BLK #19: BTS Lorde feature shoot with Charles Howells

Variations on a shot

Lorde. The talent behind that song, Royals, you've all been hearing on the radio, and I know I'm not the only one when I say that my hand involuntarily reaches for the volume-up button! Yesterday, we had the honour of shooting Ella/Lorde at White Studios with Charles Howells. What a gem; softly spoken, with enough strength inside her to take on the whole world. And that's exactly what's she is going to do. Well, the music world anyway. Recently signed with Universal Music, Lorde is taking her Takapuna-bedroom tunes to the global music scene. At a point where her life is about to take on a whole new direction, we are more than excited to have Lorde feature in our next issue!

Photographed by Charles Howells, styling by Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward (who had Lorde in Jimmy D, ZBB Jewellery, Ksubi and Rue de Seine headpieces), hair by Lauren Gunn at Stephen Marr and make-up by Carolyn Haslett using M.A.C Cosmetics. These behind-the-scenes images taken by Black magazine's Deputy Editor, Yasmine Ganley.

Blacklog Editorial # 34: Infamous Duo shoot new faces at N Model Management

N Model Management have been going in leaps and bounds since iconic New Zealand model Ngahuia Williams set up the fledgling agency a couple of years back. Specialising in interesting new faces and the edgier spectrum of new models, the agency has also been quick to pick up on talent from feeder agencies like Newfacenoagent and Scout Models. Here, the mysterious and engaging Infamous Duo beautifully capture seven of the agency's new faces in a slick beauty shoot for Blacklog. Hair and make-up by the very talented Steph Lai. Models are: Amberley, Maddy, Blair, George, Bianca, Max, Courtney and Ella.

Glassons Everyday Fun Sydney show

Glassons are making a pretty decent egg-and-spoon-race of putting the fun into fashion. Everyday Fun is a clever positioning for the label, a concept built around games that have been played for as long as we have been able to tie three legs together; egg and spoon races, musical chairs, Twister, blind man's buff, perhaps - all executed with a free-spirited twist and of course the increasingly desirable collection of staples and fashion-forward pieces rolling out from Glassons HQ. Recently, Glassons creative director Adam Bryce and crew flew to Sydney to launch the idea in a gymnasium, replete with bleachers and a hoard of local media, bloggers, instagrammers and Black Deputy Editor Yasmine Ganley, whilst a well-cast selection of models rotated the court in a fashionable game of musical chairs - let's face it, girls have always just wanna have fun. This film by Luke Byrne. Stills report by Yasmine Ganley on Wednesday.

BLK #19: BTS Thom Kerr shoot by Yasmin Suteja

Thom Kerr, Black Australian Editor, Sydney, is of course first and foremost a very talented photographer so when he suggested a shoot inspired by Warhol's celeb over painting series, as in paint over their hair, we jumped at the idea. Thom worked with fashion editor and regular Black contributor Sarah M Birchley,  M.A.C Australia's senior artist, the irrepressible Nicole Thompson a.k.a Pinky and hair guru Cameron Rains to shoot Annemijn and Laura N at IMG, Sarah at Viviens and Kellie at Work. Colour me good! All BTS shots by Yasmin Suteja.

Workshop Vulcan Lane show - film by Lula Cucchiara

Workshop Winter 2013 Collections Show - A film by Lula Cucchiara from Workshop NZ on Vimeo.

Check this sweet film of the Workshop & Helen Cherry show we helped style and produce recently in Vulcan Lane by Lula Cucchiara. Lula is a stylish, creative Argentinian New Zealander with a great eye and serious editing skills, oh, and she takes great photos too! 

BLK#19: BTS Damien Nikora shoots five of our favourites

 Jessica Grubisa and Thistle Brown are two of the most colourful friends we have and we felt the time has come to pass the Black baton, as it were. So, on Sunday, we shot with Damien Nikora, Jessica and Thistle, tentatively known as Jessile GruBrown as fashion editors. Creative direction by Rachael Churchward, hair by Greg Murrell and Fraser Folagi at Ryder Salon and the generally (in NZ fashion) unknown but incredible Sharlene Cassidy (using M.A.C Cosmetics) to capture 12 pages for BLK #19. Shooting Lili Sumner and Andrey at Red 11, Mary at RPD, Ben at Newfacenoagent and Thistle himself, Sunday was a lot of fun! We've purposely kept it B&W here so that you really do enjoy the colour in the mag itself - and the digital version...thanks to SSION and the great disco artists of the early 80s like Bohannon and Jimmy Bo Horne for the tunes...BLK #19 on sale mid April! All photos by Grant Fell.

Blacklog Editorial #33: Superteam Australia shoot Yani at Giant

 South African model Yani recently relocated to Melbourne and signed to Giant Management so Justin Henry  Black Australian Editor, Melbourne and the boys at Superteam Studios combined with stylist Jamie Wdziekonski of Oh Jamie fame to put together a lovely shoot for her. She has an incredible face, so who better to frame it with gorgeous make-up and hair than Justin, and to capture her spirit than Superteam's Ribal and Gil. Jamie dressed her in incredible structural pieces, entirely from Strateas Carlucci.

Workshop Denim AW 13 Campaign by Damien Nikora

Photographer Damien Nikora is going from strength to strength and in recent times has proved he is pretty sharp when it comes to shooting denim and capturing the spirit of the weft and the warp. For the Workshop Denim AW 13 campaign Workshop supremo Chris Cherry wanted to shoot James and Lee, a couple of real men, as in men who are not models by day, and iconic New Zealand model Ngahuia Williams at N Model Management. The result is a rock'n'roll campaign that isn't afraid to roll up its sleeves and get a little dirty. Hair, make-up and grooming by the ever classy Virginia Carde.

The Stylist's New Best Friend

We were recently asked to trial the new Phillips Perfectcare Iron and it quickly became the item we least wanted to give back. Here at Black we are not given to talking effusively about irons or products in general for that matter but this is quite a special tool. Why so good? Not only is it an iron and steamer in one but it is also the best iron and steamer we have ever used, in one. Usable on all fabrics, super safe on all fabrics and more than anything it just keeps on going with up to two hours before you need to top up the water. Seriously, this is the perfect stylist tool for big shoots where there are many garments to deal with or a high turnover of garments and just as importantly it's perfect for your own personal ironing at home. Available now at Briscoes, Noel Leeming and Farmers. Steam in and get one! Photo: Damien Nikora

Zambesi AW13 Campaign by Marissa Findlay

 No one knows Zambesi and Zambesi Man better than Marissa Findlay, which is why the great New Zealand house gets her to shoot each and every campaign. For AW13 Marissa teamed with world-class make-up artist Amber D for M.A.C Cosmetics and young dynamo at Stephen Marr, Matt Benns to shoot Anmari Botha and Jordan at Red 11 in and around the label's classy new showroom/workroom.

Workshop & Helen Cherry Vulcan lane show BTS images

Michael Whittaker at Clyne

 On Thursday we teamed with the crew at Workshop and Helen Cherry to show latest seasons collections for both brands, and also many of the international brands in Workshop stores, in the iconic location that is Vulcan Lane. The brands partnered with Jerry Clayton BMW to create an evening for VIP customers, media and clients in the High Street District, an area that is still looking pretty vibrant, with plenty of foot traffic, despite the growth of the nearby Britomart District in recent years. Drinks and canapes were held in the flagship Workshop Vulcan Lane store before the show took place in the lane itself. Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward cast and styled the show creating clear stories for both men and women and casting many new, emerging faces. Hair by the Stephen Marr team led by Matt Benns and great make-up, accomplished in hot conditions by the fab crew of M.A.C make-up artists. Styling assist and videography by Lula Cucchiara. Here are some behind-the-scenes images by Grant Fell, we will post show photos by Tim White and Sam Lee here soon.

Seon at Clyne, Madison at 62, Andrey at Red 11,
Mary at RPD,  Dillon at Clyne, Rhianon at Clyne

The Art of Denim - Online auction live on Trade Me

Neuw jeans painted  by Dan Vient

The Art of Denim is an ever growing concept that grew out of our Piping Down The Valleys Wild denim shoot with Damien Nikora in the latest issue of Black Magazine. For that shoot we partnered up with Neuw, Lee and Wrangler to provide denim that we could paint, customise, deconstruct and reconstruct with a selection of local artist and designers. A week ago we launched the concept at Service Newmarket and have added a few new Wrangler pieces this week that have been given a treatment by designer Lela Jacobs and artists Clara Chon and Alexander Mark Hoyles.

We now have all of the pieces up on an auction on Trade Me which will be live for the next seven days, with all proceeds going to Mental Health New Zealand. Here is the link to the Trade Me auction.  The auction closes late next Monday, March 11.

A huge thanks to everyone involved but in particular the designers and artists: Lela Jacobs, Zora Bell Boyd, Jessica Grubisa, Blair Hetet, Rachael Churchward, Nina van Lier, Dan Vient, Erin Forsyth, Anna Hanson, Eric Nauta, Clara Chon and Alexander Mark Hoyles. All images in this look book by Damien Nikora. Styling by Rachael Churchward. Make-up: Sharlene Cassidy using M.A.C Cosmetics. Hair: Janine Jones at Ryder Salon. Models: Lily Fraser at Clyne, Lucas and Eden at 62 Models, Dan Vient, Roman and Aleysha at Service. Thanks to White Studios.

Wrangler jacket customised by Lela Jacobs, Wrangler jeans
cut to shorts and painted by Clara Chon

Shoot of a lifetime: Derek Kettela and Valery Gherman shoot Kate Upton for SI Swimsuit issue

Valery works on Kate Upton

When Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue was published a couple of weeks back we were more than a little proud of Black New York Editor Valery Gherman and photographer Derek Kettela. Derek and Valery have combined to provide a number of great covers for Black Magazine but it is a considerable step up to score the cover of one of the world's biggest selling magazines. This issue, crews were sent to the seven continents and Derek and Valery were lucky enough to visit both China and Antarctica, where they shot the cover with Kate Upton. When Valery was here in Aotearoa at Christmas he gave us a slide show of the Antarctic trip and there is no denying it is an extremely beautiful place. Valery has given us a few of these to publish here on Blacklog, enjoy...

Two To Watch: Lucas and Eden at 62 Models

Models are part of the lifeblood of the fashion industry, they make the clothes desirable, create the fantasy, do the work, and quite simply, fashion needs the aspiration, energy and belief a good model can offer. One of the nicest parts of our job as magazine editors is meeting new models, imparting advice and generally acting like a fashion aunty and uncle, because it is a tough, difficult path to follow. The good ones are invariably interesting, smart and intelligent - quite removed from the vapid, dull people that fashion outsiders wish they were. So, it was again a pleasure to meet to two brand new entrants from 62 Models on Wednesday, Lucas and Eden. We think they both have the goods to go far...Photo: Damien Nikora

Behind The Scenes of Black #19 Editorial with David Shields and Zippora Seven

"She plays the starlet that ran away from The Cannes Film Festival to the peaceful retreat of her houseboat on the island", was the story behind our latest editorial shoot for Black issue #19. Firstly, the houseboat; rightfully named "Sunflower" and owned by model Zippora Seven's family, was one of the most idyllic settings we have ever experienced. We had the tide come in and out, Zippy rowing her row boat, photographer David K. Shields jumping in the water, beautiful, vintage gowns and a very, very nice day in Waiheke Island.

Here is a sneak peek behind the scenes of our day with Sunflower and a brilliant team of photographer David K. Shields, Fashion Editor Rachael Churchward, hair and makeup stylist Skye Cripps-Jackson of Stephen Marr and we finally caught a time with the radiant New Zealand model, now New York based, Zippora Seven at Clyne/Elite Models.