WOW

New Zealand designer Gillian Saunders has scooped the Brancott Estate Supreme Award at tonight’s World of Wearable Art (WOW) Awards’ Show. Saunders, who had entered 15 garments before her winning entry, Supernova, has won eight awards prior to 2016, but this is the first time she has taken out the top prize.
   Saunders, who was born in England, has been involved in television and theatre for most of her working life. She was trained in Yorkshire, and went on to Christchurch, New Zealand, where she worked as a props’ maker for the Court Theatre.
   â€˜I had been making stage props for theatre and TV for years. WOW was the perfect challenge—could I make props for the body as well?’ she said.
   Supernova was inspired by ‘Thierry Mugler’s Chimera dress [from the autumn–winter 1997–8 collection], … the iridescent spiny fins of the Hippocampus from the Percy Jackson movie The Sea of Monsters, and some incredible NASA images taken by the Hubble Telescope,’ she noted. ‘Once all these elements were combined, Supernova was brought to life.
   â€˜The large gems represent new stars being born and the dark shadows represent deep space. Each scale has been individually cut, shaded with marker pens and then hand-sewn on to the garment. Each gem has had its sticky backing removed and then glued on by hand.’
   Saunders also won the Avant-Garde section in this year’s competition, judged by WOW founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff, Zambesi’s Elisabeth Findlay, and sculptor Gregor Kregar.
   Dame Suzie said, ‘Supernova has the design innovation, the construction quality and vibrant stage presence in performance to win WOW’s top award.’
   Saunders’ 2013 design, Inkling, won the Weta Creature Carnival Award and an internship for her at Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop. It is currently part of the WOW international exhibition, touring around the world, and presently at the EMP Museum in Seattle, Washington, where it will be displayed till January, after which the exhibition will head to the Peabody Essex Museum in Boston, Mass.
   She also won the Avant-Garde section in 2007 with Equus: behind Closed Doors, while in 2009, Tikini was second in the Air New Zealand South Pacific section.
   Designers from New Zealand, China, India, England, Australia, and the USA won awards in each section.
   The American Express Open section this year saw Renascence, by Yuru Ma and Siyu Fang of Shanghai take first place. The Spyglass Creative Excellence section was won by Mai (I), by Pritam Singh and Vishnu Ramesh of Gujarat. Queen Angel, by Adam McAlavey of London, won the MJF Lighting Performance Art section.
   Baroque Star, by Natasha English and Tatyanna Meharry of Christchurch, won the Weta Workshop Costume and Film section, netting the duo a four-week internship at Weta Workshop, plus travel, accommodation, and prize money.
   The Wellington Airport Aotearoa section was won by Maria Tsopanaki and Dimitry Mavinis of London, with their creation Princess Niwareka. The World of Wearable Art and Classic Cars Museum Bizarre Bra section was won by Julian Hartzog of Tarpon Springs, Fla., with Come Fly with Me.
   Of the special awards, Dame Suzie chose Incognita, by Ian Bernhard of Auckland, as the most innovative garment, giving it the WOW Factor Award. Renewal, by Alexa Cach, Miodrag Guberinic and Corey Gomes, won the First-Time Entrant Award. The Knight by Jiawen Gan of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology won the Student Innovation Award. The Sustainability Award, recognizing the protection of our environment and the use of materials that would otherwise be discarded, was won by Bernise Milliken of Auckland, for Grandeer. Digital Stealth Gods, by Dylan Mulder of Wellington, won the Wearable Technology Award. The Wellington International Award, given to the best international entry, was won by Daisy May Collingridge of Woldingham, Surrey, England, for Lippydeema. Collingridge also won the UK–Europe Design Award with this entry.
   Khepri, by Miodrag Guberinic and Alexa Cach of New York, NY, won the Americas Design Award. Yu Tan of Shanghai won the Asia Design Award with The Renaissance Happens Again, while Cascade, by Victoria Edgar of Geelong, Victoria, won the Australia and South Pacific Design Award.
   The David Jones New Zealand Design Award was won by Voyage to Revolution, by Carolyn Gibson of Auckland.
   The Cirque du Soleil Performance Art Costume Award, chosen by Denise Tétreault, Costumes Lifecycle and Creative Spaces Director of the Cirque du Soleil, was won by Digital Stealth Gods, by Dylan Mulder. Mulder receives prize money, flights and accommodation for a one-month internship at Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters in Montréal, Québec.
   WOW runs in Wellington, New Zealand, through to October 9, and will be seen by 58,000 people live during its run. It employs over 350 cast and crew.
   This year, 133 entries by 163 designers (some worked in pairs) were received, competing for a prize pool of NZ$165,000.

WOW

Renascence, by Yuru Ma and Siyu Fang, Shanghai.

Mai (I), by Pritam Singh and Vishnu Ramesh, Gujarat.

Queen Angel, by Adam McAlavey, London.

Baroque Star, by Natasha English and Tatyanna Meharry, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Princess Niwareka, by Maria Tsopanaki and Dimitri Mavinis, London.

Come Fly with Me, by Julian Hartzog, Tarpon Springs, Fla.

Incognita, by Ian Bernhard, at AUT, Auckland.

Renewal, by Alexa Cach, Miodrag Guberinic and Corey Gomes.

Grandeer, by Bernise Milliken, Auckland.

Digital Stealth Gods, by Dylan Mulder, Wellington.

Lippydeema, by Daisy May Collingridge, Woldingham, Surrey.

Khepri, by Miodrag Guberinic and Alexa Cach, New York.

The Renaissance Happens Again, by Yu Tan, Shanghai.

Cascade by Victoria Edgar, Geelong, Victoria.

Voyage to Revolution by Carolyn Gibson, Auckland.

Alan Raga

Above: The moment: Tania Dawson hears the news that she’s been working toward for most of 2016, that she is the new Miss Universe New Zealand. Centre: After the announcement, Samantha McClung crowns her successor, Tania Dawson, Miss Universe New Zealand 2016. Above: Second runner-up Larissa Allen (left) and runner-up Seresa Lapaz (right) flank Miss Universe New Zealand 2016 Tania Dawson.

Secondary school drama and music studies’ teacher Tania Dawson, 23, was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand 2016 Saturday night at Skycity Theatre, taking home prizes including a stay at Plantation Bay Resort & Spa in Cebu, Philippines and the use of a Honda Jazz RS Sport Limited for the duration of her reign.
   Dawson, who is of half-Filipina extraction, was also the crowd favourite, with a large group of supporters in the live theatre audience.
   The event proved to be a Filipina one-two, with Seresa Lapaz, who was born in the Philippines but is a naturalized New Zealander, coming runner-up.
   Both ladies hail from Auckland, while second runner-up Larissa Allen comes from Tauranga.
   Dawson was crowned by her predecessor, Samantha McClung, who flew from Christchurch to join 2013 titleholder Holly Cassidy in a special parade featuring the exclusive designs of Ankia van der Berg of Golden Gowns.
   The sold-out audience enjoyed entertainment from special guest performers Stan Walker, Frankie Stevens, and Ali Walker, as well as the cast of Oh What a Night!, who appeared in a recorded segment filmed earlier on Saturday.
   The destination for Dawson, as well as the other national titleholders, is uncertain, but there have been suggestions it could be the Philippines, and already Lapaz has vowed to support her former competitor should she venture there.
   Dawson says she sees herself as an advocate for education, and entered the competition because she wanted to practise what she preached: to challenge herself and overcome any self-doubt.
   Repeating their roles from last year, Stephen McIvor and Sonia Gray hosted. Stevens was also on the judging panel (particularly appropriate given his similar role in NZ Idol), alongside motivational speaker and social practitioner Areena Deshpande, director of Head2Heels and former Miss Universe New Zealand director Evana Patterson, AJPR boss and BRCA cancer gene awareness champion Anna Jobsz, and arguably the top make-up practitioner and educator in New Zealand, Samala Robinson.
   Thanks to the support of Miss Universe New Zealand’s sponsors, including platinum partners Honda New Zealand, Bench, Skycity, the Quadrant Hotels and Suites, Golden Gowns and Beau Joie, and the fund-raising efforts of each year’s finalists, Miss Universe New Zealand cracked the $100,000 barrier with its donations to Variety, the Children’s Charity, this year.
   The stream was carried on Lucire, The New Zealand Herald and Stuff, and a delayed version will appear on 3Now.

Above: Celebrity stylists Micaela Erlanger, Caroline Issa and Rebecca Corbin-Murray.

Pandora has partnered with three celebrity stylists to showcase its range’s versatility for the autumn 2016 season, with Micaela Erlanger, Caroline Issa and Rebecca Corbin-Murray working with a woman, Ella, who begins by sharing a few personal facts about herself. From this interaction, the stylists are tasked to interpret her personality through a styled look that is influenced by the season’s biggest trends and accentuated by Pandora’s autumn 2016 jewellery collection.
   In the documentary-style film, The Look of You, each stylist unveils her looks, reflecting a key seasonal trend that complements Ella’s personality, including Gothic romance, metallics and feminine florals. Ella winds up taking the stylists’ advice and choosing her own items from Pandora, highlighting the unique style of every woman.
   â€˜I think jewellery tells your own personal story,’ says Erlanger. ‘Whether it’s layering necklaces or mixing metals, or owning that statement ring or charm bracelet that you can add to or pass down. I look for pieces that are an extension of my personality and think it’s important to choose jewellery that speaks to you.’
   Pandora invites others to share their advice, sharing it on its website with other women who want to find their individual stylistic voice.
   The Look of You can be viewed at Pandora’s website, released today.—Bhavana Bhim

Franziska Krug/Getty Images

Lingerie brand Hunkemöller announced at a function on Wednesday at the Hotel de Rome in Berlin that Doutzen Kroes is its new brand ambassador. The collections, which have the international model’s design input, will be called Doutzen’s Stories and will give a glimpse of Kroes and the æsthetic she brings to the brand.
   â€˜I’m in the fashion business for quite some time now, but I never had the chance to design my own collection. This is an amazing new opportunity for me and I’m really proud to show the world a bit more about me and my passion for lingerie—through my collection for Hunkemöller,’ said Kroes.
   The collection has a diverse range of looks, including bralettes combined with a high-waist slip, a seductive jumpsuit, a slip dress and a kimono. Together with Zoë Price-Smith, the brand’s design director, Kroes introduced her collection with a living installation at the hotel.
   Besides the guests at the event, fans from around the world could follow the show via a Facebook live stream.
   The event focused around a fashion show, in which the brand released the new collection. Hunkemöller’s CEO Philip Mountford revealed Kroes to the audience with a video, followed by a personal appearance of the model on stage.
   â€˜I am delighted that we have secured Doutzen Kroes as our new brand ambassador. Doutzen truly represents our brand values and as one of the top models in the world she will help endorse our brand awareness on an international scale. She is a natural, radiant, beautiful, glamorous and, of course, very sexy woman. Over the next two years we will work with Doutzen to design outstanding brand collaborations,’ said Mountford.
   Alexandra Legro, global marketing and communication director at Hunkemöller presented an interview video about Kroes, introducing the audience to her style and personality (below). ‘We are really proud to have Doutzen joining us as our new Brand Ambassador. Her personality and her passions are going to inspire a whole new direction for our products, our marketing and create some truly unique campaigns,’ said Kroes.
   The event and Kroes’s appointment had been teased on social media and on YouTube.
   The first Doutzen’s Stories collection will be released online on October 27, and heads into retail stores on October 31. Prices vary from €14·99 to €44·99. The collection can be previewed on the Hunkemöller website.—Bhavana Bhim

Franziska Krug/Getty Images; Isa Foltin/Getty Images

Karl Lagerfeld

On August 30 and 31, the new Mumm Grand Cordon champagne was exhibited at Croatia’s Hula Hula Beach Club. For each order of champagne at the Club, a bottle was flown over the sea by a drone. Music accompanied the delivery—those receiving the champagne would get a particularly special experience, emphasizing Mumm’s current ‘celebrate’ theme, and its taste for daring innovation.
   The new bottle was created by Ross Lovegrove and has no front label. The G. H. Mumm signature and emblem are printed directly on to the glass, while the Cordon Rouge sash is actually a real red ribbon indented in the glass. The new design meant changes to the traditional champagne production process.
   Karl Lagerfeld Paris has launched its autumn 2016 advertising campaign, Love from Paris, Karl ××, coinciding with the label’s launch in North America. Lagerfeld himself art-directed and photographed the campaign, which was styled by Charlotte Stockdale, and modelled by Joan Smalls and Hailey Baldwin. It’s a predominantly black-and-white collection with colour splashes, featuring prêt-à-porter clothes and accessories.
   Also on the theme of new and luxury: a new leathergoods label, Anna White, has launched in New Zealand, with a contemporary line consisting of the AW1 tote, Liberty shoulder bag and Protagonist clutch. Right now, Anna White is also offering a limited-edition Classique tote, retailing at NZ$650. The range has simple lines with a quality look. It’s the ideal chance to own stylish bags before others jump on board—Anna White’s off to a good start.—Bhavana Bhim with Lucire staff

Oliver Hadlee Pearch

H&M will retail the Kenzo × H&M collaboration announced last month, with the line joining its Sylvia Park store on November 3. With the time difference, this means the New Zealand store is the first to carry the line.
   Since joining Kenzo in 2011, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have set their own fashion agenda with collections full of bold colours and vivid prints, revealed through high-impact shows, artist collaborations and creative digital campaigns. Global influences and traditions are remixed and fused with the energy of the street, resulting in collections that are both inspirational and accessible to their fans around the world. At Kenzo, fashion expresses freedom, joy and individuality for all.
   â€˜We can’t wait to share with everyone the world of Kenzo × H&M, with all of its creativity, fun and love of fashion,’ said Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative adviser at H&M.
   Last month, the brand revealed the four first looks from the collaboration which combine vivid personalities and bright prints of the clothing for a fun atmosphere.
   Amy Sall, a student activist based in New York and founder of SUNU: Journal of African Affairs, Critical Thought & Æsthetics is photographed beside Juliana Huxtable, a 28 year old artist, poet and DJ also based in New York, wearing tiger-print jerseys, roll-neck tops and matching high-waisted leggings. They also wear black leather gloves containing a pink logo print and jacquard knitted tiger-sock shaft boots.
   The second look shows the 19-year-old musician and performance artist based in Paris, Oko Ebombo. He wears a parka with a removable printed collar, block colour tiger-print jeans, plus padded flip-flops with tabi socks. Ebombo also wears a tiger-printed cap with an attached scarf, a printed woven scarf and the tiger-printed cross-body bag.
   The third look shows Isamaya French, a make-up artist based in London, part of the London-based collective, Theo Adams Company. She wears an oversized leather jacket with pink faux shearling lining, with a matching tiger print jersey roll-neck top, and high-waisted leggings.
   The final look is revealed on Anna of the North, a 25-year-old Norwegian musician who gained global attention earlier during the year with her track ‘The Dreamers’. She wears a fresh interpretation by Kenzo’s creative directors, of an iconic design by founder Kenzo Takada: a short folkloric ribbon dress featuring various prints from the collection.
   â€˜With this collaboration with H&M we want to think big, push the boundaries and bring the new energy of Kenzo to everyone around the world,’ say Lim and Leon.—Bhavana Bhim

Oliver Hadlee Pearch

Chanel yesterday opened its first Fragrance & Beauty boutique in Auckland. The store is located in the historic Britomart Building and marks the 12th Fragrance and Beauty boutique opening across Australia and New Zealand collectively.
   Chanel have maintained the original 1900s brickwork building, with its traditional kauri timber floors. Combined with the contemporary products, customers are treated to a stylish boutique experience.
   Upon entering the boutique, customers are invited to discover the latest Chanel make-up creations as well as a skin care bar. Along with fragrance, Chanel is delighted to début a new range of eyewear to New Zealand customers. The eyewear salon will present a comprehensive collection of Chanel sunglasses, including the classic codes of the house—white camellias, pearls, tweed and interlaced chains. Beauty and fashion are combined in the boutique, giving clients the opportunity to select the latest eyewear shape, complementing their face and make-up look.
   David Blakeley, managing director of Chanel Australia and New Zealand, said, ‘The opening of the first boutique in New Zealand is a momentous occasion for Chanel. We are able to deliver an immersive, service orientated experience to our clients in a retail environment that we have specially created to showcase our fragrance, beauty and fashion eyewear offerings together in a new and very exciting Chanel way.’—Bhavana Bhim

International Swedish retailer, Hennes & Mauritz, will open in New Zealand on October 1.
   The new store will be located at Sylvia Park, Auckland, and span two storeys and 2,300 m². The new store will have men, women, youth and children’s apparel and accessories. The H&M Studio collection for autumn–winter 2016–17 (above) will appear at the store, as well as the Modern Essentials by David Beckham collection.
   â€˜We are excited to be making progress on our arrival in New Zealand and look forward to welcoming customers through the doors of H&M at Sylvia Park on the 1st of October,’ said Hans Andersson, Country Manager for H&M Australia and New Zealand in a release.
   The store will open at 10 a.m. on October 1. Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. all days, except for Thursday and Friday, when it will close at 9 p.m.
   Lucire has been covering the growth of the retailer since 1998, and noted its pioneering programmes in corporate social responsibility and designer collaborations.