Karen Walker Candy Bar begins world tour in Japan

All photos: IPS

Karen Walker Candy Bar. That just sounds good doesn't it? Proving once again that an adroit sense of timing is everything, Karen Walker Eyewear is capitilising on the unprecedented demand coming from all corners of the globe for the snazzy sunnies by taking a pop-up store on tour. For the next twelve months the Karen Walker Candy Bar will traverse the globe stopping at hand-picked retailers in each country and offering the complete Karen Walker Eyewear collection plus five new limited edition frames: HARVEST milky cream, HELTER SKELTER strawberry, NUMBER SIX toffee, DEEP FREEZE bubblegum and PERFECT DAY vanilla. The first location for Karen Walker Candy Bar opened Wednesday night at RESTIR in Tokyo with Karen in attendance amongst a super cute and stylish crowd. They are mad crazy about Karen Walker in Japan as these exclusive pictures of the opening illustrate. Next stop for Karen Walker Candy Bar is TenOverSix boutique in Los Angeles and Cloak & Dagger, NYC before heading on to Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Shanghai and more. Full details of the Candy Bar global schedule can been found at Karen Walker Eyewear.

BLK #16 Intro Pages by Ian Ferguson

After each issue of Black goes on sale we like to publish the intro pages of each fashion and beauty editorial - mainly to showcase the snazzy design work of our art director Ian Fraser Ferguson of Friends of Design but also to see how they all look together in a blog post. So here are the intro pages of all 19 shoots in BLK #16 - credits for all photos, beauty and fashion are on the spreads...Australian readers please note that BLK #16 is somewhere on the Tasman Sea at present but should be landed in Australia by month's end and on sale shortly thereafter.

Te Rongo Kirkwood's Vision In Glass by David K Shields

Contemporary Maori glass creator Te Rongo Kirkwood is exhibiting this week at PATAKA Art+Museum in Porirua, Wellington with Ka Awatea A Journey of Life Through Light. Traditional in concept but very contemporary in style, Kirkwood and a dedicated team of weavers have created four amazing cloaks that use glass and light to tell a story of awakening and the cycle of life. "Weaving stories of divine magic and synchronicity with the strings of soul memory to connect life past, present and future" Kirkwood has created something special, seen here on the shoulders of Te Rawhitiroa and Courtney at N Model Management and shot by the ever talented David K Shields. Stunning. Weavers: Alexine Curtis, Melina Cuthbert, Tina Wirihana, Shona Tawhiao, Judy Robson-Deane, Mandy Sunlight, Donna O'hare

BLK #17: On Set: Charles Howells shoots beauty with James Molloy, Rachael Churchward and Greg Murrell

Kendall brows by James

BLK #16 is out and about and we are feeling good about the fact three shoots are in the can for BLK #17 already. On Saturday we shot a beauty special for #17 with photographer Charles Howells, M.A.C Director of Make-up Artistry Asia-Pacific James Molloy, Black fashion director Rachael Churchward and Black hair editor Greg Murrell at Ryder Salon for KMS California. Here are a few BTS shots of the three models: Claire Collins at Chadwicks, Kendall Walters at Priscilla's and Dasha Cherkasov at Vanity Walk. All three followed the brief to a 'T'. Make-up assistance from Kiekie at M.A.C Cosmetics, hair assist was Lydia Mahon, photo assist was Jenna, all photos by Grant Fell.

James eye on Dasha

James eye on Kendall

Blacklog Editorial #26: Black Beauty by Greg Novak

Rosie at Nova

We will soon be relaunching Blacklog with a dedicated beauty blog called Black Beauty, of course. In anticipation of that, in about a month's time, here is our 26th Blacklog editorial by photographer Greg Novak and hair and make-up artist Natalie Dent using M.A.C Cosmetics. The models are: Bec Downes and Nichelle at Red 11, Rosie Crawford at Nova and Cait at Clyne.

Bec at Red 11

Cait at Clyne

Nichelle at Red 11

BLK #16 - Covers 2, 3 and 4: Hanne Gaby, Milou and Valerija

Photography: Michael Schwartz

Fashion Editor: Aeri Yun

Hair: Roberto Di Cuia for Shuly NY at L’Atelier NYC

Make-up: Valery Gherman at Defactoinc using Mac Cosmetics

Model: Hanne Gaby Odiele at Ford New York

Jacket by Chanel, earrings by Robert Lee Morris,

chain necklace by Patricia Field, necklace (spider) stylist’s own,

bracelet by Robert Lee Morris, rings by Raquelle Bianco 

BLK #16 will be available at Mag Nation from tomorrow afternoon and will be nationwide early next week. A good time to post the other three covers then! For our international readers a digital version will be available at Zinio.com as usual and by the end of next week also on the Apple Newsstand in digital versions...good times!

Photography: Paul Empson

Fashion Editor: June Nakamoto at Shotview

Hair: Stephane Delahaye at 2B Agency

Make-up: Topolino at Calliste Paris

Model: Milou Van Groesen at A Models Amsterdam

Cashmere top and skirt by Louis Vuitton 

Photography: Paul Empson

Fashion Editor: Sam Ranger

Hair: Halley Brisker at Jed Root London using L’Oreal Professional

Make-up: Ashley Ward at CLM using Sisley

Model: Valerija Kelava at Oui Paris

Top & suit by Louis Vuitton

BLK #16 Cover #1: Andrej Pejic

We had planned to post all four covers for this issue as we traditionally do on the last day of printing this week but this one was leaked on Friday, has since gone viral on the internet and ended up on the New York Times' The Cut Blog this morning! So here is the first cover of BLK #16; Australian mega model Andrej Pejic @ Chadwicks, photographed by Mariah Jelena, styled by Kate Carnegie, hair and make-up by Justin Henry, produced by Nathan Paul. Andrej wears: Jacket by DiScount. The other three will be posted this week...

Blacklog Feature: Old Boys Club by Yasmine Ganley

All photos by Yasmine Ganley

Times are changing and the essence of something being made by hand is returning as a preferred means of consumerism. It's back to basics; hands on the fabrics, the muscle behind the pull and the fingers to control the patternmaking. The idea that an item has been handled and cared for individually has an air of romance surrounding it.

Having studied and practiced shoemaking in Melbourne, Julia Thompson has since been treading her own successful grounds. Her most recent venture sees her designing both men's and women's footwear  for one of New Zealand's biggest fashion brands, Zambesi. Her aesthetic is simple; clean lines, mostly black with longevity at the forefront of her designs. Each pair is handmade on traditional 'old school' shoemaking machinery, carefully crafted by the country's finest shoemakers.

Read on as Thompson tells us in her own words about the creation of her very own, self made 'OLD BOYS CLUB':

Kate Sylvester/Black Magazine Competition!

Photo: Karen Inderbitzen-Waller

We're teaming with our good friends at Kate Sylvester to run a competition throughout May here on Blacklog and on the Black Magazine Facebook page. The competition is open to Kate Sylvester fans anywhere in the world, and can be redeemed either through the Kate Sylvester online store, or, if you live near a Kate Sylvester store in NZ or Australia by taking the winning voucher in.

Competition details: 

• Send in a picture of yourself wearing your favourite Kate Sylvester piece, and go in to win a NZ$1000 Kate Sylvester wardrobe!  Black Fashion Editor, Rachael Churchward will choose the winner and we will publish the shot on both Blacklog and our Facebook page.

• Simply email your pictures - no more than 2MB in size - to streetstyle@katesylvester.com by Friday 1st June 2012, the winner will be announced via the email the image was sent in on.

*Image may be published on the Kate Sylvester blog, Facebook page and Black Magazine’s blog and Facebook page. Please include your full name when you submit your photo. Winner will be announced during the week commencing 4th June 2012. Image must be no bigger than 2MB and no smaller than 300KB and supplied as a Jpeg. Kate Sylvester wardrobe cannot be exchanged for cash or credit or used on sale items. Wardrobe will be issued as a voucher to spend at Kate Sylvester stores or at the Kate Sylvester online store.   

Haere Mai Gorman!

Iconic Australian designer Lisa Gorman opened her first New Zealand store recently on Nuffield Street in Newmarket. The poppy-chic label has been wholesaled here for some time but opening a New Zealand store is further indication, following on from the likes of Sass & Bide, that Australian designers are increasingly valuing the New Zealand market as an entirely viable option. Gorman is very much an Australian success story. She launched the label in 1999 in Melbourne's Fat52 boutique and in 13 years has grown the brand to a 16 store operation over the ditch. To celebrate her arrival and the AW 12 collection - inspired by adventurers and dreamers - photographer David K Shields teamed with Black fashion director Rachael Churchward and hair and make-up artist Michelle Hurliman to shoot Casey Lee at Red 11 looking decidedly Grace Kelly-ish in Gorman.

Lela Jacob's Little Friends

We were recently in at Lela Jacob's new store on Karangahape Road and came across these charming little characters. Known as 'The Murky Greys' these two are part of a family of four creatures handcrafted by Lela Jacobs in ceramics and leather. Two of the clan have already found a home with a loving buyer, the other two can be found at the new store known as The Keep, 504 K Rd. Photo by Greg Novak.