Things I’m Loving: Feb/Mar 2024
At the opening night of Harbourside Auckland new Sake Bar ?? A fabulous night featuring DJ Peter Urlich, sake cocktails, and sushi, with a stunning harbour view ?? G.H.Mumm and Champagne Ambassador Emeline Troger, sake ambassador Masa Takahashi, and the Japanese Consulate spoke.
Drinks in the garden bar aka front deck trying Barkers of Geraldine Elderflower and Yuzu Tonics ??? They were so yum; not too sweet, and you can have them with or without alcohol- I had mine as a non-alcoholic drink over ice. @barkersofgeraldine at supermarkets now.
What’s in and out according to Gen Z? I attended the trends seminar following social media and sociocultural trends from Live Nation Aotearoa @livenationaotearoa
● Niche is the new norm. 82% claim that “being weird” is in, and 58% say the more absurd something is, the cooler it becomes.
● “Rizz” – Oxford’s word of 2023 short for charisma – represents Gen Z’s desire for individual expression, with 87% of Gen Z preferring to be seen as “authentic” rather than “cool.” 70% say that becoming ‘cool’ happens when you give up caring what others think.
● 62% want to stand out rather than blend in, with 95% saying dopamine dressing is IN for 2024, along with country music – over a quarter of Gen Z listen to the genre on a regular basis.
● As social media platforms have moved further towards entertainment and commerce, 78% said they prefer to share life updates in private chats over public posts.
● Tik Tok creators are looked upon more favourably than Instagram influencers with trust levels at 36% vs. 26%. The majority of Gen Z prefer raw, imperfect content over a polished lifestyle.
TISSOT’s new season collection preview at Skycity Grand, with the TISSOT team to explore the details of their 2024 new launches and latest collections. Such beautiful, classic watches – it’s hard to pick a favourite.
Secondhand Spin is a free to the public popup shop at 224 Broadway Newmarket 2-3rd March 2024 where you can prepare and photograph your secondhand clothes to sell, thanks to trademe, who say buyers are far more likely to purchase things that are presented well with good clear photos. You can iron, steam, fragrance, lint roll and use their photo studio. I popped along to the media opening and heard iconic New Zealand fashion designer Juliette Hogan speak about sustainable fashion and reselling your clothes. Juliette says we wear things 7 times on average, but we should ideally aim for 30 wears for a garment so if you’ve finished with it, keep it out of landfill, and resell! Thanks to @trademe_nz @_specialpr @juliettehogan and @thesupremegroupnz for an awesome opening event.
With a fabulous 2024 festival theme of FEASTY, we literally and metaphorically feasted upon festival fashion, music, sculpture, food, fun and festivities galore, at Splore Festival!
It’s not every beauty brand that can boast they are 100% vegan certified, but The Body Shop has proudly achieved this milestone. They are the first global beauty brand to achieve 100% vegan product formulation certification from The Vegan Society. Now everyone can enjoy their best-loved products with assurance they are 100% vegan. Great job!
Palestinian born @gusstopkitchen has released the iconic Middle Eastern dish shakshuka in a jar available at supermarkets and I made it for dinner tonight. The whole family loved it! It honestly took only a few minutes; you heat the jar in a pan, drop raw eggs into it – which quickly cook with a lid on – and then serve with bread, coriander, or feta. This one had two spicy chili rating and I needed to add yoghurt to mine but the kids were fine with it straight!
I remember the original Ghostbusters in 1984 and now Frozen Empire, a sequel to Afterlife which introduced the Spengler family grandchildren alongside Paul Rudd, is out forty years later. The original cast of Ackroyd, Murray and Hudson are back and Annie Potts looking amazing and I couldn’t believe Ernie Hudson is 78?! Would’ve loved Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver to have also appeared. McKenna Grace who was so wonderful in Afterlife again takes a lead role with a ghost crush and I think despite a few dark moments it’s ideal for ages 12+ with some nostalgia and humour in there for the parents. Out in cinemas today. #ghostbustersfrozenempire
Fans of the MonsterVerse get ready for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and again directed by Adam Wingard. It’s actually the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and the 13th film in the King Kong franchise, but still manages to pull some surprises with titans including my favourite monster. I liked the titan-fightin’ scenes of course, amid some world monuments, and the film’s themes of community and belonging. It was definitely stronger than the 2021 film and the human storyline has improved, as well as the incredible CGI and cinematography you’d expect from Legendary Pictures and Toho. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. In the film, Kong must unite with Godzilla to fight a tyrannical leader from Hollow Earth. I think it’s best for kids 12 and up. GxK The New Empire is in cinemas now.
Not a paid post. Products may be provided for review purposes.
Photos Megan Robinson
20 March 2024