Harking back to Harlow
New Zealand-born bridal designer Johanna Johnson owns a storeroom in SoHo, New York, where she has built a following for her glamorous old Hollywood styles, part bohemian flapper, part Jean Harlow. Johnson’s designs will…
March 2013 Archives
Up the charts
“After penning tracks for acts including Christina Aguilera and Adam Lambert, New Zealand pop singer/songwriter Ginny Blackmore draws her first Billboard chart ink as an artist, with her debut single “Bones” entering Adult Pop…
Tomb of biscuits
Wellington artist Kingsley Baird is building a tomb of Anzac biscuits depicting World War I soldiers to be exhibited in Europe. Baird, an associate professor at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts, said the…
Hope the shoe fits
New Zealand designer Kathryn Wilson, with the help of Sarah Hutchings of Auckland’s Orsini Fine Jewellery, has created the most expensive shoe in the world. The fairy tale classic court-heeled shoe features more than…
#156 No Opportunity Wasted
THE GLOBAL LIFE OF NEW ZEALANDERS From Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM |…
Fonterra to launch infant milk formula in China
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra will enter China’s ‘lucative branded infant formula market’ in mid-2013, according to the Straits Times. Fonterra also plans to build its own China milk processing plant in 2014-2016. …
Rangi Ruru schoolgirls win praise Polyfest performance
Forty-nine Rangi Ruru students, from mixed ethnicities, performed ientirely n the Samoan language at the recent 2013 Auckland Polyfest. Their performamce was ‘awesome’, ‘creative’ and ‘spellbinding,’ according to the Samoa Observer. ‘The vociferous applause…
10,000 NZ light bulbs help the Cook islands become energy efficient
The Cook Islands wants to generate 100% of its energy supply from renewable sources by 2020. Encouraging the more efficient use of existing energy resources is a vital part of this transition. Recently, Te…
Nga Kupu Aroha Epilogue
Once you put something out there you just don’t know who will pick it up and where it will go. Since its birth in 2004 Nga…
Shot at Movieland
The New Zealand company behind Queenstown’s Shotover and Hukafalls jet boat tours is collaborating with Italy’s theme park Movieland in Verona to create a one-of-a-kind ride with a theme based on the…
Win on Strings at Windsor
A violinist from New Zealand, Benjamin Baker, 23, has won the Windsor Festival International Strings Competition (WFISC), held in the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle, beating off finalists Marisol Lee from…
Adam Christopher – ‘the new future of science fiction’
New Zealand science fiction writer Adam Christopher is part of the ‘new future of science fiction,’ and an author who is breathing ‘fresh strength and vitality into science fiction and fantasy,’ according to…
Samoan wins first ever NZ Pacific Scholarship Award
Outstanding Samoan student Epifania Afano’s winning of the first ever New Zealand Pacific Scholarship Academic Achievement Award was recognised by the Samoa Observer. Epifania is a received her award at Victoria University, Wellington. Epifania…
Cycling Through Spectacular
It’s a stunning experience to pedal 310 kilometres of the Alps 2 Ocean trail from New Zealand’s highest peak to the Pacific Ocean, writes Andrew Bain for The Sydney Morning Herald. “Alps 2 Ocean…
Sneak Peek at Smaug
New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson has given his fans a sneak online preview of the next Hobbit installment, The Desolation of Smaug. Enthusiastic and barefoot, Jackson gave a little masterclass in Middle-earth filmmaking and…
Flat tack for Oxford
The 10th ever New Zealander competed in the historical Easter Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, rowing for the Oxford side. Sam O’Connor, 25, never thought it possible for a kid from Christchurch to contest…
All in One
“As much 50s rockabilly as dubstep devotee, there is no middle ground with the unique Mr Moon,” Gregor Hollerin writes for The Extra. New Zealand-born Moon’s debut album – Here’s Willy Moon…
It’s the Joy that Always Wins Out
New Zealand mountaineer George Lowe, the last survivor of the 1953 British expedition that conquered Everest, has died in Ripley, England aged 89. Hastings-born Lowe played a crucial part in the party’s success, displaying…
Making a Splash
Sixteen-year-old Takapuna Grammar student Ella Yelich-O’Connor, who goes by the stage name Lorde, is included in the “March 2013 playlist: Sweat” on news site RYOT. “Cerebral, self-evaluative and weaving in and…
Scrimp No More
New Zealand’s favourite breakfast spread, Marmite has returned to supermarket shelves for the first time in over a year, after shortages caused by the Christchurch earthquake. “You’ve rationed, you’ve scraped, you’ve survived marmageddon – and…
Otara’s Pasifika cultures and Te Aro’s vibe impress
Intrepid Age travel writer Louise Hawson and her daughter, Coco, have just finished a year-long journey around 52 of the world’s suburbs. Auckland’s Otara and Avondale, and Wellington’s Te Aro were on the list,…
New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth
Take a journey through Middle-earth with the cast of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Strength to Strength
“Early signs suggest will bend toward something even more mysterious, beautiful, unsettling and satisfying than the mysterious, beautiful, unsettling, satisfying thing it is from the start,”…
Little Bit Ahead of Everyone
Lynda Topp, one half of New Zealand’s beloved comedic country music duo, The Topp Twins, has made history as the first-ever lesbian to appear on the cover of New Zealand’s weekly Woman’s Day magazine….
On the Path to Self-sufficiency
Lead singer of Echo Park-based band NO Bradley Hanan Carter was just one of 2500 bands performing in Austin at this year’s SXSW festival hoping to snare the attention of approximately…
On the Way to His NBA Dream
Seven-foot-tall Rotorua-born Steven Adams plays basketball for the University of Pittsburgh. “A 19-year-old with size-19 shoes, inhabiting a new world, enjoying a pit stop on the way to his NBA dream.” A “compelling” story…
Biblical Proportions
In his column for the UK Sunday Times, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson writes: “If you were God and you were all-powerful, you wouldn’t select Bethlehem as a suitable birthplace for your only child…
Everything is Not What it Seems
“It is typical of and visualise a pregnant 12-year-old girl walking into it up to her neck, the central image of what…
Top Chef in Washington
This year’s Embassy Chef Challenge held in Washington D.C. went to the Embassy of New Zealand’s chef Nathan Bates, who won all of three award categories in this two-part contest, making the trifecta win…
Leader of the Pack at Google
New Zealander Craig Nevill-Manning, Google’s engineering director in Manhattan, was the impetus behind the company’s decision to hire a cadre of engineers in New York, and he led an exodus to Chelsea from what…
King of the Hill Returns
New Zealand racing legend Rod Millen “conqueror of Pikes Peak – the world’s ultimate hillclimb event, is one of those rare men who competes in cars that he conceived and built.” Millen, “a firm…
We Love Visitors
New Zealand, along with Iceland, has been judged the world’s friendliest nation for tourists, according to the “Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report” released by the World Economic Forum, which ranked 140…
Focus on Liveability
Auckland inspires strong feelings in the editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine, Tyler Brûlé. “Dear Auckland,” Brûlé writes, “I realise it’s less than 96 hours since we parted company but I can’t stop thinking about the…
Stirring Up the US Market
“Challenging older, slower companies is all in a day’s work to many technology start-ups – and nowhere more so than in New Zealand,” says dual Canadian/New Zealand citizen Andrew Ferrier, currently the chair of New…
Absolutely the Real Deal
Christchurch-born teenager Scott McLaughlin, 19, continues to impress with slick showing in Albert Park V8 Supercars Challenge warm-up. McLaughlin, a Garry Rogers Motorsport driver, was impressive in the opening practice sessions of the Challenge…
New Zealand suffers ‘most widespread’ drought in 30 years
New Zealand is suffering its most widespread drought in 30 years. Climate scientists are warning that New Zealand may need to change its approach to farming as a result, according to the Washington Post….
Novel Makes Longlist
Emily Perkins’ novel The Forrests has made the UK Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013 longlist. The prize, known formerly as the Orange Prize, honours a work of fiction written in English…
Wartime President
New Zealand-born actress Stephanie Paul stars as the as the Palin-esque president of the United States, out to save the world in the German-Finnish-Australian thriller Iron Sky, which premiered in Berlin on 11 February….
Flipping out in a Biplane
“New Zealand offers just about every adventure activity you can think of – and many more you’ve likely never even considered,” Elissa Richard writes for Yahoo News Singapore. “Ever wanted to be a pilot? Or…
PNG an ‘exciting economic opportunity’ for NZ
‘Spectacular’ economic growth makes Papua New Guinea (PNG) an exciting economic opportunity for New Zealand, according to William Dihm, PNG High Commissioner to New Zealand, and Marion Crawshaw, NZ High Commissioner to Papua New…
From Digital New York
Film director and writer New Zealander Anna Wilding writes on ‘Digital Hollywood and the Role of Content Creators’ for Herald de Paris. Having attended the recent Digital Hollywood Media Summit in New…
NZ Companies Office promote private sector growth in the Pacific
Pacific Island delgates attended an Auckland workshop organised by the New Zealand Companies Office and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop and reform online/electronic business registries in the Pacific Islands, reports Islands Business….
Rising Star of Artisan Dressmakers
New Zealand fashion designer Emilia Wickstead – “already one of the best-kept secrets in the upper echelons of London society” – has been recruited by Selfridges as a bespoke tailor for the department…
Backing Pies in NY
Nine years ago, New Zealand entrepreneur Gareth Hughes started Down Under Bakery (DUB) Pies in Brooklyn, New York. With his shop now selling 5000 items a week, Hughes is looking to expand and he’s…
Get Off the Beaten Track
New Zealand travel specialist for Condé Nast Traveler, South Island-based Jean-Michel Jefferson, offers video tips for trips throughout the country and insights into recent tourism trends. “We’re seeing much more family and multigenerational travel,”…
Equality for Economic Progress
Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New Zealander Helen Clark, said the UN must not backtrack on women’s reproductive rights and that women must have access to health services. Speaking…
Columbia and NZ ‘Strategic Relationship’
President Juan Manuel Santos of Columbia and Prime Minister John Key discussed a ‘strategic relationship’ and a possible free trade agreement, writes Joey O’Gorman in Columbia Reports. John Key’s visit to Columbia was the…
Bell Does Battle
Stuntwoman and actress New Zealander Zoë Bell, 34, headlines a “sly subversion of the women-in-prison genre”, Raze, which is playing in the ‘Midnight Section’ as part of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival,…
Doing It for Themselves
“If you are a working woman, you would do well to move to New Zealand,” according to The Economist, who have compiled their own “‘glass-ceiling index’ to show where women have the best chance…
Cable Sector Reflections
“As Neil Berkett prepares to depart the stage, the man who has arguably been the most successful CEO in UK cable said he was immensely proud of what has been built at…
Chile and NZ Sign Agreement on Science
President Sebastián Piñera of Chile has signed a new trade agreement with the visiting Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, writes Elizabeth Trovall of The Santiago Times. The agreement promises shared innovation in…
Britain Gets a Health Lesson
Midlands Health Network in New Zealand is exploring how best to tackle the problem of the country’s ageing population. Midlands Health Network chief executive John Macaskill-Smith explains in the Guardian how Britain’s…
Mexico, NZ Commit to Stronger Trade Relations
Prime Minister John Key says he and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto want stronger trade relationships between New Zealand and Mexico, following talks in Mexico City. President Nieto and Prime Minister Key agreed a…
Making Music in Two Worlds
“Being a native of Auckland, singer-songwriter Simon Spire has had a foot in the door of two places since his transition to New York City,” The Aquarian Weekly’s Alessandra Donnelly writes….
James Keir Baxter
“Bone in the river bed, Old bone like a honeycomb, Brown bone, man bone, Where do you come from?” (From Brown Bone) Poet, prophet, postman, social activist, alcoholic derelict, dogmatic catholic, randy libertine, spiritually brash showman,…
Vinyl at Length
New Zealand sextet The Phoenix Foundation feature in the Guardian’s ‘New Music’ section this week, “return with a bittersweet first taster of their 80-minute long new album, Fandango.” “‘Damn the zeitgeist,…
