Elie Assaf is a chef of many hats. Along with being the head chef at Williams Eatery as well as one of the brains behind the cult burger pop-ups, Five Boroughs, he has also recently launched his own private catering business, Dime Catering. Promising a seriously good spread, Assaf creates delicious menus for private parties or events, and his wholesome, flavourful food is set to be a universal hit.
“Dime started as a way for me to cook with no restrictions and share with people the quality food that I love,” Assaf tells me. He adds, “and in the current climate while the world is changing and the hospitality industry with it, I wanted to do something to adapt.”
With Dime, Assaf works alongside his clients to design bespoke menus to suit their occasion, whether that be a romantic degustation dinner for two, a long lunch for 10 on Waiheke or even an extensive spread for a wedding celebration. His food not only packs a tasty punch but is designed to bring people together, and his innovative but eminently practical approach is one of the reasons he has found such success as a chef.
“The response so far has been incredible,” Assaf says, “Dime is at that exciting stage where we don’t quite know how it is going to grow, but it’s been a great space for me to create good food, host some incredible people and be a part of some special moments. I’m looking forward to the events and private bookings we have coming up this year.” Certainly one to watch.
Along with making us turn our clocks back an hour, the arrival of daylight savings has seen us bid farewell to summer’s long evenings and instead, embrace crisp, autumnal mornings. If you’re still clinging to your summer wardrobe perhaps now is a good time to start considering some more practical pieces, none of which (by the way) need to be boring. From statement coats to new wave florals, these are the five trends that are making us excited to get dressed this season.
On the left: Louis Vuitton Spring ’21. On the right: Loulou Studio Bidong linen pants from Workshop and Matteau relaxed tailored trousers from Muse Boutique
1. Wide-leg Pants Give yourself some room to move with a pair of pants that cinches in the waist and offers volume through the leg. Perfect when worn with a well-fitted shirt and a statement belt.
On the left: Joseph New Marlene DBL cashmere coat from Adorno and Low Classic Curve Sleeve trench coat from Workshop. On the right: Burberry Spring ’21
2. Statement Coats Keep it cool this autumn with a striking coat. Whether opting for a traditional trench shape, a boxy overcoat or a dramatic floor-duster, this is one piece you unequivocally need.
Left: Bottega Veneta Spring ’21. Right: Loulou Studio Andrott ribbed tank dress from Workshop and Sand Slip Dress from Elle + Riley
3. The Knit Dress A form-fitting knitted dress will prove a seasonal essential for its throw-on ease and ability to take you from day to night.
Left to right: Shetland wool turtleneck sweater from Prada, top from Dadelszen, Loop Layered knit dress from Wynn Hamlyn
4. A Touch of Skin Heating things up as the weather cools down, sheer layering and skin-baring details are coming to the fore. Designed to show just enough without ever being too much, these pieces are sexy and sophisticated in equal measure.
On the left: Dior Spring ’21. On the right: Beach monogram short-sleeved cardigan from Louis Vuitton, Book Tote from Dior, Matteau Tiered Peasant Dress from Muse Boutique
5. New Wave Florals Florals are given new life this season with designers opting for graphic, bold versions of the historically pretty print. Sexy, modern and a little risqué this pattern will add an edge to any look.
The amount of food waste in New Zealand is heartbreaking — even more so when you consider the scale of food poverty in this country. (At the moment, one in five Kiwis face food insecurity.) It’s an issue that Everybody Eats, a locally-based, not-for-profit has been tackling since its inception, but one that needs buy-in from a number of parties if any difference is to be made.
For anyone who hasn’t heard of Everybody Eats or its mission, it was started by Nick Loosley in 2017 and works to combat food waste and alleviate food poverty by working with local restaurants and chefs to provide fulfilling, three-course meals to Kiwis who often have to go without, from food that would otherwise be thrown away. It started with a pay-as-you-feel pop-up restaurant at Gemmayze St in St Kevins Arcade and has since opened pop-up restaurants in Onehunga, Wellington and Papamoa. Its impact has been significant (to date, it has made and served more than 50,000 meals from surplus food) and the widespread demand for its services has shone a confronting light on the number of New Zealanders struggling to put food on their tables.
In a bid to do more, Everybody Eats recently launched a new fundraising initiative designed to encourage restaurant-goers to be more conscious about leftovers. The scheme has seen Everybody Eats partner with renowned chef Al Brown and almost 40 restaurants across the country (including Brown’s Depot and The Fed) to offer diners the option of a specially-designed ‘Goodie Box’ at the end of their meals, in which they can take home any delicious leftovers. In exchange for the box, diners will be asked to make a small donation of $5 to Everybody Eats.
Along with encouraging a spot of philanthropy, the Goodie Box initiative aims to break the taboo that seems to hang around asking a waiter for a doggy bag and gives diners the confidence to do it knowing that they are not only preventing waste but are helping a worthy cause meet the demand for its services.
The initiative kicked off this week with the compostable takeaway boxes made available at some of the best restaurants in around New Zealand, including Non Solo Pizza, Culprit, and The Engine Room in Auckland, Mr Gos and Field & Green in Wellington, Black Barn in Hawke’s Bay, Gatherings in Christchurch and more.
So, the next time you eat at a restaurant and realise that your eyes were bigger than your stomach, don’t let your leftovers go to waste. Pipe up and ask for a Goodie Box to turn your surplus into something that helps those in need. A little really does go a long way.
Hannah Jensen is having a viral moment. After garnering huge attention on social media for her work that uses Resene paint in an entirely unexpected way, this New Zealand artist is one to watch. Here, we talk to Jensen about the process behind her intricate pieces.
“My style of art is something I created when I was at university,” Hannah Jensen explains, “I had been carving on wood and was playing around with layering house paint, and really the whole thing was a happy accident.” If you are unfamiliar with Jensen’s work, the artist uses layers and layers (sometimes up to 80) of Resene house paint on a wooden board, allowing each one to dry before applying the next so that it eventually reaches a density into which she can carve. It is by applying her tools to the dried paint that the final image is brought to life.
Her pieces are incredibly detailed and, as she reveals, take patience and planning to create. “I usually start with an image in my mind before going to Resene to choose my colour palette,” Jensen says, “they have an amazing range of paints.” From there, the artist continues, “I almost work in reverse — laying the paint down first before unveiling the image as my final step.”
The fact that Jensen uses Resene paints (as opposed to a more conventional artistic variety) is apparently another happy accident. “I actually started with Resene,” she reveals. “I was given sample paints by a friend at uni and although it initially started as a cost-saving measure, there was one year that I decided to try every other kind of paint I could get my hands on, and ended up returning to Resene anyway — honestly, nothing else does what Resene Lumbersider does, it’s just great paint.”
Now, after a video of Jensen completing a piece went viral on Instagram over Christmas (it currently has 4.8 million views) the artist has been inundated with commissions. “Right now, I’m working with some incredible clients from all over the world,” she tells me, “but I do have a couple of passion projects I am hoping to make a start on by the end of this year.”
When it comes to winding down, there’s nothing like an engrossing page-turner. Escape from daily life by putting down your devices and picking up a good book — here are four we have on our radar at the moment.
Klara and the Sunby Kazuo Ishiguro In his first novel since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, Ishiguro tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend who observes the behaviour of customers from her place in a store and holds out hope that one day she will be picked. An emotional tour de force that asks what it means to be loved.
Milk Fedby Melissa Broder Food, sex and God combine in this riotously funny, erotic and irreverent novel about the journey of a woman who counts calories religiously. A tender tale at its heart, the story unfolds after embarking on a detox unveils her true appetites.
Fake Accountsby Lauren Oyler Delving into ideas of community, relationships and gaslighting online, this sharp, funny novel (the author’s debut) follows a woman who discovers her boyfriend to secretly be an internet conspiracy theorist, a revelation that gives rise to a series of bizarre twists and calls contemporary culture into question.
We Run The Tidesby Vendela Vida Both a suspenseful mystery and a tribute to youth, this novel takes a poignant look at female friendship. Best friends Eulabee and Maria Fabiola ‘run’ their small seaside town until becoming witnesses to a horrible act changes the course of their relationship.
A pair of chic, white sneakers is about as essential to a well-curated wardrobe as a black blazer or some perfectly-fitting jeans. In fact, we would argue that without them, any sartorial line-up would feel distinctly lacking, left to suffer from the absence of shoes that can transport their wearers from casual occasions to more dressed-up affairs with very little effort.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that renowned Parisian Maison, Christian Dior has unveiled its own take on the classic white kick, recently releasing its new Dior-ID sneakers to guffaws from new-wave shoe enthusiasts and longtime followers of the brand alike. Bold, contemporary and distinctly ‘Dior,’ this highly-anticipated new style is only adding to the brand’s upward-trending sneaker cred, which was given a recent boost in light of last year’s major moment with the Dior Air Jordan 1.
Offering a structured take on the style we know and love, the new Dior-ID sneakers are made in Italy from luxurious, calfskin leather and boast a low-top silhouette and platform sole. The design reinvents vintage motifs with interesting, tonal details that work (while retaining the style’s necessary simplicity) to ensure these sneakers feel like a fresh evolution.
Available now from Dior’s Queen Street boutique, the Dior-ID sneakers come in a range of colourways, from a simple navy, white, black and nude to more playful green, red and silver, and are rapidly establishing themselves as the sneakers of the season.
The world of superyachts is shrouded in the kind of uber-luxury that most can only gawk at from the shore, but for Isaac Burrough — a Kiwi designer for whom these vessels have become a professional pursuit — it’s a world of opportunity. “I grew up around boats, and I knew that I wanted to be a boat designer from a young age,” Burrough explains, crediting his entrée into superyacht design to landing an assistant-designer role at Dutch company, Feadship, creating some of the world’s most impressive seafaring vessels from scratch. (Feadship is one of a very small global contingent who can truly claim to make custom superyachts.)
After cutting his teeth in lofty places, Burrough eventually decided to start his own studio, which has seen him continue to consult as a superyacht designer for other companies, where he helps them move from concept to completion. So far, his expertise has contributed to the completion of eight superyachts, with a few more still being built. Under his own name, Burrough has also developed a number of intriguing superyacht designs, the most notable of which became something of an Internet sensation when it was unveiled last year.
Named Kiwa, (after one of the Māori Gods of the sea), Burrough’s conceptual superyacht garnered attention for its emphasis on sustainability, something that others of its kind haven’t historically deemed a priority. “Superyachts use diesel generators to produce power,” Burrough explains, “but there has been a push in the industry towards more efficient hulls and powertrains to reduce environmental impact.” The way this idea manifested in Kiwa, was via a series of solar panels, applied by Burrough in such a way as to enhance the yacht’s sleek aesthetic (rather than being a necessary eyesore, as they so often are). “Now, I just need a client who wants to build it,” says Burrough, steadfast in his vision to develop Kiwa beyond concept alone.
But, as Burrough says, building his own design studio while still consulting as a freelancer on live projects affords him the freedom to dream up ideas like Kiwa, that serve to push the boundaries of expectation and cement his innovative reputation in the industry. “I want to encourage people to think about things in new ways and to encourage the industry to do better,” he says, “to use different materials and processes from the ones superyacht designers have been using for years.”
Having recently relocated from Amsterdam back to New Zealand, Burrough is bringing his wealth of knowledge from working in the European market to a new audience and client base, for whom the idea of sustainability on the sea is already pushing to the forefront.
A sofa might be somewhere to put your feet up after a long day, and will inevitably end up being the place where you spend most of your time at home, but its merits should extend beyond comfort alone. The best sofas are the ones that weave comfort seamlessly into their inherent design while ensuring that considerations of the latter remain front and centre. In short, they should look as good as they feel. And from experience, finding pieces that fit that criteria is no mean feat.
Lucky then, that we have the design maestros at Simon James on hand to help us get that balance right. Recently, the team welcomed the new Collective Modular Sofa by Nonn into their showroom, and it has made a swift and impressive impact. Designed by Cameron Foggo — a New Zealand designer who now calls Australia home, and whose brand is known for its subtle, understated luxury — this sofa pairs soft, generously-proportioned upholstery (made uniquely from feather and foam) with a light, uncomplicated form. Its quality is evident in the fine craftsmanship that went into its creation, from the refined, steel base to the pinched corner technique used to give the sofa its sumptuous appearance.
Available in versatile finishes and configurations to suit a range of requirements and spaces, the Collective Modular sofa is set to be a design asset in any home, and will prove a piece that turns heads as much as it is the perfect place to put your feet up at the end of a long day.
There is a new wave of Kiwi men who want more from their wardrobes. Having transcended the tired combination of jeans-and-a-T-shirt, they instead, want to curate a collection that is purposeful, creatively-inspiring and unique to their individual styles. Accordingly, there has been a growing number of new, locally-designed menswear labels springing up to offer guys the kinds of pieces they want, these are are a few of our favourites.
Fantl Sport Golf wear is (despite being a somewhat niche market) ripe for a reimagining. Which is exactly what this dynamic new label is doing. Brothers Dan and Ezra Fantl create collections that are sleek and practical and able to be worn on and off the golf course. This new brand is delivering a much-needed element of ‘cool’ to a sport whose demographic seems to be trending younger every year.
Inward Goods Ltd
Inward Goods Ltd Born from the idea that to be truly authentic, one must look within, Inward Goods creates clothes that are timeless, pragmatic and carefully realised. Designed and produced in Auckland (via a process that supports a number of other local businesses) every piece is painstakingly made-to-order, which means that collections are selective and refined.
Thom Morison
Thom Morison Creating high-quality menswear with a classical, minimalist bent, Thom Morison not only makes great clothes but is another proponent of slow fashion. In fact, Morison himself works as the pattern maker in his Great North Road studio, sampling every piece in store as he fastidiously builds his collections — all handmade by local ateliers.
Wynn Hamlyn Menswear
Wynn Hamlyn Menswear Off the back of opening his first retail store in Commercial Bay, local designer Wynn Hamlyn is capitalising on his reputation for creating refined, quietly-confident womenswear to launch his first men’s collection, and our wardrobes are all the better for it. With clever knitwear, precise (but relaxed) tailoring and soft, sensual fabrics, this debut capsule heroes pieces that are wearable but unique, and will resonate with guys who care about how they dress but still like to have fun.
I never really thought of myself as an SUV driver. But after spending the last three years with an extremely small car (a relic of the 90s), the thought of investing in something bigger was, I have to say, appealing.
In the spirit of trying new things (and after seeking recommendations from a few people I trusted) I decided to dip my toe into the SUV pond by taking Jaguar’s new 2021 F-PACE for a spin — only to discover that I had, in fact, been an SUV driver all along. All I needed was the right car.
I have to preface my experience with a caveat. The new Jaguar F-PACE is a luxury SUV, which puts it firmly at the higher end of the market. Basically, this car combines the size, comfort and versatility of an SUV with the sleek elegance of a sports car, which gives it massive appeal from the outset.
To set the scene, the exact model of F-PACE I was testing was the P400 R-Dynamic HSE in Yulong White with slick, black wheels. It was high-spec and super powerful, and I was drawn in from the second I was handed the keys.
Boasting a recently enhanced exterior, my 2021 F-PACE carried some serious presence on the road. With its wide front grill, aerodynamically-enhanced front and rear bumpers and super-slim LED head and tail lights, this car was simultaneously streamlined and solid with sophisticated good looks that offered an early indication of what I could expect on the inside.
Sure enough, the F-PACE’s interior lived up to the hype and then some. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I couldn’t remember having ever been in a car that felt safe, luxurious and sporty, all at the same time. And while I was conscious of people’s heads turning as I passed them on the road, I was also distinctly aware of how cocooned and private I felt in the F-PACE’s cabin.
Inside, it seemed like Jaguar had spared no expense in ensuring the 2021’s fit-out left nothing to chance. Sumptuous, simple materials that felt well-made and long-lasting, were rendered in an elegant, monochromatic palette which kept me comfortable but ensured that my primary focus remained on what was important — the drive. And what a drive it was.
Thanks to the F-PACE’s new Drive Selector, I was able to quickly switch the car between zippy modes like ‘dynamic’ and smooth modes like ‘comfort’, all the while enjoying the peace and quiet that came with the car’s Active Noise Cancellation — an innovative system that worked to reduce noise pollution from outside the cabin. That said, I quickly learned not to be fooled by the F-PACE’s comfortable, quiet facade. Once I decided to give this car a little bit of pace, it sprung into action swiftly, drawing on its sporty heritage to morph into something that felt delightfully fun and quick off the mark — certainly not what I expected to find in an SUV.
All of that aside, what really clinched it for me was the F-PACE’s practicality and efficiency. For someone who uses her car to drive to work, run errands that often involve packing clothing bags and boxes into the boot and soon, to transport a baby from A to Z, the F-PACE seemed to tick all the boxes. With its suite of new technology, including Jaguar’s latest PIVI Pro infotainment on an 11.4-inch HD touch screen, voice-activated control, a wireless charging port for my phone and a remote app that allowed me to check up on the car’s temperature and fuel levels, the F-PACE’s systems were easy to decipher and to communicate with. Everything felt integrated in a very simple, uncomplicated way, which, when you’ve got other things on your mind, is a godsend. Other features I loved included the F-PACE’s keyless entry (very handy with frequently-full hands), and its mammoth boot with a 650-litre capacity. My favourite feature, however, had to be the F-PACE’s super-clear 360-degree, 3D surround camera, which made manoeuvring into my narrow driveway a breeze and parallel parking virtually curb-proof. Add to the mix the fact that the F-PACE boasts a Five Star Euro NCAP safety rating (making it one of the safest cars in the market) and I was honestly left wondering if it had any faults at all.
Just like that, I was a convert, inducted into the easy, luxurious lifestyle that came with driving an SUV like this. And while I might have only had a few days with the new Jaguar F-PACE, there was something that stayed with me, even after the car was gone — the realisation that I would probably struggle to find anything else that lived up to my first experience.
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