If you were clever and in Wellington, New Zealand, you could have made two events scheduled for the same time last night. Kelly Thompson, the first New Zealander to shoot a retail Lucire cover, had an illustration exhibition opening at Good as Gold on Victoria Street (on till the end of December). Last night she already managed to sell 13 of her works.
Zambesi, meanwhile, launched the Samsung U700v cellphone at its Wellington store, following a similar launch in Auckland at Vulcan Lane.
When I left Kelly’s opening for Zambesi, I noticed she was attracting a more arty crowd, while Zambesi got in fashionistas and a selection of customers, with four models (two friends, Sarah Garlick and Cadbury Dream Model Search ’07 finalist Jordan James among them) walking about talking up the ‘Zambesi presents Samsung U700v’ phone. For the Findlays, four members of the family had come from Auckland to attend, including Marissa Findlay, whose photographic work appeared in Lucire no. 24.
In fashionista style, bubbles were served at the latter: a Deutz Rosé; Kelly Thompson had a nice sauvignon blanc instead for the art crowd.