Champagne and cocktails served from the Dior-decorated bar set the celebratory tone as we gathered underneath the handbag-laden walls of Dior’s Queen Street boutique in honour of its Cruise ’19 collection launching in-store. Admiring the new pieces and picking favourites from the bold prints and patterns characteristic to the collection, we shopped and socialised while the DJ (dressed in Dior) underscored our evening with a lively set from behind her decorated booth.
Check out all the action from the event in the video below.
Finding the perfect premises in which to house a business can be a long and arduous task. But when Denizen’s Editor-in-Chief Claire Sullivan-Kraus laid eyes on an unassuming warehouse in Auckland’s Victoria Precinct, she knew she had found something special. With its discrete ivy-covered street frontage, soaring ceilings, and spacious upper and lower levels, she recognised a space with immense potential.
Having published and edited design magazines for more than a decade, Sullivan-Kraus knew that the outcome of this conversion needed to unequivocally reflect the ethos of the Denizen brand. A floor plan and concept was developed to create an impactful space that presented two major points of visual interest.
Housing the publishing operations of Denizen in the building’s mezzanine floor, the large cavernous downstairs area was converted into a social hub for hosting and entertaining clients, conducting photo shoots and facilitating inter-office conviviality in the form of shared staff lunches and Friday afternoon cocktails.
Keeping things light and bright was pivotal, so Resene’s Half Copyrite paint provided a fresh finish on the floors. Furthering the sense of vastness in the double height space, the low-sheen finish of Resene Uracryl prevented glare and provided the ideal blank canvas for the thoroughly contemporary furnishings.
A long-standing passion for the industrial look of Crittall window frames led to the decision to create a steel framed glass boardroom that would become the office’s epicentre, an impressive room to host client presentations and meetings. With a desire to keep the space relatively informal, textured walls and artworks were used to imbue the room with an inviting warmth.
The boardroom’s built-in cabinetry, displays an eclectic collection of tchotchkes and books helped to curate a more relaxed atmosphere, with the final result offering a distinct departure from the traditionally austere corporate boardroom.
Left: Samsung’s Frame Television displays beautiful works of art in near perfect resolution. Right: The deep charcoal staircase, achieved using Resene Masala, creates an interesting focal point when juxtaposed with the white flooring and walls. Knoll’s Platner Table and Chairs and classic Fortuny floor lamp make an impact in the small meeting room.
Being the backdrop for many of Denizen’s most important meetings, a screen was a necessity for the boardroom and Samsung’s Frame television offered a revolutionary way to integrate the television into the room’s design without requiring a compromise on style. When not in use, the 55-inch TV displays works of art in near perfect resolution, while its built-in sensor works to balance the screen brightness and colour to create the impression of a naturally illuminated canvas. The screen artworks can be updated at the click of a button, to suit changing moods and styles.
To introduce a textural element to the large feature wall, we used Resene’s Rockcote Clay Plaster Decor. Beautifully fine with built-in marble dust that glistens when exposed to ambient light, the hand-applied, hand-finished plaster boasts a velvety smooth, suede-like finish that immediately injects the space with a tactile warmth. Aside from its obvious aesthetic qualities, this natural clay plaster is non-toxic and free from Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) making it ideal for the long-term health of the building’s occupants.
The office kitchen is fully equipped with a full suite of Fisher & Paykel appliances
Designed purely with entertainment in mind, the expansive kitchen offers a complete fleet of innovative, Fisher & Paykel appliances — including a 127 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cabinet, an integrated CoolDrawer™, an Induction Cooktop and Built-In Oven, and an integrated double DishDrawer™ dishwasher — ensuring that Denizen remains well-equipped to host any event in style. The majority of the kitchen’s functional elements were housed behind large, bi-folding doors allowing for a swift transformation to hide any unsightly mess, should an unannounced visitor arrive.
Cementing the project’s underlying objective of creating an office that reflects the Denizen brand, the practical spaces, refined aesthetic, inherent functionality and purpose wrapped tidily in a glossy facade have resulted in the ideal space to call home.
At last week’s Heroes Gala, we were lucky enough to have acclaimed photographer Olivia Kirkpatrick onsite with a professional photo studio to create beautifully crafted snapshots of what proved to be a night to remember. Encouraging guests to pose for their very own portrait moment, it was with great skill and tireless patience that Kirkpatrick wrangled the keen masses into sophisticated poses to capture the finer details of everyone’s carefully curated getups.
All of the photos from Olivia’s studio are available to view and download here.
Many know Mimi Gilmour as the powerhouse hospitality name behind a number of Auckland’s most popular restaurants including Burger Burger and formerly, Mexico. Her entrepreneurial spirit has seen a new breed of casual dining emerge with more than half a million diners known to pass through her doors each year. While hers has become an iconic tale of a businesswoman crushing it in the hospitality industry, what many don’t know is how Gilmour is using her position to encourage young people to gain employment and develop an excellent work ethic. With a goal to be the best workplace for under-25s, she is committed to creating an engaged and energetic workforce via a programme called BB University which will create positive growth by way of incentivised financial opportunities and an unprecedented support network. Gilmour is leading by example and is positioning the hospitality industry as a viable career path for young people.
To read more about the inspiring journey of this entrepreneurial Hero, pick up a copy of the latest Denizen magazine, available now.
Brittany Teei is the founder of KidsCoin, a ground-breaking software that teaches children financial literacy at home and in schools, particularly in disadvantaged communities. When her career as a professional tennis player ended, the 27-year-old decided she wanted to help kids learn about money and build self-confidence. To do so, she created the software programme that allows them to complete ‘real-life’ lessons in accordance with the school’s curriculum. After winning the DigMyIdea Maori Innovation Challenge in 2015, she was able to launch a pilot programme and KidsCoin took off.
As she continues to refine the programme and establish partnerships, her focus is on cultivating large clients in the public and private sectors and building relationships with iwi. She has already been approached by social enterprises around the world who are interested in implementing the software. Teei believes that teaching kids how to manage their money will empower them as well as help them to avoid poverty traps later in life.
To read more about this innovative Hero and her impressive foray into the digital realm, pick up a copy of the latest Denizen magazine, available now.
A burgeoning Ngāti Whātua leader and proponent of Māori culture, Ngarimu Blair is an extremely important member of the indigenous community. Through his work at Whai Rawa (Ngāti Whātua’s property investment arm), he has instigated the economic growth of his iwi’s holdings for the ultimate benefit and increasing prosperity of his people.
Read more about Ngarimu in the latest issue of Denizen.
Three days before being honoured at our Denizen Heroes Gala, Lou James was in Wellington being recognised with another accolade — the New Zealand Order of Merit. Joining the ranks of our country’s most outstanding, the Auckland-based mother of two was presented hers for her work in oncology rehabilitation. Humble in her achievement, James chiefly views both honours as a way to give back. “I’m most excited that it helps me let more people know that there is a need out there for cancer rehabilitation, so we can raise more funds and support more patients.” And in that single sentence, she summed up just what type of woman she is — selfless.
Stunned, as a young physiotherapist, by the way in which young patients recovering from cancer were left to fend for themselves after treatment, James set out to make a change. Recognising she held the tools to not only combat their ongoing physical symptoms, but the psychological ones too, she developed Pinc, a physiotherapy-based rehabilitation regime that endeavours to minimise the side effects of breast cancer treatments. First launching the initiative at her Auckland practice, it quickly became clear that what James had created held the potential to make a real difference, and as results began to develop, so did demand. In 2011, joined and encouraged by the University of Sydney’s Professor Rod MacLeod, the pair extended Pinc to aid women recovering from all forms of cancer and introduced the male-focused Steel programme.
“What Lou has done is to give people hope at a time when there may not seem to be much,” says Macleod, “she gives them something to focus on and to do for themselves.”
It’s acutely important work. With statistics showing that approximately one in four cancer survivors suffer from physical complications and one in 10 emotional problems following treatment, it’s shocking to think that just a fraction of those look for help. And though James admits the ongoing emotional complications weren’t necessarily what she expected the programme to combat, it is those results she has found to be so profound. “When you’re diagnosed with cancer, you lose a lot of control,” she says, “so when patients start regaining physical strength, they gain control with it.” It’s a confidence her programmes have now delivered to thousands. Teaching physiotherapists around the world how to create individually-tailored recovery plans for patients, it can be no surprise that James’ company is now Australasia’s largest cancer rehabilitation education provider.
The most poignant evidence, however, is undoubtedly in the human results. Take the 14-year-old boy who was so severely affected by his leukaemia treatment and the 28 lumbar punctures that came with it that his whole body hunched over in a spasticity pattern. Through rehabilitation and support, James’ physiotherapists were able to not only help him to straighten, but incredibly, learn to paddleboard. Or, how about the man who had to undergo such intense chemotherapy that he was left without feeling in his hands and feet? Unable to get himself out of bed in the morning, fast forward two years on the Steel programme and that same man was participating in the Challenge Wanaka triathlon. While the medical world can help cancer patients survive, what James has created helps them live.
Looking to the future, the goal remains the same, “I really believe that every person diagnosed with cancer should get individual, prescribed rehabilitation during their treatment so they can live as active and full lives as possible.” Working also with the Pinc and Steel Cancer Rehabilitation Trust, a volunteer-run charity that raises funds for those patients in need of financial support — there is no DHB or ACC funding available for oncology rehabilitation in New Zealand — she is determined. And though she admits she could afford “to step back a bit every once in awhile,” it just doesn’t seem to be in her nature. Nor that of the people around her. With a large percentage of those offering their time to the trust being physiotherapists and patients who have gone through it themselves, it seems her selflessness is contagious.
Last Thursday night, Auckland’s finest denizens kicked up their heels in celebration of second annual Denizen Heroes issue. Presented by Grey Goose and in association with Dior, Tiffany & Co. and Bentley Motors, the crowd gathered to toast the efforts of six exceptional individuals over custom-designed vodka cocktails and experiential cuisine by Mint Kitchen at St-Matthews-in-the-city.
A phenomenal evening filled with all the glitz and glamour a black tie event truly deserves, on Thursday 25th May we celebrated our 2017 Denizen Heroes. Presented by Grey Goose and in association with Dior, Tiffany & Co. and Bentley Motors, the second annual event was a stellar night out, or as one of our guests so eloquently put it — one “damn fine party”.
PHOTOS Sam Lee, Jono Parker & Anna Kidman | 8 Jun 2016
Last Thursday, we gathered some of Auckland’s most influential at St Matthew-in-the-City to laud seven individuals who will henceforth be known as our inaugural Denizen Heroes (also the cover stars of our latest Denizen winter issue). In collaboration with Grey Goose, whose bartenders (some of the world’s best) were present to shake-up a never-ending series of incredible libations along with the help of East Imperial, the festivities kicked off with a hiss and a bang, hosted by news anchor and one of our prime-time heroes, Mike McRoberts. Proffered gorgeous finger food from Mint Kitchen, guests entered into the ethereal space, enhanced by the talented florists at Blush, while our appointed Heroes were chauffeur driven to the event in utmost style thanks to Jaguar New Zealand. What ensued was a night to behold as the glamorous crowd raised a glass to some of our city’s most deserving individuals.
For more photos from the Denizen Heroes Event, click here.
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