Up and coming fashion designers in New Zealand have the chance to boost their careers to the tune of NZ$10,000 in sponsorship prize money.

Italian brewer Peroni is giving away the cash to celebrate the launch of Peroni Leggera, a low carb, low alcohol version of the classic Italian beer.

The first annual Lighter Side of Italian Style Fashion Design competition is open to designers aged 20 or over. Entrants can be in their last year of tertiary fashion study or a graduate of up to five years.

The brief is to submit a sketch and working drawings of a unique design inspired by the Peroni Leggera colour palette and the concept of “Lighter Side of Italian Style.”

A panel of industry judges will commission five entrants to turn their sketch into real garments, and these finalists will be flown to Auckland and present their designs at an event in late August, where the winner will be announced.

Entries opened on July 1, so if you’re keen to submit a design, head here.

Breastmates Specialty Breastfeeding Store is New Zealand’s leading online maternity store, and their usual business involves sending out bras and breatfeeding supplies around the world. But over the last couple of weeks the bras have been coming to them, all part of a drive to support women in Zimbabwe.

It all started when the Breastmates team was approached by Hot Milk, the maternity lingerie brand they stock, with a plea to help school girls and women in Zimbabwe who often do not own any underwear.

Breastmates’ Frances McInnes was happy to help, and is asking women to donate any of their preloved bras which will be collected up and sent to those in need.

The collection is called “Knickers for Africa” but Frances clarifies that only secondhand bras are being collected from the public. “We are also sending our end-of line knickers that are brand new, not secondhand ones.”

Frances has already started taking collections, through pamphlet drops in her neighbourhood, local community groups, and promotions on her website.

“I’ve been quite bombarded with bras already” she says, “every day there are a few more in the mail box and my postie must wonder what is going on!”

The collection is being run from February to March, when the bras will be shipped to women living in villages in Zimbabwe.

For more information go to www.breastmates.co.nz or call 0508 BREAST if you would like to donate.

The NZ Art Guild raised over $20,000 for the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation of NZ (LBF) at Tuesday nights “Shave an Artist” Charity Art Auction and “Life” Exhibition.

This event saw 18 people walk away bald with top NZ artist Sofia Minson being first to shave her locks. Artists Jennifer Christiansen, Marimba Powley, Helen Sherrock, Sharlene Shcmidt, Juliet Cryns, Victoria Anderson closely followed along with friends and members of the public. Not only were fantastic artworks up for sale but so was the opportunity to shave MP Rodney Hide’s head. North Shore City Mayor Andrew Williams, who officially opened the event, won this opportunity with a bid of $200.

The concept behind this awareness campaign was sparked by Sofia Minson who was always impressed by LBF’s “Shave for a Cure” campaign. Sofia didn’t want to do this alone so approached the NZ Art Guild to see whether we could get a group of artists together to do it. From there the idea grew into an event which included 35 artists from all around NZ.

The money raised will help support the six New Zealand children and adults who are diagnosed with blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma every day. LBF receives no government funding yet provides essential support not only for those patients, but for their families - support that can last months, and even years.

The Exhibition is a celebration and appreciation of all facets of life. This theme was open to interpretation and some of the artworks are very personal as they have been inspired by artists own lives that have been touched in some way by Leukaemia or Blood disorders.

The exhibition runs until Friday 27th Feb at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Beach, Auckland. 100% of the auctioned artworks price and 20% of the sale price of the exhibition artworks goes to LBF.

Without their generous sponsors this fantastic fundraising event wouldn’t have been possible so a huge bog thank yous to – Creative Communities, Media 41, Tineswari Maruthamuthu, Barfoot and Thompson, Crosscut hair design, Lee and Antonela, Corey Blackburn, Artistry Chamber Ensemble and Lion Nathan.

Check out pics from the night here.

While the global economy stutters, the team at Huffer are making an effort at reviving retail therapy for the jaded US shopper by shaking up the West Coast of the USA; citizens take heart - Huffer has landed!

From humble beginnings in 1997, founders Steve Dunstan and Dan Buckley have been building up a global streetwear brand that reflects their art-inspired fashion sense. “We wanted to create a culture and a business that’s fun to be in, and we have, - we got this business that is super fun to be at – we crank work hard but its just so much fun – its not much like work at all” said Buckley. They’ve succeeded in creating an inspirational environment and a gang of people around the world who believe in Huffer and love the thought of going to work every day in the Huffer world.

Stores in Japan, and Australia already feature Huffer styles, but the guys knew cranking the lucrative US market would really make them a global force. So far it’s been a two-year process, with Dunstan basing himself in the US to sell in the range. “We’ve got a good gang in the US as well,” said Buckley. “They really believe in what we’re doing and have taken ownership of the brand – it’s not just ‘work’ for them either, our mate wiLL – he’s just a good guy, hes in L.A and its just a pleasure to work on projects with him.”

Teaming up with Willard Ford and his 722 Figueroa showroom has helped Huffer understand the vast US market, and how their unique design style can make an impact. “People who like fashion, and modern stylized brand-based thinking can be opinionated – they’ll either love Huffer or love something else ,” said Buckley. “hopefully we offer up some hot idea’s, identity and fresh products.”
Expanding into the US hasn’t been an easy road. “It’s a bit like surfing,” said Buckley, “you start off, have a few wobbles, fall off the board, find your feet and get the hang of it. right now we have caught a couple of waves, wiped out once or twice (luckily we are pretty good at holding our breath) and we are hoping to get straight up barrelled sometime soon, pop out, and then just smash the lip.” It’s not something that can be done from New Zealand, hence Dunstan’s drive for sales on the ground in the US. “You’ve got to have confidence and back yourself,” he said. “You can get in the door, so once you’re in, you need to show you can do it.” Selling in a little under USD$100,000 worth of Huffer isn’t bad for the first shipment, which is hitting US stores as you read this.

Huffer are also joining the e-commerce world, with the launch of the online Huffer store on the 14th of November. “It’s just like opening a new store,” said Buckley, who is in love with the internet. It’s not the first time they’ve dabbled online, but they’ve learned valuable lessons from previous attempts. “We’re growing the business and giving customers options,” said Buckley. “We’re also conscious about working with our retail partners to get the best outcome, we are very conscious of the fact that great business is a growing business, and not a changing one. we intend to have our web presence continue to be the compliment to our wholesale business that it always has been, we are working on all of our existing business partnerships, so as they grow and prosper.”

The team are already selling in their second range to US buyers and are confident their unique Huffer style will win the hearts of discerning shoppers. “Raw sophistication is a good explanation for what we do,” said Buckley.

Just what the world needs.

The Bro’s at Huffer have given us 10 Huffer T-shirts to give away. All you have to do to be in the draw to win one of these sweet tees is to give Huffer some love on their Made From New Zealand profile Winners will be announced next week.

In 2004, artist Rona Ngahuia Osborne, designer Dan Mace, and Lindsay Mace, business manager extraordinaire, joined forces and launched Native Agent’. Since then their business has grown steadily and has something of a cult following.

Native Agent’s flagship store is situated in the creative suburb of Kingsland.
Best known for their own brand of exquisitely crafted cushions, quilts and clothing, the store also showcases some of the best design, art, fashion, music and culture New Zealand has to offer.

Central to Native Agent’s aesthetic is the creative handiwork of designer and artist Rona Ngahuia Osborne. Inspired by the meeting of Maori and Pakeha cultures in New Zealand’s colonial past, she creates woollen blankets, cushions, linen and clothing that have won a place in many hearts, and homes.

In 19th century New Zealand, Native Agents were representatives of the crown. They were fluent in the Maori language and therefore able to advocate for and assist Maori with land transactions and other matters of law. Osborne’s partner Dan is a descendant of a Native Agent, and this title seemed an appropriate name for their new venture, an agency where the best ‘native’ New Zealand design could be showcased to the world.

Osborne’s work is rich in symbolism, weaving together stories that reflect her family’s history, stories of the blending of bloodlines and the coming together of many people.

Woollen blankets were common items of trade between European settlers and Maori, so it is fitting that they form the foundation for many of Osborne’s works. She adorns them with layers of shape, colour and iconography representative of New Zealand’s cultural history and symbols of the natural world.

Many of the defining themes in the work that Osborne creates as Native Agent make historical references to land struggles that led to conflict and war, the trading of muskets and blankets for land, and the extinction of native flora and fauna. These struggles are as relevant today as they were at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The work created as Native Agent has a profound resonance that speaks of Aotearoa’s combined histories, wild places and people. These stories add to our sense of identity and capture something of the unique place we call home.

LoanMeOrOwnMe is a unique business offering which is part of a growing trend in other countries known as ‘Fractional Ownership’. LoanMe or OwnMe has been developed as a model & brand to grow and expand it’s offerings in New Zealand and other markets, the fashion and leather category represent the largest product sector in the luxury goods market. Of the fashion industry, handbags represent $70 million per year in the U.S market alone and is the fastest growing product in the industry. The global concept of fractional ownership (leasing or renting luxury goods or services) is a growth market with an average of $22,000 USD spent by Gen. X & Baby Boom segments.

We source all of our stock outside NZ to ensure we offer unique, desirable products that are otherwise not available in NZ, our point of difference is that the bags are pretty much all for sale - so if someone falls in love with a bag and the price is acceptable they can buy it! And of course the sale values are market values and are automatically re-calculated every time a bag returns from Loan.