BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #8: Wunderkammer Jewellery by Greg Novak

Simon wears: Bassike singlet, Ngahuia wears: Top by Ellery
Jewellery by Wunderkammer worn throughout

It's no secret that we love Zora Boyd's amazing creations for Wunderkammer Jewellery. The Muriwai native is a genius with rocks, gems, stones and metals and wraps up that knowledge in her own unique concepts and creativity. We asked photographer Greg Novak to shoot a few key pieces from the brand new Wunderkammer range (in-store and online soon) with models Ngahuia Williams @ 62 Models and Simon Abela @ Nova. Fashion editor: Rachael Churchward, hair and make-up by Michelle Brindle using M.A.C Cosmetics.

Ngahuia wears: Maurie & Eve shorts, Simon wears: Claude Maus jeans (worn throughout)

Black #14: Russ Flatt shoots Michael Whittaker

Greg Murrell finals on Michael Whittaker

We spent Friday at Kingsize Studios shooting the first of our new enlarged men's fashion section editorials. Photographed by Russ Flatt, styled by new Black men's fashion editor Adam Bryce and Black fashion director Rachael Churchward, hair by Greg Murrell @ Ryder, grooming by Natalie Dent using M.A.C Cosmetics. Michael is one of our two favourite NZ boys ever and is in incredible shape having spent a lot of time in the boxing ring lately. He is also acting in the Romeo and Juliet film currently being shot in NZ. Today we are back at Kingsize shooting men's hair and have two more shoots for Black #14 next week...

Single Source - The South Island's Perfect Pilsner

Five days on from the devastating quake in Canterbury it is still hard to think about much else. To any of our Blacklog readers in the region, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you. It is perhaps serendipitous that earlier in the week we were sent a box of beer by Monteiths brewery. Single Source is a bottom fermented batch brewed pilsner derived from Charmay barley grown at Bill Davey's Rakaia farm (above) just south of Tuesday's quake epicentre - hopefully any damage to Bill's farm was minimal. This is a classy beer with a sharp, dry finish, superb packaging and a genuine story to match. The hops are sourced further north at Ian Thorn's Motueka hops garden and brewed by the legendary Tony Mercer. Everything about this beer is world class, so we have had a few this week whilst thinking of the people trying to overcome such devastation in the world class region of Canterbury...

Eating Sundaes on the Underground

Firstly, our thoughts and wishes go out to any Blacklog readers in the Christchurch area affected by the devastating quake. Kia kaha! Christchurch is a great city, it will rebuild...

This post is about a new jewellery label from a bit further down the line in Dunedin. Underground Sundae was founded by artist Anne-Mieke Ytsma in 2010. Ytsma comes form a fine art background but has been making jewellery since graduating from art school in 2006. More recently she has collaborated with Sara Aspinall's Company of Strangers label on a jewellery line but is launching Underground Sundae to realise the crossover between her art jewellery and the fashion based concepts she forged for COS.

Underground Sundae is available from Black Box and Children of Vision.

Cybèle To Open Ponsonby Store

In recent years Cybèle Wiren has garnered a steadfast following of ebullient fans the length and breadth of the country. In a relatively short space of time she has taken the substantial step from 'emerging' to 'emerged' and has won awards and scopic praise to prove that she has very much come of age with her label Cybèle. Great news that she is about to open her first store at 62 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland on March 1. It is a challenging time for retailers, let alone designers, so this is a confident step from the still-young designer.  “This is something I've always wanted to do,” she says. “For years people have been asking me why I don’t have my own store and now just feels like the right time. I'm ready for a change and a new challenge!” Cheers to that Cybèle.


Image from Cybèle’s AW 11 Nieriya campaign shot by Olivia Hemus featuring Ella V from Clyne, styling by Chris Lorimer, make-up by Amber D for MAC, hair by Lauren Gunn for Stephen Marr using Kevin Murphy.
 

Emma, Emmaline...

"..I'm gonna write your name high on that silver screen..Emma, Emmaline, I'm gonna make you the biggest star this world has ever seen." Hot Chocolate wrote some fair to middling disco hits and a few plain annoying ones, but in the early seventies at least, they always looked the part. This tune, Emma, from 1974 stands head and shoulders above the rest of their catalogue and the video with its blue background, glacial pace and freaky intro and outro must have set some sort of standard at the time on how to shoot a studio clip. Snazzy...

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #7: Workshop, Helen Cherry and current in-store imports by Russ Flatt

Aside from their much loved labels, Workshop and Helen Cherry, the folks at RCM have a fabulous range of quality international brands in their stores too - Alexander Wang, See by Chloe, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, Twenty8Twelve and many more. Black fashion director Rachael Churchward picked up some  goodies from the ranges currently in-store to go with a selection of the latest from Workshop Denim and Helen Cherry for our seventh Blacklog Editorial - shot at Kingsize Studios. Russ Flatt took the photographs and Natalie Dent for M.A.C Cosmetics did the hair & make-up. Both the models are relatively new faces; Simon Abela and Phoebe Farrell, both at Nova.

Phoebe wears:Helen Cherry blouse, hat model's own,
jewellery from Wunderkammer Jewellery (worn throughout)
Simon wears: Shirt and waistcoat by Workshop Denim,
vintage bow-tie and eyewear by Karen Walker

Black #14: Paul Empson shoots Missy Rayder in Paris

i-D Magazine Sept 2008 by Daniel Jackson

Our Paris Correspondent and valued photographic contributor Paul Empson shot one of our all time favourite models for Black #14 this week in Paris, Missy Rayder. Missy, and big sister Frankie, have been at the cutting edge of modelling for over a decade and if her recent editorial work is anything to go by Missy has made a serious comeback. A favourite of Steven Meisel (she was shot by the maestro for the cover of Vogue Italia six times), Missy is currently hot property - despite being over 30 - and has recently shot for French Vogue, Numero and Purple amongst others. Loving the trend toward celebrating the model icons in mags like Love, V and Purple, long may it continue. We also remember her Pavement cover, one of the great New Zealand magazine's best ever. Black #14 is shaping to be  our strongest model issue yet - we'll keep you updated here on Blacklog...

Grey Feb 2011 cover by Beau Grealy

Listening to the sky with Fistful Of Bird

Sam and Jeremy Galvin, the brothers behind emerging Auckland label Fistful Of Bird aren't your usual fashion designer types. Yet, their background in the art and film worlds and a shared history travelling the globe immersing themselves in the school of life ensures their label is exactly, purposefully, a reflection of themselves and a breath of fashion fresh air to boot. The siblings started only two or three years back with the denim and t-shirt label Descendant which quickly grew in concept and style before morphing into Fistful Of Bird. With the new FOB AW 11 range 'Audible Skies' the step up is notable in terms of design, textile, shape and breadth of the range. Jackets, including a cropped bomber (always a winner) join cloaks, artisan denim (waxed and hand-distressed finishes, pigment airbrushing), diaphanous t-shirt dresses and slouchy woollen jumpers to offer plenty to their growing legion of fans. This pair are indeed reaching for the skies. Photos: Russ Flatt Model: McInnes @ Nova

Gang of Four, What We All Want!

Gang of Four with Jon King (left) and  Andy Gill (right)

Back in the early eighties punk collided with funk in a way that shook out the mohawks and sent chains and razor blades flying. Bands like A Certain Ratio, Comsat Angels and Pigbag all put the James Brown into Johnny Rotten but there was one band who managed to keep the angular, scything, cutting sounds of punk within the funk, Gang of Four. Hard on the heels of another great post-punk band, Wire, the Gang are on their way to Auckland and are playing at The Powerstation on Thursday, February 24 with support from Kody & Bic. The line-up includes original singer Jon King and the utterly percussive guitar of Andy Gill, which makes the gig a must see in itself. Here's a chunky, funky reason why we will be going to this one - a live version of What We All Want circa early 80's...


Gang of Four What We All Want
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Valentine's Day, direct from The Bay

With the impending arrival of Valentine's Day you can be sure florists everywhere are knee deep in sweet smelling roses and sharp bristling thorns but for those of you that like to think outside the vase as it were Esther Diamond have developed a range called, fittingly, "Forever." The Hawkes Bay-based arty homeware brand has teamed up with Dick Frizzell, Janine Wareham and Paris House to create cushions and tea towels with a difference for your significant other next week. Love them all but particularly fond of Paris House's "I Love You More Than A Fat Boy Loves Cake' TT (below). Available at all "Diamond Traders" nationwide or at the online store.

M.A.C SS11 Trends

Black 12 cover girl Alana Zimmer for Todd Lynn by Sally Branka

We spent the middle of yesterday ensconced within the Ponsonby Bistro for the latest M.A.C trends presentation with premier artist Amber D. and M.A.C New Zealand's Tatum Savage and crew. At fashion week's around the world M.A.C teams, in partnership with the world's great designers, create many of the trends and looks which are quickly adapted by magazines, advertisers, celebrities and everyday women. This year, four trends are to the fore: Raw-fined (nude, minimal, contrasting textures), Pop Classics (classic shapes, uber saturated colour), Ice Dreams (Pastel shades, avante-garde application, Terra Copper (modern bronze, precise application and tan shades). Tendencies include; lush lacquered lips, brow beating, minimal skin, super honed cheekbones, blush, touches of metallic and no lips or lashes. Here are our favourite looks by show, and the key M.A.C artist responsible - as you can see we are big fans of James Kaliardos' work.

Preen by James Kaliardos

Lou Reed Interview

We love this Australian interview with Lou Reed who looks insanely cool whilst exuding a "waiting for the man" affectation and is clearly dumbfounded by the journalist's stupidity, all at the same time..."journalists, I love journalists..."