Taking into account the Black Tie dress code for Friday evening’s Heroes Gala, it would have been a great shame to have let the night pass without properly acknowledging all the effort attendees went to, in order to remain on theme. And where the guys had donned their best ties and shiny lapels and the women their fancy frocks or sleek suits, photographer Olivia Kirkpatrick was there with her camera to capture it all in poised perfection.
Setting up in the custom-built photographic studio we created, Kirkpatrick spent hours wrangling guests beneath the stoic arches into various configurations and poses that made us all look suave, composed and effortlessly cool in a way that, for most (and especially towards the end of the night), was certainly not effortless.
It resulted in a line-up of images that will keep this effervescent evening elegantly cemented in memory — until next year rolls around.
To see the rest of Olivia Kirkpatrick’s images from the photo studio, click here.
“We call it the ‘Martha-odometer’,” Francesca Mazza says, backed up by Aaron Carson who follows with, “you know, ‘what would Martha do?”, before laughing. The pair are explaining the name of their new cafe, Just Like Martha, as having been inspired by Martha Stewart, and, as Mazza tells me, by their habit of deferring to her as their spiritual guide in matters of the kitchen. “She’s an icon,” Mazza says, and I have to agree. So it feels right that in the same way Stewart is prolific in global hospitality and food, Carson and Mazza are, in their own way, working to become just as prolific in Auckland’s dining scene. Just Like Martha is the latest in a number of openings by the powerhouse duo that includes Winona Forever, Major Tom, Rude Boy, FANG, Friday I’m In Love and Sugar at Chelsea Bay. Each with their own, unique edge but each rendered part of the same overarching family for their vibrant plates, generous portions and intriguing flavours that effortlessly combine various cultures and cuisines without becoming derivative ‘fusion’ cuisine.
Just Like Martha fits right into the line-up. Tucked into the lower level of a new apartment development on Mount Eden Road — more Three Kings than the street name would suggest — the vibe of the area feels suburban, residential and community-driven. “We’re back in the burbs,” Mazza says, “but it’s where we started, so that’s what we like.” Here Carson jumps in to explain that an element of doing something “not obvious” also came into play when making the decision to open outside the inner city bubble and that providing a place for the community to congregate was important.
Inside, where there would have been potential for someone to create something that reflected too accurately the ‘newness’ of the building — in other words, offer up a cafe that was too modern to be welcoming or too ‘cool’ to be popular — Carson and Mazza have created a space that is eclectic, warm and inviting. Described by the pair as a kind of homage to the corner cafes of Europe, they explained how the aim had been to inject a sense of “heritage” into what was a wholly new space. The bistro-style chairs reminded me of the kind you’d see lined up on Parisian streets. The graphic wallpaper lent the interior a verdant, leafy warmth. The cubic lights felt charmingly antique. And the bright pink coffee machine stood stoically at the end of the counter — a beacon of what these powerhouse operators represent.
“Good food and good coffee,” Carson tells me, explaining that, putting all else aside, those two things were what it ultimately came down to. Just Like Martha’s menu could be described as classic Kiwi brunch fare with a twist, but as Mazza says, “what even is ‘Kiwi’ fare today?”. As such, the food is a happy mix of flavours, textures and cultural touches that remains in line with the culinary ethos of its sibling eateries. The ‘mince on toast’ comprises Sichuan spicy mince piled atop a slab of housemaid chilli brioche with seasonal greens and a dash of FANG’s (Carson and Mazza’s Parnell Sichuan eatery) signature chilli oil.
Braised beef cheek benedict
Of course, various incarnations of eggs Benedict are included on the menu — but in a typically unexpected fashion. The iteration with braised beef cheek was a particular highlight, served with balsamic hollandaise, a layered potato stack and a drizzle of comforting gravy.
French toast
For those sporting a sweet tooth, Just Like Martha’s French toast really takes the already indulgent dish up a notch with dark chocolate brioche, white chocolate and raspberry panna cotta, thyme meringue and pieces of maple-fried banana. But even if ‘sweet’ really isn’t your thing, the double buttermilk fried chicken burger offers up the same opportunity to indulge. A delicious behemoth of a burger, this eye-popping dish includes some of the tastiest fried chicken we’ve tried, perfectly complemented by Southern slaw, chow chow relish and crispy shoestring fries.
Double buttermilk fried chicken burger
Elsewhere on the menu, a kids section features a more simple version of the aforementioned French toast, a boiled egg and soldiers dish and a classic ham and cheese toastie. It’s a move that Mazza explains as imperative to making Just Like Martha an environment conducive to families.
With an ethos of inclusivity, food that can be made to suit any proclivity, a cabinet of mouth-watering sweet treats and slices and a coffee machine so bold that it’s sure to imbue the espresso being made on it with an extra boost, Just Like Martha is Carson and Mazza doing what they do best — creating a space for people to come together over good, hearty food. So whether you’re a Three Kings/Mount Eden local or not, this one’s worth venturing out of your bubble for.
Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 7am until 4pm Saturday and Sunday, 8am until 4pm
It’s time we put a stop to our associations of sunglasses with summer exclusively. Just because the days are colder in the middle of the year, it doesn’t mean that the sun itself goes into hibernation. Its rays are still there, people. Still carrying the potential to wreak havoc on our skin, still strong enough to warrant a strong pair of shades.
But beyond acknowledging why investing in a new pair of sunglasses in winter is practical, for guys in particular, good sunnies will take a winter ensemble from average to great — regardless of where they sit on the style acuity scale. This is especially true in a season where the opportunities to flex fashion acumen in the form of a bright shirt or a cool linen suit are firmly off the table. When dark colours, dense layers and simple, functional pieces mostly dictate what a man can wear in winter, it pays to put a bit of time into finding the right accessories — in other words, pick up a pair of sunglasses that will take you from run-of-the-mill rugby dad to looking like Brad Pitt at a press junket (low-key but untouchably cool).
In a bid to set you in the right direction, we have lined up a selection of our favourite frames of the moment — all of which have the potential to take your winter wardrobe from zero to hero and all of which are from brands that are available at Parker and Co. A pair like the ones below will prove the most important accessory in your arsenal this season, trust us.
Clockwise from top left: Projekt Produkt FN-3 CGLD frames, Garrett Leight Calabar sunglasses, Gucci Navigator sunglasses with double G, Garrett Leight Sanborn sunglasses and Yohji Yamamoto sunglasses all from Parker & Co. — see the full range in store.
Every year, our winter issue bares, on its covers, the faces of a select group of New Zealanders who have done exceptional things. Whether philanthropic or entrepreneurial, the careers of these individuals are marked, not only by extraordinary success but by the way in which their various pursuits are putting New Zealand on the world stage in some way or other.
This year, the covers feature seven Heroes — Paul Baragwanath (art consultant and cultural custodian), Tim Brown (co-founder of Allbirds and global leader in sustainable footwear), Jessica McCormack (renowned diamond artisan), Alex Magaraggia and James Calver (co-founders of eco-friendly food packaging company, Ecoware), Peter Beck (engineer extraordinaire and founder of Rocketlab) and Emilia Wickstead (fashion designer to some of the biggest names in the world) — each pictured in their own environments, their incredible stories profiled in the Heroes section of the magazine.
Following on from the profiles of the cover Heroes, is a comprehensive line-up of ‘Everyday Heroes’ — those in our community who are changing its urban landscape, supporting its people or working to shift our perspective on things like waste and education. These are the movers and shakers of Auckland and beyond who do not seek recognition but deserve it more than most.
Elsewhere in the magazine, we thought it altogether fitting for our winter issue to turn to Queenstown and its surrounding areas, undertaking a deep dive into the people and places propelling the region’s development into one of New Zealand’s most promising.
Of course, you’ll also find the latest and greatest in food (including a visual feast of Auckland’s most delectable desserts) as well as the new design trends to know about, a sleek Black Tie photoshoot with models dripping in Dior and Tiffany & Co. and the best cultural happenings to put into your calendar over the next few months. In our Navigator section, we take you to Norway for an inside look at the world’s biggest underwater restaurant, before transporting you to some of our favourite winter escape destinations (including one perfect for a family getaway).
Vast and varied, and featuring some of the most inspiring people to ever grace the pages of Denizen, this year’s Heroes issue is one you’ll want to devour cover-to-cover.
Denizen Heroes 2019 has six different covers, one for each Hero. Pick up your copy of the latest Denizen magazine from any good newsagent, or subscribe here.
There’s something about a neckline that often speaks to the character of the person wearing it. So whether you’d opt for a high-necked, off-the-shoulder, batteau or sweet-heart, what does your favourite cut say about you?
Shirt collar: She’s a businesswoman and she’s not afraid to don an aggressively pointy collar to prove it. Boyfriends beware — she’ll steal your shirts and wear them better than you ever could.
Ruffled: Her Pinterest board is littered with grainy black and white photos and she revels in Victorian novella. Not afraid of being called ‘extra,’ she pulls off flouncy detail better than a dandy in Louis XIV’s court.
Turtleneck: Sleek, chic and often caught sporting a low bun, she is most likely some kind of designer but dabbles in illustration or maybe, I don’t know, architecture, on the side. She is cultured (but is chill about it).
Off-the-shoulder: Always the most elegant person in the room, she could close her eyes and pick anything out of her wardrobe and still look like she was about to chair a board meeting — and sometimes she does. Her approach is timeless, her décolletage infamous.
High neck: When Tidying Up with Marie Kondo first aired she scoffed because her system was better. With an undying love for Japanese designers and a subscription to Monocle, she’s as meticulous as she is savvy.
Sweetheart: A self-proclaimed girlie girl, she loves a sweetheart neckline as much as she loves the following: novelty cupcakes, KUWTK, tagging people in memes and saying ‘actually me though’, horoscopes, Beiber, mugs that say ‘But first, coffee,’ and Youtube tutorials.
Crew neck: She’s cool, she’s nonchalant, she really does wake up like this. She has mastered the art of throwing on a T-shirt with jeans and looking like she’s backstage at Paris Fashion Week. When she says she’s ‘not high maintenance’ she really means it.
Plunging: She’s daring enough to opt for a neckline that carries a very real risk of wardrobe malfunction. But she doesn’t care. Because she can handle the heat. She does Cross-Fit, she asks guys out and she orders whisky neat just for the hell of it and once, she smoked a cigar and didn’t hate it.
A label long known for its cool-girl silhouettes, unique prints and pieces that are leading the new wave of elevated everyday wear, Georgia Alice is one of our go-to brands. Offering clothes that handle eye-catching, elegant details with an effortless hand, GA is consistent in its mission of providing women with pieces they can wear for any occasion — and its new High Summer/Pre-Fall season is no exception.
Anchored by tones of sky blue (and fittingly shot against a backdrop of expansive ocean) Georgia Alice’s new collection is perhaps, its best yet. Executed in a way that combines soft colouring and feminine shapes with bold, exciting prints, GA’s new season is set to see us all donning snakeskin pants with simple blue shirts and pleated skirts with perfectly oversized blazers (like the kind you’d borrow from your boyfriend but much, much better). Speaking of which, masculine touches (like long, tailored shorts) are paired with patterned crops, shirts with sculptural sleeves and sheer turtlenecks that are putting a chic spin on typical winter wear.
All in all, it’s a collection that fits beautifully into the arch of the Georgia Alice brand narrative. It’s wearable but unique and undeniably striking without being gratuitously loud. But more than that, it’s a considered collection, rife with pieces that are not only interchangeable with one another, but that also work with GA pieces from the brand’s previous seasons (which is ideal for the loyalists among us whose wardrobes are slowly morphing into a GA look book).
Landing at Simon James Design (pieces will be coming in over the next week), this new collection is one you truly don’t want to miss out on. And considering how in-demand Georgia Alice has become, we suggest getting in there sooner rather than later — lest you miss out.
Some say whisky should be supplemented with a dash of water, others opt for a delicate drop. For us, Chivas Regal is best when served simply on its own. So if you want to achieve the perfect pour at this year’s Heroes Gala — keep it neat.
If you haven’t noticed, green is everywhere at the moment. Whether it pops up on the key pieces in renowned designers’ collections or rears its verdant head in beautiful homes, green is the tone du jour, and considering how it used to be largely relegated to the ‘acquired taste’ category, its emergence feels sudden and ubiquitous.
But perhaps its trendiness is a reflection of our growing awareness around important ‘green’ issues — like carbon emissions, waste and the use of toxic, chemical-based products. If we look to the longstanding maestros of paint, Resene, green is far more than just a tone to slap on your wall or add to a room’s detailing (although Resene’s palettes that fall into this category really do add some flair to interiors). The company also has a comprehensive, environmental programme for paint that allows us to ensure our homes are finished in the most sustainable way possible — whatever colour we choose.
Resene’s Environmental Choice approved product range, includes an extensive array of paints that have been independently verified as having no added VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or having particularly low VOC content. VOCs have become largely condemned for their emissions — ozone-depleting emissions — that contribute significantly to climate concerns. Traditionally, VOCs have been very present in surface coatings, including household paints, but Resene (after it introduced waterborne enamels decades ago) established itself early on as the leaders in a new, more sustainable way of painting.
Beyond the paint itself, Resene also encourages people to return any surplus or unwanted paint with its packaging to its unique, PaintWise recycling programme — an innovative scheme that focuses on facilitating a more closed-loop system around the waste of Resene products. (There are a number of PaintWise collection sites set up around the country, find your nearest here.) Or if you wanted to take things one step further, Resene even offers a network of Resene Eco.Decorators — highly trained painting contractors whose methods have been certified as adhering to strict sustainability guidelines. They will not only complete your decorating project but will ensure that every step of the job is done in line with up-to-date, environmentally-aware practices. Find a Resene Eco.Decorator here.
So whether you’re buying into the new tonal trend or not, you don’t need to like the colour green to render your interior a ‘green’ one. Thinking about the importance of environmental standards in our homes (as well as outside of it) is something we should all be actively doing — and Resene is making it easier than ever.
Auckland City is growing up. With high-quality retail, hospitality and cultural offerings arising alongside its burgeoning population, Auckland’s development has seen a call for accommodation that meets the needs of its discerning inhabitants. Enter Seascape.
The new Downtown development situated on Customs Street East is set to be the city’s tallest residential tower and is promising unprecedented, inner-city living. From its striking Peddle Thorp-designed facade of angular glass and a sculptural lattice mega-brace to its impressive, grand lobby flanked by retail tenants, Seascape offers the kind of luxurious lifestyle one would expect to find in cities of a much larger scale. A pool and fitness centre, for instance, will provide residents with on-site, health-focused amenities. While an elevated outdoor terrace is set to become a hive of after-dark activity.
But aside from the obvious visual appeal and various on-hand conveniences, where Seascape really pushes ahead of the rest, is in its residences. Particularly, its two-bedroom duplexes, where apartment living is given a spacious new face.
Situated over two stories with a combined floor area of 152 square-metres, these apartments are framed by soaring ceilings, timber flooring and impressive, floor-to-ceiling windows that flood their open-plan living spaces with natural light. In the heart of the apartments, a double-height (six-metres-high) atrium can be utilised as a breathtaking dining room or all-seasons ‘winter garden,’ able to either be opened onto an unenclosed balcony via sliding glass doors or remain closed to the elements. The lower level of the duplex apartments also features a study (large enough to fit a double bed), a bathroom, a laundry and a sleek, contemporary kitchen fitted out with a line up of state-of-the-art, integrated appliances.
But the magic of this layout really lies in the novelty of split-level living, and upstairs, the luxury of Seascape’s duplexes is taken to new heights.
One bedroom and one master suite, both with their own ensuites and the latter with a walk-in-wardrobe, reside on the upper-level of the residences. Showcasing assiduous attention to detail, the refined, modern bathrooms offer under-floor heating, bespoke vanities with functional storage space and wall-mounted designer tapware.
In the bedrooms, opulence meets calm sophistication as the timber details, plush finishes and carefully-realised fittings (like custom headboards) combine to offer an air of pared-back luxury. Both bedrooms boast their own private balconies, an open-air one off the master suite and one that looks onto the atrium off the other, both providing a level of privacy not often found in the modern apartment.
With 10 of the two-bedroom duplexes available, Seascape also offers studio, one-bedroom, three-bedroom and penthouse apartments, and is proving itself a pioneer in Auckland’s luxury accommodation scene. Answering the city’s call for a new style of living that more accurately represents Auckland’s growing, urban identity, Seascape’s arrival is indicating the dawn of a new cosmopolitan era and is set to be one of this city’s most prestigious addresses.
So you’ve found your dress, booked in your hair and makeup and started prepping your skin for the big night. But what of a finishing touch? Whether a handbag or a shoe, the final step in black-tie outfit formulation is arguably one of the most important. And here, stylist Paris Mitchell Temple uses some of her favourite bags and heels from Dior to showcase why.
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.
