The Beautiful Darkness

Mika Going With The Flow

February/March has traditionally been a time to celebrate being LGBT in Aotearoa so it is good to see the addition of the Aroha Festival - between Sydney's Mardi Gras and Auckland's Pasifika Festival - filling in the gap on the bi-monthly calendar as it were.

Driven by legendary cabaret performer Mika, the festival will be launched at the ASB Theatre/Aotea Centre on Friday March 12 with Po | The Beautiful Darkness a 'tribal pop opera' starring Mika in partnership with composer Gareth Farr and the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductor Hamish McKeich. With Japanese dancer Shakti, Indonesian dancer Alfira, aerial artist Shayne Comino and a cast of contemporary and traditional Maori dancers including Nancy Wijohn, Mokoera Te Amo and Mika Haka Youth combining with director Mark James Hamilton - and additional musical director Penny Dodd - the evening looks well-priced and sounds spectacular.

Po | The Beautiful Darkness

ASB Theatre, The Edge

8pm, Friday March 12

Jeneil's Unreal

The latest issue of Love Magazine is set to go on sale in the Northern Hemisphere next week, and the magazine have given the cover featuring Jamaican model Jeneil Williams to Models.com to preview. Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, who appear to be the incumbents at Love, the cover is a stunner and so is Jeneil. Unlike the cheesey Blake Edwards movie of the eighties, sorry Bo Derek, this body really is a perfect 10.

Housequake

Long before one of New Zealand's favourite daughters Ladyhawke wrote a song called Paris Is Burning, a film maker called Jennie Livingston made one of the finest documentaries of the modern era. Last night our good friend Stefan Knight stayed and brought that doco, Paris Is Burning (1990), with him. It is a documentary about the 'ball" scene in New York in the 1980s that became famous when Malcolm MacLaren released Deep In Vogue and then in 1989 when Madonna released the song Vogue. Aside from being a world-class piece of documentary film making it is an incredible insight into the world of "houses," "children," and the vibrant dance/fashion/lifestyle community of New York's African American gay scene of the time.

The film is set to an ass-wiggling soundtrack that features some of the finest eighties black disco you will hear - even if MFSB's Love Is The Message does dominate a tad too much. Shot on what appears to be reversal film stock, this film does what photography does at it's very best, captures a moment in time, and it deals with issues that the subjects themselves are living and breathing; racism, homophobia, AIDS, gender and poverty. These people are up against the world yet the overall tone is one of sheer emotion and celebration. Captivating and priceless...

Amazing Rajan

The arrival last year of tween fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson and her Style Rookie blog created massive waves throughout the fashion world and many of the world's hottest mags scrambled to shoot her, interview her and probably try to understand just how a 12 year-old could achieve so much, in so little time. Here come the kids! Yet Tavi's achievements pale in comparison to the rather incredible Canadian Bilaal Rajan. Big-hearted Rajan, who has just turned 13, is quite simply something else.

At the age of four he went selling oranges door-to-door to raise money for victims of the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, India. At 7, yes seven, he founded Making Change Now, an organisation dedicated to heightening awareness of youth issues and raising funds for children in developing countries. in 2005 he was chosen as an official Child Representative and Ambassador for UNICEF Canada. When the Asian Tsunami occurred he launched UNICEF Canada Kids Earthquake Challenge which raised $1.8 million for victims of the tsunami and repeated the effort for victims of 2008's Myanmar Cyclone. Oh, and he has published a book too; Making Change; Tips From An Underage Overachiever.

His latest challenge, for the shattered isle of Haiti, simply entitled Help Haiti is a challenge to school children around the globe to raise $100 each for the cause. This kid re-affirms that the next generation is one to watch. Bravo Rajan!

Here's the Help Haiti site...

Slice Of Heaven

Dutch duo Viktor and Rolf have never been accused of doing things by halves. Their Spring 2010 collection, shown in October last year, also proved just how capable the pair are of thinking outside the square and ignoring the industry shifts and nuances of the time. The collection featured a series of cut tulle ball gowns that were structurally gorgeous and seemed to effortlessly defy gravity. While it was great to see their art on the runway, it is even better to see it here on the cover of the latest Dazed and Confused. Shot by Josh Olins the cover features a Viktor and Rolf favourite, and undeniably one of the world's hottest models, Magdalena Frakowiak. It is a lovely image and one of several covers for Magdalena already this year, but to our eyes, it is the gown that does the talking.

Ellie Ellie!

Ellie Goulding is being touted as "the one to watch" in British music this year. At the beginning of January she topped the BBC's Sound Of 2010 influential annual music list; previously topped by Florence and the Machine, La Roux, Duffy and the Ting Tings among others. She works closely with producer du jour Starsmith and you may know her angelic vocals from Passion Pit's Sleepyhead, also remixed by Starsmith. Tonight in London Robert Erdmann will once again team with super stylist Kimi O'Neill to shoot Ellie for issue 12 of Black. The shoot and interview will appear in a feature that includes Daisy Coburn of Daisy Dares You - another on the BBC's list for 2010.

P.C vs Mac - Dylan's view

You may remember Apple's recent campaign to position Mac as the hipper, younger, more creative platform against the perceived frumpiness of the old P.C. As Mac users since 1992 this wasn't news to us but it's interesting to see where Mac and PC are positioned in the minds of the emerging generations. Our 12 year-old nephew Dylan has been saving for the best part of a year for a MacBook Pro already and expects to purchase said machine later this year. While Dylan was staying with us over Christmas he wrote this poem about the "fight" and we think it is rather cute...

Mac vs PC

by Dylan van Lier

An Apple had a punch-up,

With a Microsoft PC.

A Personal Computer,

And a white fruit from a tree.

The PC blasted fractions,

At the metal Powerbook.

The Mac replied with iTunes,

To make the PC’s speakers cook.

The Apple PhotoBoothed the Sun,

And put it on the screen.

The PC opened Webcam,

And reflected back the sheen.

Mac replaced it with widgets,

And times’d them by a ton.

The PC ran out of memory, and

Threw up a red icon.

The PC then surrendered,

And flew a white display.

The Apple danced around for joy,

And fell off the desk that day.

Love The Lover

From Feb 3 to 13 the Basement Theatre is staging Harold Pinter's famous one-act play The Lover. Produced by Tara Riddell the play stars Michelle Langstone and Craig Hall (above) who has a special place in Westie hearts after roles in Savage Honeymoon and Outrageous Fortune. Award-winning costume designer Kirsty Cameron will supplement a stage set by Katie Lockhart that is described as "a work of art in itself." The images for the posters above were shot by the venerable Derek Henderson adding to a total theatre package that looks entirely compelling.

The Lover

Feb 3 - 13

Basement Theatre

Lower Greys Ave

Auckland CBD

Ph: 309 7433

Fare Thee Well

Today was a day of mourning, and that's hard to adjust to on a cobalt-blue Auckland day. Firstly for the tens of thousands who have died in Haiti..devastation...destruction...dismay. And, as if in harmony, two important musical figures have also gone from this world.

Teddy Pendergrass, 59, soul singer with the smoothest of voices died of colon cancer surgery complications in Philadelphia today. And then Jay Reatard, 29, at such a tender age already an indie legend, and a close friend of New Zealand audiences, died today in Memphis. These two musicians are from different hemispheres, entirely different places, and both have contributed much to their respective genres.

May they all rest in peace. Here's Teddy live in '79...

Daisy A Day

Anna Wintour decided some time ago that the future for Vogue was in the marrying of traditional fashion publishing ethos with the ever-encroaching commercial colossus of celebrity culture. Stars were in. Stars on the cover for Anna. Here at Black we're probably more interested in musicians - and the place where fashion and music meet, than celebrities per se - so we are looking to build on the Paloma Faith shoot by Robert Erdmann, Kimi O'Neill et al last issue of Black by featuring rising stars in a fashion shoot commissioned by Black on an ongoing basis. Robert is on his way to shoot Daisy Coburn aka Daisy Dares You (above) for Black Issue 12 in London this weekend. She's been ear-marked by the BBC as a rising star for 2010 and if the styling in her video (below) is anything to go by she's a consummate pop star and a stylish girl. Stylist Zoe James will once again work with Robert on the weekend.

The Excited Artist

As a child, artist Matt Campbell loved Ralph Bashki's Wizards, a lot. These days he is more likely to be "dazzled by the likes of Pixar and Studio Ghibli's Miyasaki" but the Auckland-based artist's illustrative style is still steeped in the back alley style of the classical American cartoon set of the Twentieth Century. After a long sojourn in New York - which included a stint as Design and Digital Director at NYC mega ad agency BBH NYC - Campbell has returned to Auckland and set up a loft-style studio in Auckland's Britomart district.

It is from this base he will continue his collaboration with Japanese fashion-art house Hysteric Glamour (he is responsible for the designs on the Hysteric Mini children's range above) and his "art & commerce" projects, most of which are US-based. One of the biggest of these can be seen at My Little Funny.com where Campbell is launching a series of animations based upon legendary cartoonist and illustrator Kaz's Underworld series.

Campbell recently exhibited Out Of The Black, a series of gluggy black (we love it) teddys (top) and stuffed animals that sit somewhere between eerily frightening and malleably cute. In April the artist, whom I first met when he was the in-house art director at Flying Nun records, intends to show Out Of The Black in New York. It's great to have an artist/illustrator of Matt's calibre back in town. We look forward to more prolific creative output from the Are You Excited/Matt Campbell studio as the year unfolds...

Great, Great Songs #13 - Neko Case - I'm An Animal

Our summer break has been filled with family, friends, food, sun, food, wine, friends, music, food, more friends and family, food, walking, swimming, food, friends and er, wind, a shitload of wind. Westerlies; southern, central and northern have dictated the climatic ambiance in and around the house. Riding the wind through the open (side) doors has been the lovely, unique, soaring voice of Neko Case and the simple, uplifting lyrical genius contained within I'm An Animal, a country/indie/power pop masterpiece from the equally magnificent Middle Cyclone album. It's not new but this is our signature song of the summer...here's a live version...looking forward to the Bruce Mason Centre in a few weeks...

Picture This

Kia ora and Happy New Year! Just turned the computer on for the first time in ten days - the sun, surf, sea, family and friends were all more important. Thought I would cruise around some favourite sites and found this on COACD. Their top 25 intriguing faces of 2009 and a stunning interpretation of some of the world's top models by artist Jenny Mortsell at Jed Root. Love it!

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!

Reason To Believe

We've recently re-discovered Bruce Springsteen's magnum opus Nebraska. The album was recorded by Springsteen and the E Street Band but it was deemed that Bruce's original demo tapes; folk music with little more than guitar and harmonica, loads of passion and a fine voice was better. What an inspired choice. The Boss, irrespective of his hanky pants and bad dance moves can write a tune or two, and on this album virtually every track's a winner in a gentle, folksy-rock way. A twist in the tale is that during the recording of the demos Springsteen heard the seminal electronica of Martin Rev and Alan Vega's Suicide who, alongside Kraftwerk are the underground Godfathers of the genre, and State Trouper is an obvious homage to Frankie Teardrop. Country fans will love the eponymous Nebraska, Atlantic City and Reason To Believe. Nebraska was recorded on a Portastudio which made a small recording apparatus renaissance in the early eighties and it lends an intimacy that most modern folk bards would die for. Pure song writing at its best.

banana milkshake

I've been obsessed with banana milkshakes lately. They are so easy to whip up and they make the perfect cold and refreshing sweet treat. My simple recipe involves a blender and some delicious ingredients:

1 banana

1 cup of milk

1 scoop of good vanilla ice cream

1 tablespoon of honey

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Black 12: Masha and more

Issue 12 of Black Magazine is well under way with a number of shoots in production or completed and the editorial template well advanced. In Sydney, two of Australia's finest fashion stylists, David Bonney and Paul Bui will each be contributing to Black for the first time. In London Robert Erdmann has completed his first shoot for 12, this one a cutting-edge beauty shoot with Katie Felstead, Kirsten Piggott and Lyndall Mansfield. In Paris Paul Empson, June Nakamoto and crew have just shot Masha Novoselova (above) for Issue 12. Masha appeared in a single shot in Black 9 as a model in Karen Walker's New York Fashion Week show of that season. She is well established, is known for her "lips and body" and in recent times has amassed a plethora of commercial editorial and campaigns but she was perfectly in synch with Paul's requirement for this editorial. Paul casually described the shoot as "off the hook" and given the quality of our Paris team's past three shoots that's saying something...

Flickring Nick

Here's our photo of the week by Nick Weihe which we found at COACD. He takes photos of the things we all do; family, friends, animals, bikes, skies, hedges, rivers...and does it well.

Get on the ModaCYCLE

Karen Walker S/S 2010 Image: Frida Henry

ModaCYCLE is an international fashion site which offers alternative coverage of developing and established designers from around the world, including our own Karen Walker (above). The site has been created by a group of fashion photographers who "wanted more out of the industry in which they work" and showcases a high standard of catwalk photography. Editor Charles Beckwith is well aware of the bunfight photographers experience on the podium at the end of a runway when 200 snappers are vying for the same space and in many cases, the same shot, and encourages his team to think outside the square. A good example of this thinking can be seen in Sandy Ramirez's capture of the Argentinian showcase at this season's New York Fashion Week. Ramirez used a Sigma DP-2, a camera "half the size of a fist" which produces images "big enough to print on a door." The image below is from that showcase and features fashion by Benito Fernandez. It's refreshing to see thinking outside the very small square of the catwalk photographer's podium...