With the announcement of a “travel bubble” between Australia and New Zealand, the New Zealand Spirit Festival at the Kumeu Showgrounds has reported a surge of Australians booking to come to the wellness event, to be held April 22 to 25. Model, TV host and yoga practitioner Rachel Hunter headlines the event with a workshop on the first day.
A powhiri will take place at 4 p.m. on April 22. There are wellness workshops, including one hosted by Dr Bruce H. Lipton, a trained cell biologist who is known for his work in bridging science and spirit.
Hunter’s workshop will see her teaching breathing techniques, meditation and asanas. She studied meditation and yoga in India, the US, and the UK.
The workshops take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the full days, across five workshop zones covering yoga, meditation, haka workshop for women, holotropic breath work, and more. After 7 p.m. attendees can expect to listen and dance to music, including New Zealand acts such as Tiki Tane, Maisey Rika, and NZ Spirit co-founder Franko Heke.
The festival is drug- and alcohol-free, says Heke. ‘We have constant feedback about really big changes happening for people during the festival. It’s an opportunity to change a habit, improve your overall health and well-being and meet new friends within a community of like-minded and healthy people,’ he says. ‘You don’t have to be cool here, or worry about what you’re wearing. It’s about expressing your true self and discovering a little deeper who that person is through our diverse workshops.’
The festival also brings together young and old, with preferential pricing for over 55s and for young people. There is also a fully programmed kids’ zone.
A full workshop programme is available here, along with healers’ profiles. There are camping options, food tricks serving vegan and vegetarian food, and a market village. Ticket prices are NZ$239 for a four-day pass, with day passes ranging from NZ$139 to NZ$239. Teens’ price is NZ$169. A booking fee of NZ$5 applies.
More can be found at nzspiritfestival.com.
Above: Chef Carla Hall discussing her favourite “liquid” recipes.
With age comes wisdom … as well as moments of nostalgia. In unwrapping the two inaugural products of the Caire Beauty collection (Caire Triple Lift Molecule Mask and Caire Theorem Serum Boost), founders Lorrie King and Celeste Lee, along with noted chef Carla Hall, fondly recalled their college days, first travels across Asia and youthful dreams. However, they all agreed they were in the exact place where they needed to be in life.
Of course, like stamps in a passport, they acknowledged that they also had the marks of every place they visited to get there in the forms of wrinkles, age spots and other annoyances. They also pointed out during the virtual product launch and cocktail party, completed with Hall’s refreshing lemon, ginger and collagen mocktail, that even the best prepared among us managed to forget about taking certain precautions on our personal journeys. (In my case, covering the face, but neglecting the neck and cleavage area).
While the discussion of age, ageing, ageism and the media’s obsession with youth touches a certain nerve in every woman, the Caire founders, Hall and other special guests, such as Claire Gill of National Menopause Foundation, stressed the way we collectively and individually address this reality can make all the difference. We can’t turn the clock back, but why would we want to if we can be proactive and age with pride moving forward, and not lose sight of the wonderful things we’ve learned and experienced that makes life richer?
Or, as Gill pointed out, ‘We can change how we talk about menopause and what we call it. The medical terminology is not how we have to define it. We can change that, and I love hearing that women want that!’ In response to a comment I made in the event chat room about influencer culture making a once non-age oriented industry (journalism) more ageist, she replied, ‘Totally agree about the influencer culture. We need more women influencers over 40 talking about positive ageing rather than anti-ageing.’ To which, Lee added, ‘At Caire, we like to say age-mpowering.’
As the name suggests, Defiance Science is Caire’s own Ph.D.-developed science that addresses the specific signs of skin ageing that are caused by hormone decline and menopause, such as facial sags and under-eye bags, loss of firmness and structure in the face and neck—while providing the users knowledge of why these changes are happening and suggesting they can do something about it.
‘We really wanted to understand why our skin suddenly changed in our 40s and early 50s,’ says Lee, who started her career in beauty with Givaudan, the world’s largest maker of flavours and, later, established her own boutique consultancy, working with numerous top-tier brands and portfolios including Pernod Ricard, Kopari, Coty, Colorescience and Avon. ‘Even though we all worked in beauty over 20 years, we discovered a dirty secret: nobody wanted to discuss the impact of changing hormones on ageing, either because leading brands either didn’t know how or simply didn’t want to solve it.’
Beyond the conversation of what ‘self-care’ actually means to women over 40 (and those who haven’t hit it yet), the creators of the line explained that their first goal was to develop ‘formulations [that] take a revolutionary hormone defying approach’ to occupational hazards regarding ageing, such as sags, bags and skin volume. The science behind them involved infusing skin with molecules and triggering skin to turn on “latent” molecules. While use of hyaluronic acid has proliferated in products from the affordable pharmacy varieties to high-end boutique and spa lines, and is also in Caire’s product DNA, the experts agreed that success in bringing about a more youthful appearance relates to the right combination of skin care, proper diet and a more positive outlook on ageing.
One major takeaway was that good products, like the person using them, multi-task as they work as make-up primer as well as a moisturizer, toning agent and topical vitamin supplement. While it is estimated that 99 per cent of anti-ageing skin care only treats the hydration on the skin’s surface, the research that went into Caire involved examining and treating what goes on beneath where skin cells actually start. The products’ vegan, clean and cruelty-free formulas reinforce skin structure up from the inside out to impart a smoother, suppler, and more resilient skin. However, the formula is safe for usage around the eye, nasolabial and neck areas, and deliver nutritive and skin-building benefits for up to an hour after application.
‘It was super-important to me to ensure that Caire science be both clean and clinically sound,’ affirmed King, who started her career in beauty and CPG at Unilever, spearheading the iconic Elizabeth Taylor and Chloé franchises. Later she was CMO on the US launch team of Boots in the US, global marketing lead for Halle Berry and Céline Dion and other fragrance brands at Coty. She adds, ‘There are dozens of skin care companies in the world. And yet women over 40 and 50, which is the single largest group of women in the country, are not offered sophisticated solutions created specifically for them. It’s fundamentally disrespectful to women that teen acne is the only hormone problem that gets studied.’
Caire Therom Serum Boost is available in the following sizes: 1 oz for US$56, 0·5 oz for US$34, and a Mini Sampler Trio of 0·1 oz droppers for US$32. Caire Triple Lift Molecule Mask is available in the following sizes: 1 oz for US$52 and 0·4 oz for US$12. The Caire Defiance Science Duo (1 oz serum and 1 oz mask) is available for US$100. Caire Beauty is exclusively available at cairebeauty.com.
Zalando, the online fashion and beauty retailer, released its holiday campaign, entitled We Will Hug Again, last month. New images featuring Brooklyn Beckham, Diane von Fürstenberg, Jeremy Scott, Munroe Bergdorf, Stella Maxwell, Muslim Sisterhood (Lamisa Khan, Zeinab Salah and Sara Gulamali), and Rain Dove among others have been released to accompany the campaign.
With COVID-19 still gripping Europe, images of celebrities doing the simple act of hugging—something denied to many as they cannot be in contact with their friends—seem hopeful and aspirational, helping them look to the future.
In November, Zalando released a video to go with its campaign, called 100 Years of Hugs, along with a series of images, Hug Portraits.
The retailer is also supporting the Red Cross to help those who may be isolated during the holidays. Consumers are asked to pick a favourite picture of a hug memory, share it on social media, and tag @Zalando and #WeWillHugAgain. For each one, Zalando will donate €5 to the Red Cross.
Beckham said of the campaign, ‘Human connection and physical embraces are so important in life. At a time when many of us are apart from loved ones, it felt right to partner with Zalando to spread a message of optimism that we will hug again. These images are deeply personal to me and show moments I don’t often share, but now is the time to be thankful for the great moments we’ve had and look forward to creating many more sometime soon.’
Bergdorf, who shared an image of her and her friend Billy, said, ‘My camera roll is full of so many gorgeous cuddles and hugs with family and friends that I was spoilt for choice. It’s lovely to look back on past moments and know that, even while things can be challenging right now, we will create many more memories like these in the future. Our loved ones are our support systems, they allow us to feel seen, heard and understood. I’m going to miss seeing so many of them over the festive season but I know we have so many amazing times to come. I’m glad to be part of spreading a bit of positivity and part of a campaign that is helping support those that need human connection the most.’
Zalando’s Natalie Wills, its global director of social media and consumer PR, added, ‘We’re delighted that so many of the industry’s most well-known faces have lent their voices to share this positive message. The images they’ve shared celebrate the beauty of human connection, and we want to inspire the feeling of hope and optimism in these challenging times. It was also important to us to use this campaign as another opportunity to give back to the community and the support Red Cross on their mission to bring connection and support to those that need it most during this period.’
With the UK continuing to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Awards (formerly the British Fashion Awards) announced its 20 winners with a digital film première.
The 30-minute film went live at www.fashionawards.com today and on YouTube on the BFC’s account, and was screened in selected cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. It features some of the year’s events as well as opinion leaders and young creatives giving their thoughts on its impact. Physically appearing in the film voicing their ideas were photographer Jermaine Francis (on the work of NHS workers), entertainer Miss Jason (on the impact on younger queer people), model Salem Mitchell (on Black Lives Matter, and why activism is important), photographer Lauren Woods (that Black Lives Matter is not a hashtag, but real lives are involved), and photographer Myles Loftin (people of colour are still not represented sufficiently). Wilson Oryema, a writer and activist, followed in a later set (on building a better world for future generations), along with Kasper Kapica, a model and content manager (who recalled doing a Miu Miu campaign in the forest), Bohan Qui, communications director (China in its post-COVID mode and the world’s added interest there), Choom, magazine editor (community in the age of COVID-19), Harry Fisher, store owner (selling virtually this year), and from the class of 2020, Bradley Sharpe (Central St Martin’s), who learned he would not get a graduation show, but it turned into an opportunity.
In the first set of award presentations for communities, Priyanka Chopra Jonas noted that people’s expectations have shifted and that the industry can directly help communities. First to be honoured was the Emergency Designer Network, set up by Bethany Williams, Cozette McCreary, Holly Fulton and Phoebe English. The Network helped create 50,000 surgical gowns and 10,000 sets of scrubs for UK health workers.
Secondly, Michael Halpern eschewed a London Fashion Week show in favour of a tribute to frontline workers, capturing eight women from the public services in film and portraits, and contributed to the production of PPE for the Royal Brompton Hospital.
Chanel has committed to improving the economic and social conditions of women worldwide. Its Foundation Chanel has developed a racial justice fund to support grass roots’ organizations led by people of colour. It has also committed to supporting independent artisans and ateliers. As reported earlier in Lucire, Chanel has also produced PPE. Finally, its climate strategy, Chanel Mission 1·5° aims to reduce its carbon footprint.
Kenneth Ize has supported the communities of weavers, artisans and design groups across Nigeria, placing the country’s heritage on a global stage. He has also celebrated his Blackness and the LGBTQIA+ community with his work.
A Sai Ta, who tells the stories from his east Asian culture through a British lens, has called for the end to discrimination against marginalized communities. His eponymous brand, A Sai, has committed profits to organizations that support the end of systemic discrimination and racism. The brand supported Black Lives Matter, in a manner which the Council labelled ‘exemplary.’
Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton highlighted the protests against systemic racism in many countries, and believes the fashion industry has a platform on which to make change and creating a more equal society. Hamilton’s set of recipients were people who have led change by encouraging equal, diverse and empowered workforces at all levels of the business.
Edward Enninful was the first recipient in the category, for his work contributing to diversity at British Vogue. The magazine’s covers have featured frontline workers, activists and Black Girl Magic.
Lindsay Peoples Wagner and Sandrine Charles for Black in Fashion Council were next: launched in June 2020, the Council’s aim is to build a foundation for inclusion. It has organized a creatives in the sector to foster the change and create diversity.
Menswear designer Samuel Ross, behind the label A-Cold-Wall, created the Black Lives Matter Financial Aid Scheme, pledging £10,000 to the organizations and people on the frontline supporting the movement. He also awarded grants of £25,000 to black-owned businesses across a diverse range of areas.
Aurora James called on retailers to dedicate 15 per cent of their shelf space to black-owned brands. A controversial winner as far as this magazine is concerned, as James has yet to respond in depth to questions we posed to her in 2017 over a Moroccan artisan’s account, having missed her own deadline by which she promised to provide us with answers.
Finally in this category, Priya Ahluwalia has been a pioneer in sustainable fashion, and a tireless advocate for the black community, especially this year in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Maisie Williams and Aja Barber presented the awards for the environment, calling on a united effort to making the planet better.
First up among the winners was Stella McCartney, whose record is already well known among consumers and industry alike. She has stayed true to her brand, promoting and practising sustainability, with innovation and circularity.
Anya Hindmarch has worked hard to reduce waste in the fashion supply chain in her business, adopting new techniques and practices. She also supported the NHS with the creation of a holster for frontline staff, as well as reusable and washable hospital gowns.
Christopher Raeburn is a pioneer in the upcycling of surplus fabrics, proving that the designs can still be creative, premium and desirable. He believes that innovation, creativity, technical excellence and partnerships can solve current issues in sustainability.
The Fashion Pact united top-tier fashion CEOs toward collective action on biodiversity and this year, doubled its number of signatories. It represents 200 brands and a third of the industry. It has made its first strides, notably with a digital dashboard of KPIs to measure impact, and with its first collaborative activity on biodiversity.
Gabriela Hearst has sourced materials carefully, looking at where they come from, who makes them, and what impact they have. Her spring–summer 2020 show was the first carbon-neutral catwalk presentation. Hearst wants to make the highest-quality product with the lowest environmental impact.
The last set of awards were for creativity, introduced by Rosalía. Jonathan Anderson was awarded for his innovative approaches to showing fashion for J. W. Anderson and Loewe during the COVID-19 pandemic, with show-in-a-box and show-on-the-wall concepts, as well as inviting people to become part of the show experience.
Grace Wales Bonner’s fashion designs celebrated black culture, evoking its history, and challenged the norms surrounding black masculinity and identity.
Third up were Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, demonstrating the importance of conversation, collaboration and dialogue in reimagining fashion for the future.
Riccardo Tisci and Burberry were honoured for their inclusivity and sustainability. The Council noted the label’s innovative use of technology at London Fashion Week in September 2020 and in campaigns and launches. In addition, Burberry donated 160,000 pieces of PPE to the NHS and health care charities, repurposing its trench coat factory in Castleford. It has also donated to aid vaccine research, and to food charities.
Menswear designer Kim Jones, introduced by David Beckham, was recognized for his creativity. He said he felt it was important to bring joy to people in a tough year, and he intended to do so with his fashion.
The Awards were supported by Getty Images, Lavazza, Rosewood London and Royal Salute. The trophy was designed by Nagami and created by Parley for the Oceans using Parley Ocean Plastic.
With the start of Geneva Watch Days on Wednesday, CEOs from Breitling (Georges Kern), Bulgari (Jean-Christophe Babin), Ulysse–Nardin (Patrick Pruniaux), H. Moser & Cie. (Edouard Meylan), MB&F (Maximilian Büsser) along with the Conseil d’État de Genève’s Mauro Poggia and other VIPs joined together to open the event. Breitling launched its Endurance Pro sports’ watch at the event, and brought in its spokespeople—Ronnie Schildknecht, Daniela Ryf and Jan van Berkel—to the Hotel Four Seasons for it.
The Breitling Endurance Pro is described as ‘the ultimate athleisure watch’ with a COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 82, with a SuperQuartz movement (said to be 10 times more precise than regular quartz), and far brighter colours than we’ve come to expect from the Grenchen-based firm.
The case measures 44 mm, and despite the size, the watch is particularly light, with the company’s Breitlight material, which is 3·3 times lighter than titanium and 5·8 times lighter than stainless steel. Breitlight is non-magnetic, thermally stable, hypoallergenic, highly scratch- and corrosion-resistant, and feels warmer to the touch than metal. Hour and minute hands are coated with fluorescent SuperLumiNova. Price-wise, it is expected to be lower, bringing in new customers.
The Endurance Pro features a pulsometer scale and a rubber strap that matches the inner bezel ring. Customers have the option of adding Outerknown Econyl yarn NATO straps. The watch is water-resistant to 100 m and comes with a two-year warranty.
Inspiration comes from the 1970s’ Breitling Sprint, which incorporated a pulsometer, and which also came in a series of bright colours.
It’s no surprise that the pandemic is the subject to many of the entries for the British Photographic Assignment 2020, held by the British Photography Awards.
The awards are open to UK residents and photographers of British nationality around the world, and are open till January 1, 2021.
Mert Keçe’s The New Normal is a series featuring brick façades and individuals isolated in their homes. Said Keçe, ‘An ongoing series of photographs I’ve been working on during the pandemic inspired by a photo I’d taken of a stranger a couple days after lockdown was announced. The series aims to explore people adapting their way of life to being stuck indoors all day long because of the pandemic. A big thank you to everyone who participated in modelling for the project.’
Earlier, photos by Claire Armitage released by the charity-oriented awards showed her teenage children coping with life in lockdown, in contrast to what she was witnessing on social media. The series was called There’s No Place Like Home. ‘Everyone has gone into this lockdown from a different place, but we’ve probably all gone into it in a state of shock in one way or another. I went into it already dealing with a particularly difficult bout of depression and also helping my children trying to deal with a number of challenges of their own, none of which are helped by this current, unknown and unprecedented situation,’ she said.
‘It was never meant to be a project, but isn’t that how so many start? I was having a particularly bad day and had switched off social media because whilst I was struggling to get out of bed and make my children food, there were all these people posting their children’s timetables and how wonderful it was to spend time together creating wonderful and amazing projects. As a good friend of mine put it, “If I see one more Mum who’s created the Terracotta Army out of plant pots with a five-year-old, I’ll scream,” because when you feel you are failing badly, everyone else’s “perfect lives” are hard to take, even when you know nothing is that perfect in reality.
‘This is also really hard for my children. They are teenagers and their parents are the last people they want to spend all their time with right now, but all of a sudden, they are stuck with us. Or rather, they are stuck in their rooms gaming, watching Netflix, and Facetiming mostly, so apart from dinner, I wanted to find something that gave us a moment of humour and some bonding time (even when they huffed about it); something we could collaborate on and maybe make us smile, even for five minutes. I am trying to find touch points with my teenagers that they will remember and enjoy … hopefully. It’s also about nostalgia for that innocence of toddlers playing hide and seek, who believe you can’t see them, if they can’t see you, this is the most fun.’
