is partly named. But its real staying power lies in its considered construction.
“The bag’s softly structured silhouette is shaped through gentle quilting, with every line, seam, and stitch mapped and measured by hand.”
In Gucci’s Florence atelier, the making of a Marmont is a lesson in refinement and precision. Each bag is handcrafted by a small team of five artisans, who — across a seven-hour-long process — guide its form into shape with meticulous care. The process blends tradition with innovation, with each of the 152 precise steps an exercise in intentionality. The leather, now an even softer lambskin for 2025, has been chosen not just for its tactility, but for how it will wear over time. The bag’s softly structured silhouette is shaped through gentle quilting, with every line, seam, and stitch mapped and measured by hand.
Over the years, subtle evolutions have refined the Marmont’s language, balancing timelessness with the tempo of contemporary life. This year’s update introduces a more refined palette of seasonal tones, alongside fresh finishes in gold and light gold hardware. A discreet back pocket adds functionality to the medium and large versions, without disrupting the purity of the design. The faceted sliding chain strap remains one of its most compelling features — playful and versatile, able to swing from shoulder to crossbody with ease.
As is evident in this latest considered update, where quiet recalibrations, from a shift in proportion to the elevation of material to the soft layering of function, speak to the Marmont’s ongoing relevance. This is a bag built to endure. As it continues to evolve in line with the way we live
and dress, it also remains unmistakably Marmont: distinctive, adaptable, and anchored in a design language that resists the need for reinvention.
Tucked into the leafy surrounds of São Paulo’s Higienópolis neighbourhood, Apartment Sete offers a refined take on modern Brazilian living, where cohesion, clarity, and comfort coalesce.
Designed for a couple with a deep appreciation for art and family connection, Arthur Casas’ Apartment Sete prioritises integration. Social spaces, from the gourmet kitchen and dining room to the living area and home theatre, flow seamlessly into one another, inviting togetherness. During the week, the guest bedrooms double as offices; come the weekend, they’re warm, playful sanctuaries for visiting grandchildren.
Materiality grounds the apartment’s mood: an exposed concrete slab and structural pillars introduce a raw honesty, softened by the rhythm of warm timber panelling and the cool cohesion of Santa Margherita terrazzo, which stretches from the hallway walls to custom furniture.
“Social spaces — from the gourmet kitchen and dining room to the living area and home theatre — flow seamlessly into one another, inviting togetherness.”
Vintage and contemporary design intertwine effortlessly. A vintage 1950s handle opens into the expansive social zone, where Arthur Casas’ sculptural Fusca sofa and terrazzo console are framed by curated works from artists like Liuba Wolf and Artur Lescher. Pieces by Jorge Zalszupin, Zanotta, Etel, and Johanson Design sit comfortably alongside a mirror-finished artwork by Ana Maria Tavares, while smart lighting, from the Grampo lamp to Flos’ Arrangements pendant, enhances the atmosphere without distraction.
Throughout, the architecture favours restraint and rhythm. Arches of terrazzo and wood line the hallway, where spot-lit shelving showcases the residents’ collection, including works by León Ferrari and Daniel Senise. In the bedrooms, oak flooring lends a sense of intimacy, while the master suite, with its timber ceiling, soft cove lighting, and mineral stone bath — offers a calm, cocooning retreat.
Resolving technical challenges without compromising form, the studio tucked air-conditioning and lighting elements into discreet perimeter coves, preserving the raw concrete ceiling and the purity of the design language.
“The apartment exemplifies Studio Arthur Casas’ holistic approach, where architecture, interiors, and furniture speak a shared language.”
Located within a building also designed by Studio Arthur Casas, the apartment exemplifies the firm’s holistic approach — where architecture, interiors, and furniture speak a shared language. The result is a quietly sophisticated home that celebrates connection: between people, between spaces, and between design at every scale.
Few gifts are as enduring as a stunning wine when it comes to honouring life’s defining moments. Whether it’s a milestone birthday, a wedding, or the arrival of a new baby, wine offers something rare: a gift that grows in sentiment and significance over time.
According to David Nash, founder of The Wine Room, wine is not just something to be consumed; it’s something to be remembered. “Wine is a fantastic time capsule,” Nash explains. “If chosen well, it can mirror a moment in time, and years later, bring that memory flooding back with a single sip.”
For Nash, gifting wine is far more than the label or the vintage. It’s about the story it tells and the moment it preserves. “There’s something deeply human about opening a bottle that’s been waiting patiently for the right occasion. It becomes part of your narrative,” he says. When selecting a wine to mark a significant moment, Nash recommends choosing something age-worthy. “Great Bordeaux, vintage Champagne, Sauternes, these styles can comfortably age for 20 or 30 years or more,” he says. “And larger formats like magnums are ideal if you’re buying for the long term. They not only look impressive but also age more slowly and gracefully.”
One of Nash’s most sentimental gift ideas is wedding wine. “Assuming the couple married in a strong vintage year, you could gift a collection of wines from that year to be opened on milestone anniversaries; the fifth, the tenth, the twentieth. It’s the kind of gift that becomes more meaningful over time.”
Nash points to Dom Pérignon’s Plénitude Collection for those seeking something extra special, available exclusively through The Wine Room. These rare vintages — known as P1, P2 and P3 — are released after being perfectly aged at the Maison in Épernay for up to two decades. “They’re an extraordinary option for marking a birth year, a wedding, or a major achievement,” says Nash. “By the time they’re opened, the wine has already evolved into something truly profound.”
While the emotional value is undeniable, proper storage is crucial in protecting the wine’s integrity and future potential. At The Wine Room, clients can store their bottles in climate-controlled conditions for approximately $1 per bottle per month. “Storage is everything,” says Nash. “Even the best wine in the world will suffer if not kept properly. With certified cellaring, you can ensure the wine matures exactly as it should.”
Gifting a full case is also wise, allowing the recipient to enjoy one bottle now and revisit the wine over time. “It becomes a thread through their life. Tasting how the wine evolves as they do is a really beautiful experience,” Nash says.
Ultimately, he believes the best gifts are the ones that reflect thoughtfulness and imagination, and wine ticks both boxes. “There’s a sweet spot between passion and practicality,” he says. “You’re giving something that can be appreciated immediately, or held onto for a special moment. It might sit untouched for years, but when it’s finally opened, it brings with it not just flavour, but memory, emotion and meaning.” And that, Nash says, is the true value of wine as a gift. “It’s not just what’s in the bottle, it’s what it represents. A great bottle is more than just a drink. It’s a story waiting to be told.”
Shop here for The Wine Room’s curated wine selection or to gift an incredible tasting experience.
In case you missed the memo, 40 is the new 30, and as such, deserves a celebration that is equal parts revelrous and refined, with a wardrobe to match.
From dazzling diamonds to statement pieces with presence, glamorous gowns, and sophisticated suiting, here, we share an edit of what to wear to mark 40 with conviction.
Own the milestone — or celebrate someone else’s — in effortlessly polished looks that tread the line between bold, modern, and timeless.
For those on the hunt for a unique experience, The Hotel Britomart’s Nourishing Nature offering is curated adventure at its most delicious. This guided half-day excursion in the Waitākere Ranges blends the wholesome joy of wild feasting with a hands-on dose of forest restoration.
With the hotel’s signature personalised touch, guests join local experts to forage for native herbs, hear the stories behind them, and sample their bounty with a forest glasshouse feast, complete with native-infused drinks. The day’s finale is planting a sapling grown at the hotel’s sister property, The Landing, as a lasting marker of your visit.
More than just a dining experience, this is part of a growing global movement known as Wild Feasting — an elevated return to practices steeped in simplicity. At its heart, wild feasting is about reconnecting with the source of what we eat, tracing each ingredient from land, river, or ocean to the plate, and uncovering the cultural and ecological story it carries. It’s harnessing food as a portal to place, walking forest trails to gather herbs, listening to the whakapapa of ingredients, or savouring dishes prepared with a reverence for seasonality, sustainability, and provenance.
This is the kind of culinary storytelling The Hotel Britomart and its restaurant, Kingi, do best — where menus read like a journey across Aotearoa, and each dish a celebration of local fishermen, foragers, and growers whose names and methods are honoured on the page. The Nourishing Nature experience takes this ethos beyond the plate, immersing guests in the land itself, and reminding us that food is not only sustenance, but also connection and care.
Turning 30 isn’t about blowing out 30 candles, it’s about blowing past the chaos of your twenties and stepping into something more defined. As such, your style should say you’ve found your stride.
From investment accessories and fabulous footwear to chic suits and sleek dresses, your wardrobe should celebrate entering a decade that’s less trial-and-error, and more intentional indulgence. Here, we share an edit of what to wear to mark 30 in fitting style.
Step up the style stakes with elevated yet playful ensembles that prove age is but a number.
If a celebration is about bringing people together, Treetops makes sure they leave with a shared sense of awe. Tucked into 2,500 acres of pristine forest, this Rotorua retreat rewrites the rulebook on wilderness luxury.
This is where the adventurous come to celebrate with heart. Whether you’re toasting a significant birthday with all of your nearest and dearest, reconnecting the whole family, or just taking a one-on-one moment to recalibrate, Treetops offers something more profound than the standard five-star stay.
There are wild food cooking classes, horse treks through native forests, heli tours to remote rivers for fly fishing or hidden hikes, and guided foraging with a gamekeeper, not to mention a wilderness spa with dedicated treatment rooms both indoors and outside under the forest canopy, as well as luxe outdoor hot tubs.
Inside, timber-and-stone villas offer fireside luxury and privacy, while the spa and wellness treatments deliver deep restoration. The food? As local as it gets. Think game from the estate, trout from the stream, heritage vegetables, mānuka honey, and indigenous herbs.
With a kids’ club that genuinely delights and plenty of space to spread out, Treetops is a place for true connection and memory-making in its purest form.
Once a working farm, now a multifaceted hospitality precinct with ambition and soul, Ayrburn is quietly becoming the South Island’s most charming place to throw a party.
Choose your scene: The Barrel Room with its 56 ageing wine barrels and grand piano; The Woolshed for bistro-style feasting; The Manure Room (don’t judge it by the name) for wine flights and shared plates; The Dell for lawn games and large-scale gatherings. And then there’s Billy’s, where modern Chinese food is served in a space dripping with old-world elegance and a touch of irreverence.
Events here feel effortless, which is no accident. Ayrburn’s dedicated events team handles everything with polished calm, putting hosts at ease. Curated menus showcase local produce and bold, seasonal flavours. The wine list is stacked, the surroundings are stunning, and the energy is unfussy but fabulous.
Whether it’s an engagement dinner, a wedding with a twist, or a long-table birthday lunch on the lawn, Ayrburn nails the balance between rustic romance and design-savvy sophistication. It’s heritage reimagined for a new generation of celebration connoisseurs.
For more exclusive access to what the city has to offer, engaging content, excellent imagery and thought provoking commentary on the life that surrounds you, subscribe to Denizen magazine now.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Get the latest and greatest happenings in Auckland delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday morning.
Kindly share a little more insight into who you are below and one of our team will be in touch soon.
