Xenia Adonts

The making of Gucci’s ever-iconic GG Marmont bag

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.

Julia Garner
Left: Yara Shahidi. Right: Nicole Mehta

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.

Marmont bag in light blue from Gucci
Marmont bag in pale pink from Gucci
Marmont bag in lilac from Gucci
Marmont bag in rosso ancora red from Gucci

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.

gucci.com

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David Nash of The Wine Room guides us on how to gift wine wisely, and shares which bottles are sure to impress

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.

thewineroom.nz

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40th around the corner? Whether it’s your milestone or someone else’s, here’s what to wear to mark the occasion

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.

What To Wear

Own the milestone — or celebrate someone else’s —  in effortlessly polished looks that tread the line between bold, modern, and timeless.

Elsa Hosk wearing Murlong Cres dress
Rotate Ruched maxi dress from Moda Operandi
Elsa Peretti Claw necklace from Tiffany & Co.
Serpenti Forever mini top handle bag from Bvlgari
Mesh fabric slingback pumps from Prada
Suki dress and cape from Paris Georgia
High jewellery earrings from Graff
Austin Butler
HardWear Graduated Link necklace from Tiffany & Co.
Single-breasted wool and mohair tuxedo from Prada
Stretch cotton poplin shirt from Gucci
Messika Move Titanium black PM ring from Partridge
À Cheval transformable earrings from Van Cleef & Arpels
ALAÏA Ruched stretch-jersey midi dress from Net-a-porter
Play of Light Diamond Tennis bracelet from Sutcliffe

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Embark on a unique culinary adventure with The Hotel Britomart’s curated forest farm experience

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.

Book here.

thehotelbritomart.com

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Turning 30? Consider our edit of what to wear to mark the occasion your go-to resource

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.

What To Wear

Step up the style stakes with elevated yet playful ensembles that prove age is but a number.

Caro Daur wearing Cult Gaia dress and Tiffany & Co. earrings
Magda Butrym Sequin long dress from Net-a-porter
Serpenti Viper earrings from Bvlgari
Bottega Veneta Long Andiamo intrecciato leather clutch from Mytheresa
Jean Paul Gaultier draped turtleneck dress from Net-a-Porter
Rabanne Chainmail mini dress from Farfetch
Magda Butrym Embellished satin mules from Farfetch
Leonie Hanne wears Atelier Emé dress
Jacket from Saint Laurent
Silk crêpe bow tie from Gucci
Faceted Diamond cufflinks from Graff
High-rise tuxedo pants from Saint Laurent
Minister Derby dress shoes from Louis Vuitton
STAUD Le Sable mini dress from Moda Operandi
Bottega Veneta Floral-appliquéd pumps from Moda Operandi
Frivole
earrings from Van Cleef & Arpels
JW ANDERSON Shell metallic clutch from Net-a-porter
Amina Muaddi Lori lace-up sandal from net-a-porter

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For moments both intimate and grand, Treetops Lodge & Estate is a place to celebrate with heart

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.

treetops.co.nz

Milestones

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For gifts that go beyond the ordinary, Sutcliffe Jewellery’s bespoke creations give moments lasting meaning

Timeless and poetic, master craftsman and internationally awarded jeweller Brent Sutcliffe’s bespoke creations are crafted to mark life’s special moments with rare beauty and personal meaning.

For over two decades, Sutcliffe Jewellery has been creating showstopping bespoke pieces with such meticulous attention to detail that every glance reveals something new. Under the eye of master craftsman Brent Sutcliffe, a goldsmith whose career spans New Zealand’s finest workshops to London’s elite Hatton Garden, each commission is a marriage of artistry and engineering.

More than 70 percent of Sutcliffe’s work is private commissions, often beginning with a carefully sourced gemstone and a hand-sketched design. From there, hundreds of hours of exacting craftsmanship transform it into a jewel that feels as personal as the story it represents.

“Bespoke commissions can be delicate and understated, such as a pendant to honour a new chapter. ”

Every piece is a true collaboration between jeweller and client. An exchange of stories, inspiration, and ideas shapes every curve and setting, ensuring that the end result is entirely one-of-a-kind and filled with personal and lasting meaning.

Fiore drop earrings from Sutcliffe Jewellery
Secret Springs Tourmaline ring from Sutcliffe Jewellery
The Arbor Reverie bracelet from Sutcliffe Jewellery

Bespoke commissions can be delicate and understated, such as sweet diamond earrings to mark an 18th birthday, or a pendant subtly set with birthstones to honour a new chapter. Others can be rich with symbolism, like a ruby or sapphire chosen for its personal significance and turned into a statement ring marking a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. Whatever the piece, the journey to create it is as unique as the jewel itself, ensuring it becomes more than an adornment — it’s an heirloom in the making, destined to be loved now and treasured for generations.

sutcliffejewellery.com

Milestones

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Photo by Sapphire Studio

Why Ayrburn is fast-becoming one of the country’s most covetable places to throw a party

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.

Billy’s (top left) & The Barrel Room (bottom)

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.

ayrburn.com

Milestones

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21st on the horizon? Whether it’s your milestone or someone else’s, here’s what to wear to mark the occasion

Turning 21 is a milestone worth marking with intention, and as such, it warrants a wardrobe that feels elevated yet effortless — whether you’re celebrating your own foray into adulthood or someone else’s.

From chic jewellery to statement dresses and sharp yet playful tailoring, the vibe should be fun and fabulous. Here, we share an edit of what to wear to mark the occasion in fitting fashion.

What To Wear

Step out in standout style with fun and fabulous looks guaranteed to steal the spotlight.

Sabrina Carpenter in Loewe
Millenia clip earrings from Swarovski
Acne Studios Gathered mini dress from Net-a-porter
Cassidy sandals from Cult Gaia
Magda Butrym Sheer draped mini dress from Mytheresa
Sweet Alhambra earstuds from Van Cleef & Arpels
Jimmy Choo 72138 sandals from Farfetch
Jessica McCormack Ball n Chain Diamond bracelet from Simon James
OLIVER SPENCER Linen Suit Jacket from Mr Porter
Versace Medusa silk tie from Farfetch
Large Link bracelet from Tiffany & Co.
OLIVER SPENCER Tapered Linen Trousers from Mr Porter
Casablanca Sacred Stone shirt from Farfetch
Dart-Knee pleated trousers from Porter James Sports
G75 sneaker from Gucci

Milestones

For new mums, Walker & Hall’s sentiment-rich pieces are the ultimate gift
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Win two tickets to The Wine Room’s Le Club, an evening of Champagne, caviar, and late-night extravagance

On the last Friday of every month, The Wine Room is set to roll out the red carpet and shed its daytime sophistication in favour of something a little more daring. Partnering with some of the world’s most exclusive beverage houses, the alluring destination reimagines itself as a late-night playground where music, indulgence, and performance collide.

To celebrate the inaugural event, we’re giving away two tickets to Le Club’s debut on Friday, 26th September.

The event’s first iteration is in partnership with Dom Pérignon, so you know you’re in for a treat. The evening kicks off with a series of captivating live performances — unfolding in true cabaret spirit, from live music to dancers and a few surprise performers to keep things interesting. Resident house DJ Mac Mylo will also be on-hand to set the pace, spinning a soundtrack that carries the night seamlessly from golden-hour glamour to the small hours.

Ryan Moore

An oyster bar becomes the epicentre of extravagance — complete with Champagne, caviar, and creative cocktails, while chef Ryan Moore will of course keep the crowd well-fed with an ever-flowing menu of his signature refined canapés.

Tickets are $199 per person and include Champagne on arrival, chef-crafted canapés, an oyster and caviar experience, plus exclusive access to The Wine Room’s sumptuous setting. Doors open at 7.00pm and the party continues late into the night — then returns monthly, on the final Friday of each new month.

If you want in, secure your spot here, or enter below for your change to win two tickets to opening night on Friday 26th September.

This giveaway is now closed.

thewineroom.nz

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