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.

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

Linden Leaves has been trying to solve the problem of entry into the Chinese market for some time. To sell in China, conventional wisdom was that animal testing is required, and when Lucire approached experts in China, they found no way round it. This was in spite of a free-trade agreement between New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China—it was accepted that all would have to undergo the same procedure.
   The good news, announced this month, is that Linden Leaves has, after some persistence, found a way to enter China without animal testing, thereby staying true to its ethos. The company has managed to secure exclusive authorization by the Chinese government.
   Founder Brigit Blair says, ‘I feel so proud that we did not bend our own company ethics and policy for the greater lure of the Chinese dollar due to their animal testing policy. It is so exciting that we have managed to enter the market in a way that means we are able to stay true to what we stand for, not only as a company, but also as a cruelty-free nation.’
   Linden Leaves’ skin care and body care ranges are now stocked at Shanghai’s largest Duty Free Downtown store, with over 2,000 people attending the opening event of its new counter, with further forays into China, through domestic stores and Duty Free stores, planned.

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

Alan Raga/www.alanraga.com

Above: Semifinalist Mia Hofsteede and finalists Seresa Lapaz and Elizabeth Lorimer with some of the products Miss Universe New Zealand contestants received.

Have you ever wanted to embody the flair and confidence of a Miss Universe contestant? Well now you can as we have access to some of the beauty products given to the 2016 New Zealand semi-finalists. The finalists, meanwhile, enjoyed the products while on retreat and they’ll be using them as they near the Grand Final on September 3 at Auckland’s Skycity Theatre. All the stress and drama of pageants need not be fretted over when you are gifted with a range of products to rejuvenate the body and the soul.
   Of course all the smiling and speaking will eventually dry out your mouth, so it makes sense to use the Living Nature Lip Hydrator. It is an advanced lip balm in a stick to make it practical and easy to apply to the lips. The Lip Hydrator contains the active ingredient of manuka honey, along with an infusion of  butters and oils to deeply hydrate and condition the lips while mica gives lips a healthy sheen, along with natural sun protection. If you want universal nourishment then give the lip hydrator a go.
   Do you desire the luscious locks of the contestants? Then why not try the Juuce Reviva Cream, in Argan Shimmer and Knot Knotty. These products are bound to nourish the scalp and give your hair some flair.
   The skin of a contestant needs to be primed and ready for the cameras, so it makes sense for them to use the Body Shop’s Pink Grapefruit Body Lotion (60 ml). It is light and easily absorbed into the skin, with a zesty citrus scent to revitalize the senses.
   They also received products from the Samala Cosmetics line, from one of New Zealand’s most respected make-up artists and educators, Samala Robinson, bottles of 1Above—the Flight Drink, which helped finalists stay refreshed on their return flight to the Philippines for their retreat, and coconut water from UFC Refresh, a natural drink that helps keep skin looking good from the inside.
   They relax and unwind with Lipidol oils, designed to purify the skin with natural herbs. After a hard day’s work, it makes sense for the girls to use Lipidol products.
   There you have it, the secret to looking good. When in doubt give these products a go to give yourself a glamour boost.—Bhavana Bhim

Alan Raga/www.alanraga.com

Casey Pattinson

Above: Semifinalist Mia Hofsteede and Casey Pattinson, and finalists Tania Dawson, Seresa Lapaz, Elizabeth Lorimer with some of the products Miss Universe New Zealand contestants received.

Can you have a wine lighter in alcohol yet still with the sumptuous flavours that the original is known for? Stoneleigh has cracked it with its Stoneleigh Lighter range, with grapes from the Rapuara vineyards, yet it has content that’s 25 per cent lower in alcohol compared with the original Stoneleigh range.
   The secret is in the sunstones at the vineyards, coupled with the sunlight and low rainfall—these allow grapes to develop their full flavour while their sugar content is lower. The wines retain the lifted aromatics and vibrant flavours that Stoneleigh is known for.
   â€˜To create these new wines, we looked at how we could best capture the characteristics of early ripening grapes in the Rapaura subregion. We identified grapes with the fullest flavour profile and harvested them early in the season to capture each varietal’s signature characteristics in the final wine,’ said Jamie Marfell, Stoneleigh’s winemaker (below).
   The Stoneleigh Lighter Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 has an ABV of 9·6 per cent, with pink grapefruit and capsicum notes with hints of passionfruit on the nose, and a palate of fresh citrus, stonefruit and passionfruit. Stoneleigh Lighter Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 has an ABV of 9·8 per cent, with aromas of apple and nashi pear, complemented by tropical guava and pineapple notes. Finally, Stoneleigh Lighter Marlborough Rosé 2016 has an ABV of 9·9 per cent, with notes of wild strawberry, yellow flesh plum and summer berries.
   The range is available now in New Zealand through leading liquor retailers with an RRP of NZ$17·29.