Merry Xmas!

Merry Xmas to our Blacklog readers! We'll be posting over summer at various times but in the meantime, enjoy your Xmas break!

Love Grant & Rachael x

August's next top model #3 - Rhianon

And last but not least, Rhianon, wearing Workshop and Helen Cherry turned up for her test in a casual outfit that impressed immediately. Her sense of fashion and outgoing attitude translated perfectly in the shoot. She also walked for us recently in the Workshop/Helen Cherry Ponsonby store opening show and we have no doubt she will be a feature on the modelling scene next year.

Photography: Russ Flatt

Styling: Rachael Churchward

Hair & Make-up: Amber Haldane

August's next top model #2 - Ashleigh

Ashleigh, wearing Deadly Ponies, Ruby and See by Chloe boots was the winner of the August Models Talent Search at Girls Day Out and is a very new face at August but has fabulous bone structure and features that will only enhance her look as she gets older. This girl has a big future...

Photography: Russ Flatt

Styling: Rachael Churchward

Hair & Make-up: Amber Haldane

August's next top model #1 - Ariel

There has been a plethora of hot new faces coming through the model agencies of Aotearoa over the past few months, there is no doubt New Zealand is heating up as a model resource. In recent weeks Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward has begun consultancy work with August Models in Auckland, and in a short space of time she has unearthed some gems. First up in a series of August's next top models :-) in Bettina Liano, Ariel...

Photography: David Shields

Styling: Rachael Churchward

Hair & Make-up: David Shields

Blacklog Feature: Massey's Tenth Edition Part #4: Alice Howard

Alice Howard

In one sentence, what have you learned at the course? Most importantly I have learnt to think outside the square with my designing and then to be able to draw it back into something unique but very wearable.

Who, or what is your biggest inspiration? I'm a real people watcher, I get a great rush from seeing someone really eccentric wandering down the street but looking totally unique but so

fantastically happy in themselves and their clashing colours and textures, that they somehow look completely stunning. Also, I have always envied the glamour and sophistication of my grandparent's generation, I would adore to wear clothes that my grandmother wore at my age.

How would you describe your style as a fashion designer? Colourful and eclectic, I love working with combinations of varying pattern and texture. Very feminine and soft with a hint of grunge.

How would you describe your style personally? I'm a big vintage shopper so a bit of a mixture of old and new, lots of colours and textures. I guess I dress very similarly to the way I design. A bit of a combination between grunge and elegance.

What does fashion need more of? COLOUR!! I feel people are becoming more and more afraid of using it and very safe in their combination of colours. Also, I think fashion could definitely do with a bit of a kick of old world glamour - the likes of the 1920's and early Chanel...

Blacklog Feature: Massey's Tenth Edition Part #3: Anna von Hartitzsch

Anna von Hartitzch

In one sentence, what have you learned at the course? I learnt that to design and create takes heart and soul.

Who, or what is your biggest inspiration? Inspiration exists everywhere. I can be inspired by a single image or a collection of images that interact together, a feeling or a topic that needs visually expressing - all depending on what is happening around me.

How would you describe your style as a fashion designer? My concepts and designs are very emotionally based. I tend to be a hands-on designer who goes with my feelings and moods. This process creates couture pieces that have a little piece of me secretly entwined within them.

How would you describe your style personally? To be perfectly honest, I am not very fashionable, to the point where I'm not sure if I even have a personal style. I grew up on a farm where I lived in trackies and tees and haven't really changed from this. I think I make beautiful clothes for other people and feel more comfortable with that.

What does fashion need more of? I think fashion needs more meaning and memory. I believe clothing and even fabric have essences that should be better enjoyed, more than the modern day's fast fashion industry allows for. Clothes used to be treasured and we are missing that connection that prevents us from just them throwing away...

Blacklog Feature: Massey's Tenth Edition Part #2: Jess Kerr

Jess Kerr

In one sentence, what have you learned at the course? The best thing I have learned is to stay true to my ideas and concepts.

Who, or what is your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is France around the 1940 - 1950s. The glamour, beauty and the way women made such an effort with grooming.

How would you describe your style as a fashion designer? My style as a fashion designer is big and beautiful. A little bit of fantasy is in my designs as I see fashion as something you can dream with.

How would you describe your style personally? My personal style is quite classic with a touch of old worn glamour.

What does fashion need more of? Fashion needs more style in it. Anything goes nowadays, which sometimes can be good, but there are fads that should not be worn!

macaroon love

Macaroons are the most delicious, delicate and pretty little things ever. I've been obsessed ever since my first visit to Laduree in Paris where you can get the best macaroons money can buy. I've discovered a couple of places to get really good ones in Auckland though: Philippe's Chocolate and French pastry shop in Grey Lynn and the Vaniye stall in Alexandra Park farmer's market on Sunday mornings are definitely worth a visit.

Blacklog Feature: Massey's Tenth Edition: Zhang Shuai

Zhang Shuai

It's great to see that New Zealand's tertiary fashion courses are unearthing and nurturing an increasing number of talented young designers; AUT, Whitecliffes and Wellington's Massey Creative Campus are all fostering talent that augurs well for the future of our fashion industry. Recently students of Massey's four-year Bachelor Of Design (Fashion Major) held their end of year show entitled "Tenth Edition" - in commemoration of the campus's 10 years of existence. This year Karen Walker was invited to moderate the marking of the final year collections and offer an unbiased view. She was impressed by the standard of the fledgling designers work and we have been too, so over a series of posts, we thought a short interview and showcase of the work of four of the best from the 4th year show would be in order:

Zhang Shuai

Can you describe in one sentence what you have learned at the course? I have learned how to be creative in fashion design and enhance the diversity of design.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration? My inspiration is the thorny rose for women - luring and enticing, but resolute and self-protected as well.

How would you describe your style as a fashion designer? In my design I want to show really strong-looking and high fashion.

How would you describe your style personally? Personally, I like to put on a different style everyday, but at this stage I prefer womenswear in a men's style.

What does fashion need more of? I think fashion is not just about clothes or art. It can promote economic growth so we need more people to give more passion to inspire a fashion designer's imagination and power.

Photo Of The Week: Girl Meets NYC

Girl Meets NYC = Susannah Cole doesn't post very often but her images are worth the wait. She adds some beautiful words too...here are our photo(s) of the week from Girl Meets NYC...

Black 11 - the digital version

Black 11 is on sale now in New Zealand and will be in Australia shortly. We've had a number of enquiries since receiving a bit of attention across the internet over Black 11 from people wanting to know where and how they can get a copy of the mag in their territory. US Vogue we are not but anyone, anywhere in the world can buy a digital version of the issue right now by simply going here to Zinio.co.nz. You will have to join Zinio and download the free Zinio Reader (takes only a few minutes) and the digital issue costs only NZ $10.00. Every little bit of content is there, is zoomable, all of the urls are live and overall it is actually a very nice digital experience. So if you live in Alaska or Antarctica, or Argentina - this is your best bet - and within half an hour of reading this you could be reading Black 11...

Tickl-ed Pink and ReelFilm - bringing back the art

The good folks at The Impossible Project have advised this week that they will be sending down the first batch of their exciting new instant film at the beginning of 2010 and we will be sending that out to a bunch of our key photographers to shoot a themed editorial for issue 12. It seems the impending re-establishment of the much-loved film format is also creating a flurry of activity online and they have drawn our attention to Tickl Magazine, an instant film treasure trove that describes itself as "a naughty bookazine, plain sensual and frankly arty." Polaroid has always been seen as a sexy format and Tickl, and it's contributors clearly understand this well. If Polaroid is art, then Tickl is Polaroid.

Also this week, Auckland photographer, musician and behind-the-scenes bFm personality Josh Hetherington (below) announced the launch of ReelFilm.co.nz - a website dedicated to the lost art of Super 8 filmmaking. Josh is offering a Super 8 service to shoot weddings and other special occasions and given that the capturing of a wedding or special event can sometimes be a deflating experience, this seems like an interesting alternative. Hetherington adds the right tunes to his edits to as the montage film on the site's front page shows.

So good to see sites like Tickl and ReelFilm wearing their passion for these pure, simple yet astonishing formats on their sleeves...

so fresh and so clean clean

I love men's colognes and often choose them over women's perfumes, preferring to smell clean and subtle over sweet and flowery. I also love a boy who takes pride in his scent and think it's so important to always smell good. Waiting for my delayed plane in Sydney airport the other day, I had a good hour to do some research into colognes. Of course you can never go past a Jo Malone or Comme scent, but for a bit of a change here's what I recommend for your boyfriend's christmas present this year:

1. Lanvin L'homme Sport.

This fragrance is incredibly clean and fresh; exactly how a male should smell.

2. Burberry For Men.

When I sprayed this one I immediately thought this smells like something Comme des Garcons would create. It's so cinnamony and musky and delicious.

3. Acqua Di Parma Colonia

This one reminds me so much of my French grandfather. It's a classic, sophisticated and luxurious scent.

A little bit of trumpet blowing...

It's hard to do something well in New Zealand, to believe your are as good as anyone in the world, to have big dreams, and still live in New Zealand. Ask Graham Henry. Ask Peter Jackson. Ask NO Magazine. We briefly saw the new issue of NO today and it is fantastic, as each issue of the fledgling magazine has been. It isn't easy to publish a quality fashion and culture magazine in this country when the prevailing influences are: television, trends, rambunctious commerce and the hand-me-down edicts of other cultures which are fed to the unsuspecting populace like baby food. If you are going to do something outside of the New Zealand Square, you must think outside that square, and the good people of NO are. Here at Black we have also followed that vision from day one so we appreciate seeing it in others. You have to believe, almost blindly, in this country - and with Issue 11 we feel we are now getting the response that we have sought for so long. Since the release of Black issue 11 we have been humbled by the international response and (continued) posts on sites like Fashion Gone Rogue, The Fashionisto, F-Tape and Models.com among many, many more - it makes it all worth while. It's deeply rewarding for us, our contributors and we hope it will be inspiration for our friends at NO. Just do it. So that's our trumpet blown, we're hard out on Issue 12 and it's all just getting better...Grant & Rach x

Dunedin, the model factory...

We've said before here on Blacklog that Ali McD is a scouting/casting genius and today's email from the southern model maven reiterates that. In such a small city she still manages to find world-class models on the street, in the malls and the supermarkets of a city about the same size as Cambridge (UK) and Cole Hillman: age 21, height 6ft has it all...bring it on Ali you legend you...

At last!

For some time now Auckland has lacked a bar/restaurant/cafe/watering hole that you can pop into after work and snack on a good sized meal, created on the barbecue, alongside a quality beer or wine that doesn't break the bank. Enter Ponsonby Social Club on a Tuesday or a Sunday. The Barbie is set up in the courtyard and manned by a quality barbecurist (is there such a word?) and for only $7.50 you can tuck into a scrumptious (above) roll/bap with sausages from Westmere Butchery and salad. The menu on those days is built around the barbie and is all super affordable. Fill the gap? You bet. Perfecto!