Hanoi Rocks...

Good name for a band but this post is about a restaurant in Auckland, a very fine one in Auckland's burgeoning Britomart District that specialises in Vietnamese food, Cafe Hanoi. We like it so much that we've eaten there twice in the past week and felt it was well worth a blog. Tony McGeorge and Krishna Botica are no strangers to food and hospitality as stalwarts of Ponsonby Social Club and the legendary Prego respectively. The pair saw an opportunity for a quality restaurant serving Vietnamese cuisine and knew that Britomart was the right place to set up. Along with chef Jason van Dorsten the duo spent plenty of time in Vietnam researching the food, decor and culture of a country steeped in tradition and taste bud titillation, and it shows.

TalkBlack with Jimmy D's James Dobson

Above: James Dobson by Guy Coombes. 

All photos below by Aaron K

After a critically and commercially successful show at NZ Fashion Week, Jimmy D, aka James Dobson is excited about the future of the semi-eponymous label which he describes as 'darkness and light' and is equally excited about his retail and online operation Children of Vision with Vicky Chan. In the first of an on-going series of TalkBlack discussions here on Blacklog, Grant Fell and Rachael Churchward pop down to the five and dime with Jimmy D to talk about Norwegian black metal, chiffon punk, Ms 45 and selling Bernhard Willhelm back to Europeans...

Lay Down In Splendour David Wood

So sad to hear of the passing of Straitjacket Fits bass player David Wood at the end of last week. David was a gentleman with a wry sense of humour, a cheeky grin and on occasion, a mean mullet. He was also an excellent bass player that underpinned many of the great New Zealand band's tunes including this one, Down In Splendour, which seems suitably apt to post in his honour today. Our commiserations go out to his family and of course Shayne, John, Andrew et al...

New Face: Krystian @ Ali McD/August

Rachael Churchward and photographer David Shields did a wee shoot with Krystian from Ali McD/August last week. Krystian has a great look and, as this image attests, the camera loves him. It continues to amaze us that a city the size of Dunedin can produce so many great faces. One to watch from the Ali McD stable, once again...

Faint Spells Good, This Friday

Photo: Olivia Hemus

Those of you who attended the Nom*D installation/show at this year's fashion week will have certainly seen Rebekah Davies (above) looking beautiful in a signature leather ensemble from the venerable Southern label's AW 2011 collection. She also sang beautifully, an ethereal lament which filled the room with a melancholic uneasiness. This Friday the talented singer-songwriter plays with her band Faint Spells at Tabac, 6 Mills Lane, Auckland. Featuring members of great local bands Dimmer and The Verlaines, Faint Spells Very Good Indeed. Support by James and Chelsea, members of Dimmer and Teacups respectively. Doors open at 8pm, $10 on the door.

Faint Spells:
Rebekah Davies - Vocals, guitar, bass
Shayne Carter - Bass, guitar, backing vocals
Tom Healy - Guitar
Gary Sullivan - Drums

Rookies On A Roll

Renuka Pana

After attending the AUT Rookie 2010 show at Rhubarb Lane last Thursday night we were left with the simple, inspiriting feeling that New Zealand fashion's future is bright indeed. It is a feeling borne of a higher standard emerging year-on-year from Auckland's two top fashion schools, and Wellington's Massey course, among others around the country. On Thursday night the quality of design, craftsmanship and creativity that marched down the runway (to great show music) from the 36 AUT Rookies was of a high standard across the board. Every designer showed promise, some showed a lot of promise and there were a plenty of winning garments and outfits to be seen. This year's Rookie show was also a quality event in other aspects; multiple bars and catering, grandstands, containers as film screens (that featured an opening Year 3 student's film, shot by Garth Badger), one of the most interesting front rows in a while, and a well-lit skinny horse-shoe catwalk all made for a classy, competent fashion show. We also loved the DPS programme that featured photos of the designers and a space for notes. We did make a few notes and asked AUT to send through an image from four of those designers, just a few that piqued our attention on the night. Congrats all round to AUT staff, tutors and students....

Wire Not? Colin Newman and co, like a 1979 heartbeat...

We've been thinking a lot about our much loved friend Johnny Pierce, original bass player for Children's Hour and Headless Chickens, who died 24 years ago last August. Wire, led by the consummate post-punk frontman Colin Newman was close to his favourite band and this tune, Heartbeat, recorded live in 1979, was one of his favourite tunes. It feels like a good time to post something in his honour...here's to you Johnny...gnrx

Stella Maxwell shoots Karl Lagerfeld look book

Photo: Dazed Digital

We discovered what a lovely person Stella Maxwell is when she shot beauty for Black 11 with Craig Owen. She's also a great model, and as her mother agent Aliana McDaniel says in this issue of Black, is "blessed with an amazing face and is incredibly lucky to have a genetic imprint on her physique that is actually quite unobtainable for most women, even for a lot of models." Karl Lagerfeld agrees. In the past month or so, the NZ model featured in his look book with photographer Xiang Sun and shot a campaign for Ermanno Scervino with model Anna Kalina in Florence. We tracked down Stella in Paris to find out more....

Black 13 cover: Derek Kettela, Michelle Cameron and Valery Gherman shoot Pauline Van der Cruysse in New York

We printed half of Black 13 at McCollams today with cuzzy bro Roger on the press. So important to have a rapport with your printers and Roger knows his colours from his black and whites. Here's the cover for Issue 13. Photographer Derek Kettela, stylist Michelle Cameron and Black New York editor Valery Gherman capture Pauline Van der Cruysse.

And You Thought A Sharpie Was A Pen

We are always fascinated by sub-cultures and this wee You Tube clip by Greg Macainsh about the 'Sharpie' culture in Melbourne in 1974 is indeed fascinating. Set at the Melbourne Showgrounds, a few thousand mulletheads are in attendance at the Lobby Lloyd and Billy Thorpe concert, and they're pretty amped. Check the hair cuts, fashion and dancing - unreal. Thanks to our good friend Bob Sutton for finding this...

Black 13: Preview - Paul Empson & June Nakamoto shoot Dioni Tabbers

Four four issues in a row, Paul Empson and June Nakamoto have teamed up in Paris to deliver beautiful, cinematic fashion editorial for Black. This issue they left the bustling French capital and headed for the hills, or fields more accurately, to shoot Dutch beauty Dioni Tabbers. Hair by Jean Luc Amarin, make-up by Tina Roivanien.

Review: Winter's Bone - directed by Debra Granik

Ree looking casually chic out front of her Ozark mansion

Around New Zealand, and around the world, in pockets hidden away from prying eyes, small backblock communities are living in the shadow of Hell. Methamphetamine use, and more exactly its production, has ravaged them beyond recognition, creating paranoia, fear, confusion and poverty. Isolation is the substructure of these tight-lipped communities where asking questions is asking for trouble. Whether nestled into the foothills behind Otorohanga, New Zealand or hidden in the forest down a winding, wintery road in the Ozark Mountains, Missouri, meth takes no prisoners and makes its own rules. The Ozark Mountains is indeed the setting for Debra Granik’s acclaimed feature Winter’s Bone. The film has all of the hallmarks of an Oscar winner and has already garnered Best Feature, Breakthrough Actor (Jennifer Lawrence) and Best Ensemble Performance nominations at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, considered by many as the harbinger of things to come over the awards season. Granik and director of photography Michael McDonough succinctly capture the essence of Daniel Woodrell’s book, underlining in candlelit perspective the writer’s classification as an exponent of ‘country noir’ and filling the screen with tension. Yet, it is the casting and performances, in particular by teenage actress Jennifer Lawrence which brings the film alive, as paradoxical as that statement may be.

The Bogans according to Lara Parker

Black fashion director Rachael Churchward recently worked with photographer Stephen Tilley on a second Lara Parker look book for the season and we have no doubt this talented local designer is one to watch. Parker released her SS10 range in two parts, the more demure Geeks collection and this West-is-best-we-love-Stevie-Nicks-when-she's-all-dressed-up range, entitled Bogans. The range is not quite as literal as the title would suggest however and playfully flirts with proportion, texture and a lateral interpretation of bogan sensibility. Ankle-grazing hemlines, as featured on the 'Stevie' skirt are juxtaposed with the A-line flirtiness of the "Peaches' dress. The ruched "Roxanne" mini confirms Parker is as accurate with her names as she is with her designs. Black is the foundation colour of the range but the mood is airy and feminine. Perfect for blatting out to the West Coast in the Holden Kingswood with the windows down... Hair by Lauren Gunn @ Stephen Marr, make-up by Kimberley Hill for M.A.C Cosmetics. Model: Imogene @ Red 11. All shoes by Maurie & Eve. We asked Lara about the range...

Black 13: Preview 6 - Jonas Bresnan and Katie Felstead shoot Kristine Drinke

At the printers with Black 13 so it's time for another preview. Our London crew; photographer Jonas Bresnan, fashion editor Katie Felstead - who is shooting for her third consecutive Black, hair stylist Mark Daniel Bailey and make-up artist Mel Arter have captured  Elite London's Kristine Drinke in an edgy yet sophisticated editorial. Shoe fiends will particularly covet these heels by Christian Louboutin...