new zealand

Good enough to eat


Whittaker’s Passion for Chocolate

By J. H. Whittaker & Sons Ltd · Reviewed by Andy Heyward

The very instant I picked up this book I wanted to eat it. The book is so sumptuous looking I was tempted to lick the pages. The rich chocolatey brown and sepia tones, coupled with the golden inlay and type, made me feel like Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory carefully peeling back the cover to show a hint of gold below.

Home Sewn: a Kiwi design story


Home Sewn

By the New Zealand Fashion
Museum · Reviewed by Jo Drysdall

I still remember the thrill of being allowed to look through my mother’s wardrobe of home-sewn clothes when I was a little girl. As a fashionable young woman, my mother had sewn most of her own outfits: party frocks with fitted bodices and flared, flirty skirts, neat little shift dresses, and tailored, timeless Chanel-style suits. Home Sewn begins with a brief historical overview that places these homemade treasures in their Kiwi context…

Featured Seller: DUDO Design

DUDO Design is a collaboration between Duke and Don. The duo met whilst both were majoring in design at Elam School of Fine Arts and, two years after graduating, they founded their own art and design studio in Auckland. Their surroundings and shared interest in New Zealand culture are brightly reflected in their growing range of vibrant and often quirky designs.

Crafty Girls’ Road Trip

Crafty Girls’ Road Trip
By Ann Packer · Reviewed by Anne Mortimer

In 2004, my copy of Ann Packer’s Crafty Girls’ Road Trip was well thumbed and had its own permanent place on my dashboard as I travelled the length and breadth of the country. It encouraged many a small diversion and certainly helped me to spend my way around New Zealand, single handedly boosting the economy. The guide proved to be indispensable – wherever we went, the guide went too, as my craft oracle (or crutch).

The Kiwi Diary 2012

It’s back and it’s better than ever! The Kiwi Diary 2012 is a carefully curated window into Aotearoa’s cultural soul. Containing all the functional bits you need in a diary (like a year planner and address book) and spacious enough to write about each day, this 250 page, A5, spiral-bound treasure is full of your favourite features alongside brand spanking new talent. Every page journeys through the collective New Zealand mind: with every page adorned with art, stories, environmental tips, recipes, music, quotes, jokes and mindfood, the inspiration cycle keeps flowing! This is Kiwi culture by the road less travelled – it epitomises Aotearoa style, plugging you into inspiration, entertainment and info on the good things in life, along with plenty of space for you to diarise the awesomeness of 2012.