Vision West a Pioneering New Housing Project
Strachan Group Architects in Auckland is one of four innovative companies “from London to Tokyo” to feature in a Monocle special on social housing projects, with developments “showing how good design and…
Tag Archives: Auckland
Michelin-Star Restaurant Making It with Kickstarter
New Zealand chef Matt Lambert is earning plenty of buzz for his inventive cuisine at his New York restaurant The Musket Room, but the story of how it got started is equally…
Cooking up a Supervillain in TV Series Arrow
New Zealand-born actor Manu Bennett, 44, has become an overnight sensation starring as Slade Wilson – and his DC Comics’ alter ego Deathstroke – in recently renewed superhero series Arrow. Bennett, who played the Gallic…
Operatic Trio Performs Exclusively Live for the Telegraph
In an exclusive live session for Britain’s Telegraph, New Zealand operatic trio Sol3 Mio performed their hit Yellow Bird from their self-titled debut album. The song was recorded in London, and was the best-selling album…
Business Is Booming in Made-to-Measure
When Kate Middleton first started stepping out in New Zealander Emilia Wickstead’s ladylike pastel concoctions, it’s fair to say that most of the fashion world’s reaction was: “Emilia … who?” the National’s Libby Banks…
Dreamliner Flying in the Face of Convention
16 April 2014 – The newly painted, and “stunning”, black Air New Zealand 787-9 is literally flying in the face of convention, according to Los Angeles Times travel editor Catharine Hamm. “The Dreamliner,…
Innovative Auckland Food Businesses Meet the Criteria
Auckland’s Hip Group and Farro Fresh feature in Monocle’s first ever “Retail Survey – Top 25” with the former taking the No 11 spot as “Best local bistro chain” and Farro No 16, as…
Nirvana Collaboration Masterful Stroke of Musicianship
Lorde, who performed Nirvana’s All Apologies at the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, may not have seemed like an immediate choice for the evening, but then Ella Yelich-O’Connor is not your…
Darby’s Sexy Leg Confuses Variety
Rhys Darby’s new eight-episode mockumentary Short Poppies is being praised for its “whimsical and winsome” charms ahead of its debut on American screens on Netflix. The LA Times’ Robert Lloyd describes the series as…
New Zealand’s Meteorites a Worthy Subject
Fine art photographer Casey Moore travels the world documenting meteorites using his large-format Sinar camera, with much of his work centring around reconnecting with New Zealand, his country of origin. In the course of his…
Lamingtons Are Ours Beyond Doubt
Lamingtons are definitively of New Zealand origin, with an 1888 watercolour painting by New Zealand landscape artist JR Smythe showing that the coconut covered cake is not really Australian and only an imitation of…
Vibrancy of Kuala Lumpur Fascinates Former Aucklander
Managing director at Kuala Lumpur-based Orchan Consulting, Craig Selby, 40, is fascinated by the changes taking place in Malaysia since he moved there nine years ago. “The places near where I live have become a…
Peter Thiel Invests Big in POS Software Provider Vend
New Zealand point of sale, cloud-based software provider Vend has new investors – Peter Thiel, the PayPal cofounder and the first outside investor in Facebook, is among a group that has agreed…
Knittable Sensor Could Revolutionise Bandages
Simon McMaster, a New Zealand-born inventor and chemist, has developed a new knittable, wearable sensor, which could lead to the creation of bandages that measure their own tightness. The sensor will be demonstrated for…
What the Royals Are Taking in on Their NZ Tour
As Prince William, Kate Middleton – and Prince George – head to New Zealand on an official tour, the Telegraph looks at all the places they are visiting asking their own experts, as well…
Our Three Greatest Male Triathletes of All Time
A trio of New Zealanders are named in an elite “25 Greatest Male Triathletes of All Time” list, with Auckland-born Hamish Carter (pictured), 42, taking the No 10 spot on Triathlete Europe’s lineup which,…
Tinkerbell Now Brain-Eating Med Student in Zombie Series
24 March 2014 – Star of American series Once Upon A Time New Zealander Rose McIver, who played Tinkerbell in the show, has been cast in the lead role of medical student Liv in…
Kiwi Royalty Thrills Chicago
21 March 2014 – The long and the short of it is if you’re a Kiwi in America you support one another. New Zealand’s two most famous US exports – basketball prodigy Steven Adams…
Fusion Finds at Bobby Chinn in Hanoi
Famed Hanoi chef Bobby Chinn, who was born in Auckland, serves a fusion of his influences – French, Californian, Middle Eastern – with Vietnamese dishes. Restaurant Bobby Chinn is recommended in a Forbes feature…
MAC Makeup Range in Lorde’s Name
Lorde’s signature dark purple lipstick and sweeping eyeliner has landed the Grammy award-winning singer, 17, her own MAC range, following in the footsteps of Rihanna, Ru Paul and Lil’ Kim. Lorde said: “I have loved…
Surprise Advance and BBC Film Deal for NZ Author
Author Deborah McKinlay, formerly of Auckland, has received a seven-figure advance and a lucrative film deal for her new book, That Part Was True. McKinlay, who had been making a living as a jobbing non-fiction…
McGeechan picks England to beat All Blacks
If it was anyone else saying it – a froth-filled Stephen Jones broadside, perhaps – Kiwis would ignore it. But Sir Ian McGeechan, the decorated Scotsman, respected Lions player and venerated coach, is a…
Crane Brothers One of Australia’s Top Suiters
Sydney clothing store, the New Zealand-owned Crane Brothers, founded by former Zambesi menswear designer Murray Crane, is included in a Sydney Morning Herald feature on the best places in Australia to buy a suit. “No…
Australian Rules Convert like a Duck to Water
Auckland-born Falcons West Perth recruit Tamati Young, 22, had never picked up an Australian Rules (AFL) football until seven years ago. Young’s Maori heritage also meant when he finally had a crack at Australia’s indigenous…
Twilight Star Dons Dul’s Eco-Tux for Oscars
New Zealand was once again represented on the red carpet at the Oscars with Twilight star Kellan Lutz wearing the Academy Awards first sustainable tuxedo created by Jomnarn Dul, 23, lead designer at iconic…
There’s a New Sheriff in Town
New Zealand actor Martin Henderson, 39, stars as sheriff Harold Jensen in Sundance Channel’s new thriller The Red Road. Dark and dramatic, The Red Road is set in in the fictional town of Walpole, New…
Prince George’s First Royal Trip to Be New Zealand
Prince George will take part in his debut public engagement next month when he accompanies the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to New Zealand, Kensington Palace has announced. The Prince, who will be…
Warriors Season Full of Hope. Again
Every year it’s the same: this time could be the season when the New Zealand Warriors finally deliver on all their promise. The world’s toughest league competition, the NRL, kicks off on Thursday, with…
Springsteen Covers Royals at Mt Smart Stadium
According to Rolling Stone, Bruce Springsteen made the most surprising cover choice of his career when he played an acoustic rendition of teenage Grammy award-winner Lorde’s song Royals during his Auckland show at Mt…
Lorde & the Perfectly Formed Sentence
Ella Yellich-O’Connor stares at the reader from the pages of Vogue magazine looking wraithlike, almost like another famous alien fallen to earth. This Lorde looks quite unlike the girl from Devonport who improbably conquered…
Rose McIver Stars in Flowers in the Attic TV Sequel
Twenty-six-year-old Rose McIver has been confirmed to play the role of Cathy Dollanganger in Petals on the Wind, American cable network Lifetime’s upcoming sequel to its hit adaptation of Virginia Andrews’s Flowers in the…
Auckland Illustrator Lands Space on the Wall next to Banksy
25 February 2014 – Auckland-based illustrator Henrietta Harris will exhibit alongside the world’s most famous street artist at the Robert Fontaine Gallery in Miami from 8 March. The exhibition, called Insiders:…
Friends Bid Farewell to an “Outstanding Human Being”
Auckland-born television personality and former model Charlotte Dawson who has died in Sydney, aged 47, was “outrageous, outgoing and outspoken”, said sports presenter Ben Fordham, who worked with Dawson at Channel Nine. “More than anything…
Lorde Scoops Best International Female Solo Artist at The Brit Awards 2014
Lorde has overcome the odds and won the best International Female Solo Artist prize at the Brit Awards 2014. Despite going into the show as a huge underdog, the 17 year old newcomer took the…
Cover Duties for Our Own Alternative Pop Voice
Lorde takes one of four covers for fashion magazine V’s music special as part of a feature on the “next wave of alternative pop voices,” starring alongside HAIM, Say Lou Lou, and BANKS. The 17-year-old…
Women in Walker Strut Faster Better and Stronger
Karen Walker’s suffragette-inspired fall 2014 collection was shown at New York Fashion Week; “a modern and tongue ‘n cheek nod to women on the march”, the Daily Mail reported from the catwalk. “Our collections are…
Boy from Russell Turn Couture Designer for the Stars Returns
After leaving New Zealand 23 years ago for the lights of London, can-do eccentric artist Lyall Hakaraia is back this month for Auckland’s Pride festival. The nightclub owner, event director, fashion designer, DJ and…
Eric Tracey UK New Zealander of the Year 2014
Eric Tracey has been named the UK New Zealander of the Year 2014 at the New Zealand Society’s Waitangi Day Charity Ball held in London. Announced by the High Commissioner for New Zealand the Rt…
Other Pop Riches Doing Us Proud in the US
While Lorde is New Zealand’s biggest success story at the moment, she’s far from all we have to offer in terms of pop riches. Billboard’s Andrew Unterberger looks at New Zealanders impressing stateside in…
One Summer This Fearless Man Drove off the Luftwaffe
Keith Park was one of the great heroes of World War II, yet years later, when Peter Robb came across the laconic New Zealander, his contributions had still to be truly recognised. Robb recalls…
Kenyan Artisans Team Up with Walker for Visible Campaign
Designer Karen Walker has taken her sunglasses to Kenya shooting her latest campaign in association with the United Nations’ International Trade Centre Ethical Fashion Initiative, which works with artisans in “urban slums and…
Hang Wire a Love Letter to Weird America
Auckland-born author Adam Christopher, 36, has “built a name for himself over the past couple years spinning fanciful yarns full of superheroes, shifts in time, and a refined pulp pop, starting with his New…
World’s First Flower Vending Machine Opens in London Tube Station
New Zealand-born film production designer Andrew McAlpine has launched Rockflower, the world’s first flower retail and vending kiosk on the forecourt of London’s Blackfriars Underground station. Trading has been going very well so far, says Rockflower founder and…
Rare Red Panda Cubs Open Their Eyes to the World
Rare red pandas, one of Asia’s most threatened species, have been born at Auckland Zoo as part of a global management plan. The two cubs, born on 3 January, each weighing about 100 grams, were…
TV Actor Antony Starr Proving a Fighting Force in Banshee’s Second Season
New Zealand actor Antony Starr is carving a name for himself in the American TV industry, with the second season of his show ‘Banshee’ premiering this month. In an interview with The Star Online, Starr,…
Much Good to Be Had from a Gift like Lydia’s
As Lydia Ko, 16, began her rookie year playing as a professional in the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic last week, ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel profiled the world’s No 4-ranked player. Winner of two…
Top Innovation Prize Goes to Kiwi
Auckland-based designer Nelson Rayner has won an international prize for innovation run by Google and the Advertising Club of New York. Rayner, Australian-born but raised in New Zealand, won the Young Innovators Award for…
Lorde Wins Two Grammys
Lorde looked stunned upon hearing her name being called as she won her first Grammy of the night for Best Pop Solo Performance at last night’s Grammy Awards, the first of two awards for…
Keep an Eye on Catwalk Star Holly Rose Emery
Aucklander Holly Rose Emery, 17, is one of “Three Models to Keep An Eye On” this year, according to New York’s Metro US newspaper. “For spring/summer 2014, Emery took on almost 30 shows, pretty good…
Dotcom Has His Own Party, and Dance Moves
New Zealand-based Megaupload.com entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, 40, is launching two ventures this month: a new political party to contest in the country’s next general election and a debut dance album, Good Times, to be…
Cult One-Squid Comedy Show Goes to Perth
New Zealand-born clown Trygve Wakenshaw, who trained at prestigious French clown school École Philippe Gaulier, is performing his one-man show Squidboy at Perth’s Fringe World festival’s Summer Nights season from 10 through 22…
Auckland Zoo Achieves Circle of Life with Flamingo Chicks
Auckland Zoo is claiming a world first after the hatching of two flamingo chicks, the first flamingos ever bred in Australasia and the first successfully bred from an entirely hand-reared flock anywhere in the…
Lorde Makes the Cover of Rolling Stone
“The thrill that’ll getcha when you get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone,” sang Dr Hook in 1972, a blatant but ultimately successful act of musical sycophancy that earned the band…
Leaving on Length Critical for India’s NZ tour
Indian cricket sides have historically struggled on tours to New Zealand and one of the reasons is to do with the bounce of the ball and movement off the wicket. In India, where the…
New Zealand’s Warm Weather Patterns to Continue
The year 2013 was New Zealand’s second hottest year on record according to Auckland University climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger, with the winter season found to be the warmest and temperatures hitting 1.3 degrees…
Auckland Amped with New Trains
Monocle radars Auckland as a “City to Watch” on the international stage in 2014, primarily stimulated by the forthcoming launch of a fleet of 57 electric trains as part of a billion dollar rail…
