The new lease on life we all need, new season fashion is here to brighten up our days and make summer road trips all the more memorable. From dashing designer accessories to elevated season staples, liberty has never looked so good.
Photograph: Greg Adamski
Styling: Jade Chilton
Makeup: Ania Poniatowska
Hair: Ivan Kuz
Talent: Mia from Signature Element. Celia, Albert and Rosanna from MMG.
Shot on location at Ajman Hotel by Blazon Hotels, Ajman, UAE.
What a year. While 2021 has seemed to go in the blink of an eye, there’s no denying we’ve packed a lot into a tumultuous 12 months. And all of it has been in an effort to celebrate what makes this special country of ours so great.
From sharing the stories of many of New Zealand’s most inspiring people, to highlighting local businesses with our Hospo Heroes and Everyday Heroes, our content has clearly continued to hit the spot as our audience numbers have reached new heights.
We have continued to collaborate with the worlds most desirable brands, to honour great design and uplift worthy causes, and to curate the best in arts and culture.
As we wave goodbye to this year and welcome 2022 with optimism and spirit, watch our dynamic collection of 2021 highlights above.
While we are looking forward to a rest and reset, we are also looking forward to settling in with a good book and learning something new in our downtime. From Dr. Jane Goodall’s Book of Hope, detailing a “survival guide for an endangered planet”, to Robin Ince’s cheerful “adventures in scientific curiosity” in The Importance of Being Interested, these thoughtful tomes make a case for continuous learning. The more you know.
The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall & Douglas Abrams
From her famous encounters with chimpanzees to her tireless campaigning for the environment, legendary conservationist Jane Goodall has lived at one with nature for more than half a century. With this profound message of hope, she shows us how to find strength through the challenge of the climate crisis.
On Animals by Susan Orlean
Best selling author and journalist, Orlean has plumbed the depths of our relationship with the animal kingdom throughout her many years as a writer for publications such as The New Yorker and The Atlantic. This anthology of those essays explores and celebrates how we live with and alongside animals, from pets to on our plates, wild to domesticated.
Flying Blind by Peter Robison
When it comes to corporate scandals, the rise and fall of the Boeing empire is one of the most turbulent. In examining the history of the 737, dramatically framed around the Max crashes, Flying Blind exposes the decades-long story of a corrupt, and corner-cutting, culture that took off to cataclysmic effect.
The Importance of Being Interested by Robin Ince
School science never interested British comedian, actor and presenter Ince, but now, 20 years later, he presents a globally beloved science podcast. In his optimistic book, he interviews astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists and more to reveal why scientific interests aren’t just for the academic and inspires us to nurture our own expansive curiosity.
This New Year’s Eve, our reminiscing of the year gone before may not be so easily romanticised. Instead, why not cast your memory back further, to the exquisite Champagne harvest gone before for a resolutely hopeful occasion, as well as the opportunity of the season.
As New Zealand’s first Krug Ambassade, Pasture is setting the New Year’s Eve dinner standard with a caviar-studded celebration, complete with a tasting menu designed to pair with Champagne. If you follow rare, effervescent bubbles, it will be impossible to beat this experience.
Alongside the award-winning Pasture’s renowned set menu, guests will have the opportunity to pre-order some of the most sought-after vintages of Krug for an exclusive New Years Eve dining experience. It’s an opportunity to take a culinary journey across New Zealand and France’s best, while traversing time.
Not only will the one-of-a-kind evening showcase Pasture chef Ed Verner’s revolutionary approach to fine dining, but it will also bring out the exquisite flavours of these Krug rarities.
“Our New Years Eve menu is one of the most boundary-pushing of my career,” he says. “This time of year offers uncompromised seasonal ingredients and produce from New Zealand’s best suppliers and each dish will be as thoughtful and considered as the rare Krug Champagne vintages available to our guests.”
Having worked with the tasting notes of Krug vintages, Verner has created a distinctive menu with dishes including live crayfish from Pasture’s own tank and five-month aged wagyu — plus, two types of sturgeon caviar.
The special Krug selection includes the recently released Krug 2008. Crafted with grapes that best exhibited the considered complexity of 2008, the cuvée was named a ‘Classic Beauty’ by the House, and as such was featured in Denizen’s Summer issue. With extremely limited bottles of 2008 left in New Zealand, this is your chance to try the scarce sip.
The Krug 2006 will also be available to pre-order. Nicknamed a ‘Capricious Indulgence’, it unveils a story of indulgence, roundness and elegance. Alongside this is a cellar selection of magnums, including the ‘Stormy Indulgence’ that is Krug 2000, and the ‘Ode to Nature’ Krug 2002. Of course, there will also be Pasture’s signature Krug Grande Cuvée serve, the 169ème Édition. Composed around the harvest of 2013, it holds the promise of pleasures to come forth with fine, vivacious bubbles.
It should go without saying — all of the above are excellent choices to say santé with as the clock hands sway their way to midnight.
Reserve your choice of Krug Champagne when making a reservation through Pasture’s Tock booking system. The New Years Eve menu is $425 per person, with a minimum drinks spend per booking of $550.
Auckland restaurants, oh how we have missed you. Now we can get back out there and enjoy the fruits of our collective labour, here are the most beautiful and bountiful restaurants to show off what this city has to offer.
Hello Beasty
Combining the cuisines of Japan, Korea and China, this vibrant Viaduct Harbour eatery is full of flavour and fun. An exceptional wine list only adds to the joyful experience.
Ada
Situated under soaring ceilings within The Convent Hotel, make a pilgrimage to Ada for some of Auckland’s finest handmade pasta and Italian-inspired sharing plates.
Alma
Transport your taste buds and those of your dining companions to the delicious flavours and warm, relaxed energy of Andalusia with Alma’s modern, moreish tapas.
Amano
Show off Auckland in its best light with an unsurpassable interior and menu at this Britomart Italian favourite. Amano is always brilliant and always buzzing.
Culprit
For innovative fare unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere, pull up a seat at Wyndham Street eatery Culprit — where nostalgia and inventiveness are deliciously combined.
Esther
The QT Auckland’s Mediterranean mainstay will be sure to whisk you to warmer climes with its menu inspired by travels chasing the food of the sun.
Lilian
While certainly not a hidden gem, neighbourhood wine bar and osteria Lilian will have any out-of-towner feeling like they’ve stumbled upon Auckland’s best-kept secret.
Onemata
Take in the marine view of Viaduct Basin at Park Hyatt Auckland’s flagship restaurant as you tuck into dishes that celebrate the best of New Zealand.
Síso
Centring on a contemporary Mediterranean menu, Síso’s intimate yet roomy interior and tempting sharing dishes are more than enough to entice you to the heart of Remuera.
The Blue Breeze Inn
Let the good vibes and fun fusion flavours of The Blue Breeze Inn enchant any visitor, followed by a stroll taking in the bustle of Ponsonby Road.
Jaimie Webster Haines is a skilled multi-tasker. The Auckland-based DJ and fashion designer is a mainstay at some of the coolest events in town (when we’re not in lockdown), setting the mood with her deft selection of tracks. She co-founded sound design, music production and playlist curation company Zoot Music with her husband, acclaimed jazz musician Nathan Haines. Offering everything from original productions for fashion shows to artist collaborations, brand identity, custom playlists and in-house DJ installations, Jaimie and Nathan are a powerhouse duo in the industry.
Jaimie managed to squeeze a minute out of her busy schedule to give us the rundown on what she’s up to and into currently — including her eponymous limited-run clothing label. She has also shared an excellent “funky” Christmas playlist, curated by Zoot Music to add some toe-tapping festive cheer to the season.
My personal style can be described as: “Elegant Tomboy”.
The next place I’d like to travel to is: The South of France to visit our good friends Isobel and Gabriel Sobin who live in Lacoste in the Luberon Valley. Gabi (his nickname) is the most incredible sculptor and works with rock and stone, and I would love to bring one back to NZ as I think they would work so beautifully in our landscape. It’s not so easy to bring in my suitcase, as they are rather large! I am always endlessly inspired when we are together with them.
The latest music I’m loving is: The “Idle Moments” playlist Nathan and I made through lockdown — it transcends that time as it’s just so beautiful. I play it when cooking but also on a sunny day if I get a moment to relax. Also, Little Simz has been on repeat quite a bit and my husband is about to release something very special.
An object I would never part with is: Some of the archival Jaimie pieces from past collections. I have recently been doing small runs of my Jaimie label again — it’s made in NZ by the original Jaimie artisans and dressmakers who I first started working with when I had Jaimie Boutique on Ponsonby Rd. It is now sold in small limited runs to lovely ladies (and now men, too). It’s small and boutique, with the emphasis on ideas, design, cut, artistry and all the ways these elements can make you feel.
On my wish list is: A dance party with friends!
When I was younger, I wanted to be: A fashion photographer, actor and marine biologist — an interesting combination! My friends knew before I did that I would be a designer.
One thing that would surprise people about being a DJ is: It’s very hard work and takes a lot of concentration, technical skill, and confidence. You have to have a natural ear for music and rhythm, and be good at telling stories and taking people on a journey to really take it to the next level.
If price were not an issue, the one artist whose work I would collect is: An original Elsa Schiaparelli evening dress — in particular, this one from 1939 from her music collection. She designed this organza dress with matching gloves. It is embroidered in metallic threads with musical-score notes and accessorised with a belt containing a working music box in the buckle. As the Met description says: “Cutout scrollwork shapes on the buckle top relate to those on a violin, forms immortalised in Man Ray’s 1924 photograph ‘Le Violin d’Ingres’. An elaboration of the Surrealist notion of woman’s body as musical instrument, the wholly integrated creation captures the visual, audible, and transcendent essence of music in the person of the wearer.” My kind of dress!
In my fridge you’ll always find: Chardonnay, almond milk and vegan aioli, broccoli and dark chocolate.
Something I love about being a DJ and working with music is: I married a musician so, along with my love of clothing and design, there’s also a deep appreciation and love of music, its artistry and its ability to transform any situation.
I can’t miss an episode of: Funny Girls Season 3 on TV3 On Demand. The Outlaws on BBC. Most things on the Criterion Channel. We have a VPN, which has transformed the way we watch TV.
I recently discovered: That I will never escape the sound of leaf blowers.
My favourite website is: Our Zoot Music website designed by Sam Southwell at Studio South. We collaborated with the team and with artist Kelly Knaga, which was a really great experience. Nathan is taking Zoot Music to the next level now and offering his bespoke recording studio, his production expertise and mixing duties to people, as well as sound design and writing music to a brief. Over the last few years, he has really honed his skills so he can offer a lot more than just writing and performing music — though that of course is his first love. There are some exciting things going on! Next up will be Jaimie.co.nz…
The last meal out I had that truly impressed me was: The vegan homemade Goody Goody Gumdrops ice cream (my all-time favourite flavour) from Forest during lockdown; a pizza from Spiga (who also do vegan!) and Money Bags from Ginger — both in Remuera. Omni is a new favourite Japanese on Dominion Rd, and I am looking forward to eating at Onslow for NYE where Nathan and I are both doing DJ sets from our big vinyl collection. Maybe we will see you there!
The last thing I bought and loved was: A tube lamp by Hay that we call the Star Wars lamp, as it looks like a lightsaber. Also, a beautiful woollen black and white striped rug for my new Jaimie studio/showroom — I am working on the re-launch and have a new website coming soon! In the meantime, people can join our mailing list via [email protected] or through my Instagram.
The best gift I ever received was: My son Zoot.
Grey Lynn is abuzz with the arrival of Florets, a new bakery and cafe with a deliciously wholesome offering and welcoming site. The evolution of founder Maya Handley’s popular by-delivery sourdough business Kōpiko, her first brick-and-mortar store opens with a new name and fresh partnerships with other like-minded makers.
Having trained in New York, Handley has garnered a dedicated following back home for the last two years, for her delicious loaves that are made using organic, whole-grain, spray-free and locally sourced ingredients.
“It was always my intention to open a physical space once my customer base and dough formula was established,” she tells Denizen. The search for the perfect location took about a year, and the heritage building that Handley settled on is ideal in that it’s well-placed for both her centrally-located and West Auckland customers.
The Hatch and Sam Boanas-designed, two-level space is comfortably intimate, and that’s exactly how she intended it to be. “We wanted to create a bakery where we could share the experience of what we’re making with customers,” she says, “a direct connection from where we’re baking and shaping the bread, to where people are eating it.”
Florets’ dine-in menu has been created in collaboration with Freya de Beer Smith of Pomona, whose deli goods are heroed in the sandwiches and on toast, and are also for sale to take home. Like the bread they pair with, Pomona’s pickles, cheeses and condiments are meticulously handmade using organic, local produce.
Within the sandwich selection, find the likes of heirloom tomato with charred peppers and quark and smoked fish rillettes with sea greens and fennel, and pickled egg salad with horseradish. On toasted “oat porridge” sourdough, there’s whipped macadamia with broad beans and herbs, and homemade ricotta with honeycomb and olive oil or slow jam.
All of the above sound simple, but every bite sings thanks to each element being of such high quality. There are also a couple of sweet treats at the counter, like sourdough banana loaf and seeded morning cookies. Flight Coffee is providing excellent brews to pair with all of the above, and you can buy any of Florets’ loaves to take away, with the delivery service still continuing for those who like their bread transported to their door.
Florets celebrates the beauty of collaboration — it’s even in the name. “A wheat flower head is made up of many tiny flowers, known as florets,” said Handley in an Instagram post. “I like that florets always exist together in a group to form a whole flower. In the same way, a bakery cannot exist by itself, we rely on the farmers who grow our grain and the community we bake for.”
“We are very grateful for the support of our customers”, she said, “which allows us this opportunity to open a bakery and we’re excited to be able to bake more bread and serve a wider community from our new home.”
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday: 7:30am — 2:30pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday
During the holidays, when hot, blue-skied days stretch long into balmy nights, many of us find ourselves seeking an ease with which to melt softly from one activity to the next. This includes summer dining and drinking — when the mercury climbs, simple and quick refreshments are the name of the game.
Created by Bar Non Solo manager Connor Griesdale, this cocktail recipe to make at home hits all the right flavour notes for a lip-smackingly refreshing drop. A base of Hendrick’s Gin is complemented by Schweppes 1783 Quenching Cucumber Tonic Water, and added flourishes of elderflower liqueur, cucumber puree and lemon juice make for a well-rounded libation that goes brilliantly with a relaxed and sunny disposition.
Cucumber Crisp Cocktail Recipe
Makes One
Ingredients:
30ml Hendrick’s gin
15ml St Germain elderflower liqueur
1 peeled cucumber for cucumber purée
25ml lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Schweppes 1783 Quenching Cucumber Tonic Water to finish
A couple of slices of cucumber for garnish
Method:
1. Add the peeled cucumber to a blender and blitz to make cucumber purée.
2. In a tall glass, mix the Hendrick’s gin, St Germain, lemon juice and pinch of salt.
3. Add 30ml of cucumber purée.
4. Fill the glass with ice and stir, then top with Schweppes 1783 Quenching Cucumber Tonic Water.
5. Garnish with a slice or two of cucumber and enjoy.
Enjoy responsibly.
There’s no garment that trumps the slide for ease of wear, however these superior slip-ons (with a side of logomania) are anything but basic. Whether pool-side or out and about, their sartorial impact far outweighs their effort.
Nothing offsets summer’s golden glow more than a crisp white dress. Effortlessly chic, regardless of its style, this season we’re favouring textural fabrics, cinched waists and a hint of volume in just the right places. For both daytime and after dark, pair with flat sandals for a relaxed vibe and heels for elevated polish.
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