Mum lands in Heathrow a few minutes before I do in Auckland. Planes in the night, but she has left me a suitcase of warmer layers for New York’s inevitable winter in a storage locker at the domestic terminal. I roll down my socks and walk there; it’s good to move my legs.

I am dropped into the city before it wakes, and I find the people who call bus stops and alcoves home even more significant because there are fewer of them, as if that’s a fair assessment.

Has the city always been this quiet in the mornings? Probably.

I like the cold here. It’s a South Island kind of cold, cup of water at 2 am kind of cold, I’m glad I brought my gloves.

I take my old Richmond Road bus to the office, and there’s an obvious kind of cuteness to that.

I think I want to call this feeling heartsick because it’s kind of like homesick but it’s never for one place or one way of being and forgive me for being morbid but sometimes I think the best solution might be to blow my brains out instead.

I am getting off my bus, and I am walking past Williamson Ave, and I am suddenly so aware that I don’t live here anymore.

It’s not to sound conceited: I know it has only been two months, nine weeks. That’s kind of the point. Two months ago if I walked out of the office and down that road (which I never did, I drove back then and most days I still miss the commute), I would find my house, filled with my things, my boyfriend’s truck parked outside and him, likely in the kitchen, putting together the last bits of dinner.

It’s whiplash because two months ago my whole life was here and now there’s only fragments.

And I don’t have much more to say on it other than that.

Subscribe now

It is, of course, the same sun that my mum has watched set some 17 hours earlier from our kitchen window looking across the Tasman Bay, perhaps, and my brother just out of London a few hours before I have and that is the part that has always made me feel like I belong to something.

I want to write these words on the weekend so it doesn’t feel like something I have to do come Monday morning, and I never want these to feel like something I have to do. I want it to feel like silk spooling from a worm, and I don’t ever want it to have to mean more than the words on the page.

And even then I worry: I’m afraid that I have made a commitment to this practice of writing and one week I will arrive on the page with nothing to say. So much has happened this week—more than any other of late—and I know that the life I am making here will be divine. I have friends who take me to the Yankees game and we scream at the players to run like we’ve watched this game before. I have new friends that I celebrate their first year of singledom with, a quartet of us over cocktails all with only one person in common but promises of writing circles and yoga classes come the end of the night. I have very old friends—ones that I lived with for a month in Bali nine years ago—where the sunsets, I forgot to mention, were absorbed but marred by attention placed instead on skate bowls in rice paddies and fainting at tattoo parlours. And my friend from Bali who I met nine years ago and haven’t seen since has lived in the city for eight of those nine years, and she shows me my new neighbourhood—because East Williamsburg was only ever meant to be temporary—and I fall in love with it in the same way I did Jackson Street. We visit happy hours and our conversations are suffocated by Puerto Rican music from car speakers and it is only when the car battery dies or the driver gets a text that we realise how silent it is without it.

I have fallen in love but I don’t feel at home in the city yet. I think that comes with routine and ritual: a need to get out of bed in the mornings beyond self-preservation, a 9-5 to keep me rhythmic, a farmers market to scour every week, a plan come Monday.

But I don’t have that yet and I feel like I am in limbo and I know that I should enjoy this space in between and maybe I would if I had any idea when it might end but I am so damn eager to begin the part that comes next: the part where I go to sleep in a room where the walls are covered in photos of my friends, not a strangers’, although I’ve never really been a photos on the wall kind of girl, and the days when I go to sleep on Sundays and wake up on Mondays a little anxious, and wish for the reprieve that I have now.

And I’m cross at myself for putting so much pressure on myself to feel settled.

Because I love the last touches of sun on the buildings that lean just right. When everything else on the Manhattan skyline is muted and salty like I imagine the East River would be, and there are just a few small buildings—maybe made that way on purpose, if any architects reading this know—who bounce the otherwise porous sunbeams back into the almost night sky.

Subscribe now

And I was telling a friend in a coffee shop last week how I needed to find a new place soon and that I had been looking and that it all felt a bit too much and while I was telling him this and he was paying for our coffees, a girl came up to me and said that she hoped I didn’t mind but she was listening to me talking and that she lived just around the corner and that she had a room to sublease—a room on the same street I had just walked down and thought how nice it might be to live there someday—and she told me she would be home all day. And so I went and I saw the apartment and we couldn’t stop laughing and we called it serendipitous.

I think I thought in that moment the universe was trying to tell me something and maybe the same universe was trying to talk to her too, and so I told this to friends around the world and they all agreed in the serendipity of it all and then I explained it to some friends here and they all said serendipity it may be, it is also just New York. It happens all the time here. And so now I think the encounter might have been serendipitous but it was also just so easy, and in a city where everything so far has just felt so much harder, like running on sandy beaches instead of a nice boardwalk, sometimes it is serendipitous to find something that is just easy.

I can believe in the powers of the universe and the stars far away and the alignment of planets and energies and what the witches that I paid five pound (because apparently the local ones came not as recommended) to cast a spell are telling me and I can call it serendipity if that is what it feels like, but on some days I might call it other things, too: ease, effort, friendship, community.

When you start to see my kind of serendipity once you will believe you can see it anywhere. To me, serendipity is the L train you run onto just before the doors close and serendipity is running into your friend on N 7th and making plans for the night after and serendipity is meeting a girl at a coffee shop with a room to let and serendipity is going to a party and realising when you get home that one of your favourite artists was there too and it’s actually serendipitous because you’d had too many dirty martinis at the Hotel Chelsea and if you’d realised in the moment you definitely would have said something daft and I guess what I mean is that serendipity can be anything you want, joyous or not, because you’ll be craving a cold drink and you’ll walk past a horchata stand a few steps after and so you’ll call your mum and you’ll tell her that you made your own reality, or your bus will pull in as you cross the road and you’ll run to it with an old friend who is also going in the same direction, and so I think that both good things and bad things are serendipitous and you can be happy, mad, elated. But it’s nice to think that the universe is working in your favor even just for a moment: I promise it feels so tingly and good when you do.

Subscribe now

Men will hit on you when you’re minding your business, too. When you’re sitting in any shade left free in Domino Park, while you’re trying to find the inspiration, the pull, for mid-year journalling and the reset you think you crave. They’ll offer to buy you ice cream and you love ice cream but you miss him most of all.

They’ll hit on you at the Graham Ave taco truck after you’ve been dancing outside the bodega, a different bodega, sharing AirPods with a new friend who shares your name and your points of cultural reference from a life you both used to know. But she clearly has more stamina than you because she’s able to wake up and go for a run the next day because she’s training for the New York Marathon and you’ve always thought you’d like to run a marathon one day but you actually really just hate running. And while she’s running you’re still bedbound watching Gilmore Girls on the projector even though the daylight is bleeding in and you’re flailing about under a broken aircon—cue the bodega trip for an egg and cheese in your far-away boyfriend’s smelly shirt, and the cycle repeats itself again.

I so loved my independence in a different life. I was proud of it, because I’d spent so long wanting what the other girls had and I didn’t know how to find it so I would go and buy myself a coffee and learn how to do it on my own. It was never scary or strange, and it never felt harder than it needed to. But now it does. If I’ve run out of panadol or if I need some cough medicine, that’s a walk to get it myself. I lug my own groceries—a gallon of almond milk mind you—back from Trader Joes. I have to check the weather app myself. I have a washer-dryer in unit which sounds like everyday life but in New York it is a luxury I am told. And so I can wash my sheets and my towels all on my own too. And you would think I like it that way because it means I don’t need to repeat myself of what needs a hot wash and what needs cold, or how exactly I like my washing hung, or reshaking all of the stiff cottons after they have already been hung fine but not quite right. I don’t have to do that because he doesn’t live at the same house as me anymore and I miss him I miss him I miss him.

We still have a shared shopping list in our notes app, but now it’s two lists for two different addresses with a line break in between. Food for two weeks walking through Wales and salt and pepper for my kitchen in East Williamsburg.

I have to make my own cups of tea before bed and so I haven’t been—until last night. I don’t know if it was the tea that relaxed me back home or if it was because it was you making it, and I know that it’s too hot for tea here and I was awake for hours, but letting it go cold on the desk/nightstand helps me feel closer to the life that we had.

You bought flowers for my birthday two weeks ago now and they’re dead in this New York heat between the humidity and the aircon and they smell just like they used to at home but I can’t throw them out even less than I could there because you love me and you buy me flowers and I love being here and I’m not moping but I’ve been hungover and these are the little things that make me miss you.

Subscribe now

He sent me a poem on Instagram and I know he hates poetry. Repeated the line ‘you have made a home in me’ and called it perfect and I have never in my life been so far away from him and I have never in my life felt so in love with him.

I wait for the day that I get on the wrong train for the first time, but it hasn’t come yet. Check Google Maps and check yet again. I am late to where I mean to be, which I never like to be, but that isn’t a new thing. I am always late and I always mean to be on time.

There are only a few pairs of shoes I can find that are in this stubborn summer heat. I haven’t known a sweat like it. My stride is sturdy and stable but here I am trying to keep my feet in the soles of my shoes. Some shoes I’ll retire until winter. Others I can’t imagine parting with.

I wonder if everyone falls in love with the first neighbourhood they live in the same way that I have. I hated Jackson Street last week. There were no brownstones nor fire escapes. But I found somewhere I didn’t mind paying $8.63 for a soy iced latte because the people making it seemed nice. I walked down Graham Street instead of Bushwick Ave and realised that I could, maybe, have a life here if I wanted it.

Pedestrian crossings here work in a way that’s different to home and normally I get it but tonight I was distracted, writing this on my phone, and fell all out of rhythm again.

The trash is out tonight. It came on Tuesdays at home too.

I’m convinced that Google’s temperature conversions are wrong, because 97 is supposedly 36 but this feels like 42 and it is hotter than any 36 than I have ever known.

There’s a web under the city that I can’t fully imagine but I know that its dark and pungent in this heat and I’m lying on my yoga mat and I’m meant to be in savasana and I’m wondering why the ground doesn’t ever just cave in.

Subscribe now

Three suitcases each weighing 32kg. Hand luggage at 14kg a piece. It was hot, I was sweating. My running shoes and bag of tanning oil ended up in the bin. A lady behind the counter asked if I wanted to put them in a storage locker for someone to collect, two half-used and sandy bottles of Reef tanning oil. I started crying then. I was the last one on my way.

Border security pulled me aside at JFK and no one told me what was going on. I left all of my underwear for Europe in New York. We got on the wrong tram out of Florence. I’ve always said I was unflappable but this month I was indeed flapped.

I think that part of my wish in leaving was for the thread to unravel somewhat. House, partner, job—it all felt a little too permanent. And I still feel too young (on the eve of 31) for that kind of stability.

It’s funny, then I guess. Stability was always suggested as a solution to my insecurities; as though thrusting my being—one that only ever knew change and movement—into some kind of frozen state would subdue a daydreamer.

Lately, I have been learning to let go of that belief for myself. I don’t know if it made me better or worse. I had an immovable morning routine. I meal prepped on Sundays. I only ever flew with Air New Zealand. That kind of life isn’t possible anymore; not while I pay $1900USD each month to sleep in a stranger’s bed, and spend another day coming up with reasons why I suck at writing cover letters.

The skyline looks beautiful from Williamsburg. Hazy in the sun, and I can never capture it on my phone. But I find myself walking around my new city, and I do wonder when all of this starts to feel normal, to be so everyday, how am I meant to be excited by anything ever again?

I need a haircut. They say that hair holds memories (who even is they), but most of my split ends are home to memories that I hope to keep, and I wouldn’t know how to find the ones that I don’t. But my hair right now is long and straggly and I can’t stand the feeling of the ends on my face so I tuck them behind my ears even though it makes my face look rounder and the rest of it falls like winter cloak down my back and so I sit on the Subway and I sweat.

It is too hot in the city for any of that. In Tuscany and Ischia and Mallorca I could drown it in the water and twist it up on top of my head with the seahorse pin (I think it’s actually a coffee stirrer) that I bought in Taiwan. I meant to write about Taiwan, here, but I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t write anything at all. My April goals on Notion are still incomplete.

People here give cigarettes to women begging outside the bodega, but others tell me not to look them in the eye. I only have a handful of Marlboro Golds left from duty-free in Italy, and I hate how inhuman it feels to ignore someone. That’s not how we do things back home, but maybe the landscape of home right now and what’s happening with businesses on Queen Street doesn’t really reflect that.

I’m trying to keep a bit of that part of me. I told the woman in Taste of Heaven that I just moved in a few doors down as though there might be a kind of world where I’m eating macaroni cheese and candied yams and cornbread and JD ribs with a plastic fork to pick off the meat because the bone freaks me out as some kind of regularity. The servers were lovely but the food was too sweet.

Life here still feels exciting: I don’t care if the line for Trader Joe’s is wrapping around the aisles and that people say you shouldn’t wear jandals in the city because it’s dirty. I’ve got all the time in the world. I’ll wash my feet in the river when they need it.

Subscribe now

I won’t exhaust you with too much of an intro or any virtuous waffling. Instead, a dispatch of the latest news and happenings that have prompted at the very least a vague kind of curiosity in me.

Tess x

Subscribe now

Fuchsia Shaw promises a restock of Arden

I think I was served an IG ad of this very good coat earlier this year, with a mention that a restock would be coming soon. The brand is the brainchild of British content creator Amy Fuchsia, who, again, was new to me, but creates some very beautiful garments. I’ve also been desperately waiting on a restock of the Midnight Bloom Sabine set for an Italian wedding in June.

Armani Beauty reintroduces Luminous Silk (my favourite foundation ever)

Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke, yada yada—this is the antithesis of that. Armani Beauty has relaunched its most beloved Luminous Silk foundation, and as a loyalist for the traditional formula, I’ve actually been quite chuffed at how this skincare-infused iteration wears on the skin.

Auckland Writers Festival line-up has been released

And if you’re not up to speed on modern reading, I’ve created this cheat sheet of all the events that sound very good to me. Roddy Doyle, in conversation with David Szalay, will be especially bookish and good.

I finally found a natural deodorant that actually worked

Apparently tested on actors and dancers on London’s West End, the wee deodorants from AKT smell delightful, and actually work—from planes to gyms and everything in between. No icky purging stench and no baking soda-induced white marks. They come with an applicator, which is kind of like a gua sha and helps with lymphatic drainage and those kinds of things. I like Halcyon Summers as a neutral, sexy kind of scent.

I only recently discovered Hara (good underwear) does clothes, and I’m after this two-piece set

There’s not much more to say, but I think this slinky little number seems like a great addition to any wardrobe. It’s made of a very soft bamboo lyocell blend and will make a place in my Euro summer carry-on.

Speaking of good underwear—

My darling Maxine from Underlena introduced a sexy new colourway in her very good underwear. I’ve been a big fan of the original black cuts since she launched them last year, and this red just adds a little bit of fun that only you'll know about. I also made the big girl decision to upgrade from the French brief to the t-string, and if it’s not too much information, I’d say these are now officially the best pair of underwear I own.

While we’re on the topic of comfort—

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve been sworn onto Pinky & Kamal for all kinds of movement-wear. Specifically, their organic yoga range, and most specifically, the full length yin pant. I wear them for strength sessions, long flights, yoga classes, walks, and they’ve become the first thing I pull on when I get home from work. Slowly collecting the entire range (including the fold over mini short, the ruched leotard and the capri legging just this week)—will report back on my other favourite pieces.

I’ve found my new favourite facial for an immediate glow

I’ve tried a handful of iS Clinical products by now, which—by the way—my friend who has a very educated and unbiased dermal therapist promises is one of the very best brands for skin, and I recently got treated to their signature Fire and Ice Facial, which is kind of like contrast therapy for the skin: rigorous (and spicy) exfoliation followed by a calming, cooling protocol. I’ll be adding it to my regular roster of rituals. And while I have you, their Daily Dynamic Hydrator is one of the best moisturisers I’ve tried in the last 12 months, and whenever I use the Extra Strength Active Peel Brightening Peel Pads (my favourite Sunday ritual), my skin literally beams in the days that follow.

Commonplace Essentials keeps making very good clothes

Especially the Claro Heel and the Jean Wedge. What fun and freaky shoes for any time of year. It’s giving Jil Sander (who, if you don’t know, I’m obsessed). Rumour also has it that there are some more sexy shapes on the way.

My bag of the moment has been restocked

I saw a post on Instagram earlier this week that Tanchen Studio’s 8/8 Chocolate Black bag has been restocked online. If I had to describe my style, it would be black and minimalist with a touch of boho whimsy, and I think this colourway captures it most perfectly. I have the brand’s wine carrier, but given how infrequently I drink, it doesn’t get much use. Order one, but not before I do.

Ruby Tuesday Matthews has designed some very good pants

Sure, they’re the exact same style of pants that I used to beg mum not to wear around my friends, and as she is my most loyal reader (and most smug spell-checker), she will probably be laughing reading this. Firstly, at the swings and roundabouts of the trend cycle, and secondly, at the price of these compared to what she likely paid for hers in Golden Bay many moons ago. But that being said, I think the undoneness of these pants is what makes them most cool, and the perfect kind of Sunday trousers (or one could dress them up during the week with a slutty wee heel). If you’re curious, I’m after the black pair with an open hem, which just so happen to be left over in my size.

This Jessica McCormack brooch has earned a place on my forever Wishlist—

There’s not much more to say other than it is very much out of my budget and very unlikely it will ever end up in my jewellery box, but this is really just to say a girl can dream and that you should too.

Subscribe now

Good food to eat:

Balthazar
A Keith McNally restaurant was a non-negotiable on my itinerary—food is my kind of travel. After dining here, I now fully understand why some restaurants are called institutions. Go for the classics: French onion soup, (petite) steak frites, chocolate mousse for dessert. Don’t forget to tip your bathroom attendant, and DM Mr McNally himself afterwards.

Waverly Inn
Somewhat more discreet, a reservation at Graydon Carter’s Waverly Inn made its way onto our list, too. Here, it is very cosy—the wallpapers are divine artworks, and the chicken pot pie was a perfect warmer on an almost-winter night. Some hustle and bustle among servers about a VIP booking for later: apparently, this happens often. My first time trying American biscuits too—they were complementary and lovely to eat.

Gray’s Papaya
An apparent Anthony Bourdain favourite, this spot does near-perfect hot dogs with your preference of mocktails/smoothies/juices/I’m not quite sure what to call the beverage. I chose the pina colada, and I’d recommend getting all toppings on your dog, bar the cheese—I can’t get past the saucy American stuff.

Katz’s Delicatessen
I’m sure there are others out there that come without the hefty lines and tourist tax, but it was part of the larger adventure that is Manhattan. Nothing here makes sense; not the lines, not the counters, not anything that can be easily explained, and so I’d suggest you lean into the flow of it. If you’re in the wrong place, they’ll let you know. Unless you’re starving, sandwiches are made for sharing. Opt for the half-size pastrami on rye, with a serving of soup. Even if you think you do, you won’t need to order any sides.

Schmuck
New York’s whole shtick is that there’s a new hotspot every day, so by the time of writing, Schmuck’s star has probably already somewhat dulled, but I thought it worthy of a visit any time of year. Great music with a nice sit down vibes, because we’re all getting older now. Their signature dirty martini was a hit with me, and props for the chic USM Haller fitout.

Coffee & Grill on 57 and Broadway
This was a niche little spot and therefore, a very random recommendation—there are countless food carts all selling variations of bagels and corn dogs (yum) and pretzels (most are dry and burnt, don’t waste your time), and any of them could be infinitely better than this spot. But this was where I had my first bagel in New York, and as such, is deserving of a mention. I felt like a real city slicker, ordering my Everything Bagel with a shmear. I probably wouldn’t venture out of my way to go here, but if you’re in the neighbourhood, pay them a visit and let them know I miss them.

Shops I would visit again and again:

Tumbao
This is the kind of destination I want every shop to be—one that surprises me with new designers I’ve literally never heard of but instantly adore. Special mention for being a haven for Latin American designers—how special and vital right now. I purchased my favourite piece from here, a precious ring from Odissea.

No Standing NYC
While maps might point you to The RealReal—each location deserving of a visit in its own right—head there for the best collection of vintage designer bags that I found in the city. (We saw at least 20 Fendi baguettes.) The clothes were cute too, but the accessories were the highlight here.

Westerlind
I’m somewhat cheating here because I actually visited the brand’s Hudson flagship, and I know that their Soho store is much smaller and therefore likely carries less stuff, but this is a great place for all the gorpcore girlies as much as it is designed for someone looking for good clothes to brave the elements. They stock brands we know and adore like Barbour, Gramicci, and We Norwegians, but their buyers gave me a few more labels to love—Devold, Jan Machenhauer, Kinraden.

Coming Soon
While much of this store was vibrant and funky—cool, but not quite my taste—there were some really beautiful organic forms and accoutrements for the home. You would find some beautiful gifts for friends here, too.

MoMA Design Store
There’s a very busy Soho outpost of this beloved museum’s gift shop, which makes it much easier to get to than schlepping uptown. Here, you’ll find cute New York souvenirs that still feel like fun objects to have in the home.

Yan’s Antique Jewellery Inc.
I came here looking for a very particular watch, and while I didn’t walk away with one, there were quite literally thousands to choose from. I’m not kidding when I say cabinets overflowing with Cartier; it’s like El Dorado in here. Visit early, and ideally with a specific request in mind. This isn’t the spot for ‘just browsing’.

The Vintage Twin
Look, vintage stores are abundant in the city. This one has some good things—jeans and leather jackets, namely. But my main reason for putting this store in (and the Soho destination, markedly) is that there’s a vintage photobooth in here with zero lines, a whole dollar cheaper than the Old Friend Photobooth.

Desert Vintage
Somewhat of an antithesis to stores like the one mentioned above, Desert Vintage actually feels curated, thoughtful, and what you’d want to see in a vintage store. It is thoughtful and feels like a good glimpse back at the fashion lexicon. Garments here don’t come cheap, but they will be treasured for a lifetime.

Sights you really should see:

Summit One Vanderbilt Observatory
While you’ll arguably get some of the best views and photos from the Vanderbilt Observatory, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of grace and space. This place gets crowded, and it really is every man for themselves. This place packs out—people arrive early and camp out at the south-facing windows to get the iconic sunset shot. A beautiful experience, and fun to move through all of the different rooms and spaces, but prepare yourself for chaos. It’s also right next to Grand Central Station, so head there for a looksie before too.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
There are many reasons in the pop culture vernacular for visiting the Met (Gossip Girl, the gala), and I hope it doesn’t sound too performative if I tell you the art is worth looking at, too. It’s a maze—I mean that literally. There is supposedly two million square feet of floor space, and you can imagine the kind of art that fills it. We were overwhelmed, but we joined one of the walking tours with a guide, which was incredibly not lame, and he was very knowledgeable about his favourite corners of the space.

Central Park by Bike
Mum had her way, so we opted for a guided tour (but you can really just get a Citi Bike around), but I will say it was very worth it if you lean into the experience. Our guide took us around the whole park, pointing out some favourite hotspots and a few tourist traps too. I’d love to go back and explore it of my own volition, but hey, there’s time. Go ice skating at Wollman Rink if it’s still open—this was our favourite by miles.

Guggenheim Museum
While the exhibition on at the time didn’t overly excite me—I think we had museum fatigue by that point—I’d say it was one of my favourite galleries because it was just so thoughtfully designed (of course). Never have I ever visited such an ergonomically designed gallery, and how special to actually be inside a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. Cute gift shop at this one aswell.

Chicago on Broadway
This is the kind of show that probably shouldn’t be everyone’s first pick on Broadway, but if you’ve got a little theatre freak in you, it’s essential. I think it’s currently the lingest-running stage show on Broadway (which by the way, isn’t about location but more about the number of seats in a theatre) and the show is still performed as Bob Fossee imagined it Mormon Wives fans among us will also be stoked to know that Whitney Leavitt has joined the cast as Roxy—a role played by Ariana Madix no too long ago either.

Places to stay:

Untitled 3 Freeman Alley
Somewhere between hotel and hostel (I say this because, compared to other destinations I’ve stayed, the rooms are extremely minimal), Untitled’s Freeman Alley outpost could hardly be in a better Lower Manhattan location.

Hotel Belleclaire
For a quieter, more spacious (read: bathtub and closet space) stay in close proximity to Central Park and its adjacent museums and galleries and Patti Smith concerts, this hotel was charming and warm. If you’re going to the city for the first time, I’d recommend adding a few nights around this part of town towards the end of your stay.

Editor’s note: If I were made of money, I would have also booked a stay at Hotel Chelsea and The Bowery.

If you’re heading to the city anytime soon, I’ve linked my Google Map here—all the places you absolutely need to know and explore.

Many brands are thinking this, too, of course. I’ve had new jeans, fragrances and very good pastries land on my desk. These are all the ones I think are worth noting.

T x

Subscribe now

Aesop releases a new fragrance: Above Us, Steorra
While they’re perhaps better known for their perpetually chic bathroom essentials, some of the consistently best products to come out of Aesop are their fragrances. Eidesis has earned itself a place in my permanent line-up—all woody, spicy and ambery. Their more recent edition, Above Us, Steorra, feels like an even more exciting, ‘special occasion’ iteration of that. It draws on that beautiful ambery base notes, venturing into the more radical with notes of cardamom, and as the team in store showed me, is best worn layered over one of the brand’s beloved body balms. On me, this one wears velvety, and I’m looking forward to the moments that feel exciting enough to wear it.

Mother has opened in West Lynn, and everything is delicious
This one’s only really important for my Auckland friends, and even then, you probably already know: Mother is here. I, for one, have been impatiently waiting for the sign wrap to be removed from this Richmond Road address, and while rumours were definitely spreading, I can now confirm—yes, it’s the crew from nearby Lilian, yes Petra Galler (aka Butter Butter) is taking care of the cabinet goodness, and yes, there will be natty wines and small picky bits to come. But even now, it’s worth a try: the place opens at 6.45 am, which is nice, because hardly anyone around here does an early coffee, and by the time I returned at 10.30 am, the cabinets were emptying and you could genuinely not find a seat anywhere—and the space is big. This one’s going to be good, but we already knew that, right?

Raaie has released a divine new facial mist made from volcanic water
Aotearoa really excels when it comes to homegrown beauty brands, but even then, few do it as well as Raaie. I’ve been most excited about the brand’s latest addition, the Tranquillity Water Activating Mist, which is every bit as luxurious as it sounds for a spritz here and there throughout the day (of which I did often during fashion week). This last week, however, I’ve been using it as a toner and noticing just how calm and moisturised my face feels. It’s made from West Coast volcanic thermal water, which sounds kind of crazy, but I love it, and there’s even a patented aqua-dermal encapsulation delivery system, which basically means better hydration for longer. There are all sorts of feel-good native botanicals, too; I think this one’s worth it.

I tried the Levi’s Baggy Dad Barrel jean, and I’m officially a convert
Denim is an essential ingredient in my wardrobe, and I was lucky enough to recently be gifted a new favourite pair—the baggy dad barrel. While I’ve had a hard time getting myself to completely embrace the buckled knees, there’s something about this cut (and perhaps it’s just that signature Levi’s comfort) that makes them a perfect option for both the office and the bar. As of now, the only challenge I face is finding the right shoe to work with the crop (see below).

The Yu Mei Utility Braidy is the bag that comes everywhere with me now
I bought my first Yu Mei bag in 2017, in the earlier (and more affordable) days of the brand, and in the years since, it has seen a lot. After all, it’s the kind of bag designed to go literally everywhere with you. Now, it’s just in dire need of some refurbishment. But more recently, Jessie dropped the Utility Braidy, which draws on the essentials of my ‘favourite bag ever’ and turns it into an easy and durable nylon iteration. I bought the pomegranate version, which sits somewhere between a crimson and a purple, and I find it hard to reach for anything else. There are lots of internal pockets and dividers (and you can purchase additional inserts, if there’s not already enough), it’s super lightweight and easy to care for, but my favourite part is just how roomy the strap is—you know? You can chuck it over a bulky winter coat or leather jacket, but there’s still plenty of room to spare. I love something wearable.

Sans [ceuticals] has convinced me to give waterless haircare a go with their new release, Perpetual
When a product is in R&D for seven years, you know when it finally hits the market, it’s going to be marvellous. That’s the case for the latest from sans [ceuticals], who launched Perpetual earlier this week—incredibly simple haircare with a very new approach. For starters, the reusable canisters are truly gorgeous and are made from post-consumer plastic, and I believe that they can be recycled. Great for aesthetic bathrooms. But it’s the hair wash, especially, that seems really cool. It comes in powder form, and you only need a little bit with some water before you lather it into a kind of paste, and then use it like you usually would. It doesn’t fizz or foam, but your hair will feel so nourished and clean. And then the conditioner, which comes in light and rich, is a bit more traditional: it’s a balmy texture, and you can just rub it straight on your hair. I’m excited to get stuck into these—and they have that divine Sans [ceuticals] scent too.

Fashion’s perennial it girl Phoebe Philo’s accessories are now available at Simon James
Someone actually asked me who Phoebe Philo was earlier this week, which was kind of refreshing. It was a follow-up question to the buzz that’s been going on around Auckland with the beloved designer’s entry into Simon James—which actually makes sense. She’s maybe most known for her tenure at Céline, but when her eponymous label launched in 2023, the fashion set collectively gagged. It’s cool to see her here in New Zealand, and even if it just accessories (for now), we need more of that energy in the market here. I just won’t be purchasing anything until I pick up a couple of extra shifts.

These shoes are available for pre-order again, and I’m already psyched to wear them
I’m not sure if you’ve seen these shoes all over TikTok, but my algorithm clearly got something right, because I did. I spoke to Beatrice, the founder of Curtsy, who makes these ugly cure shoes with more than enough toe posts. There’s something kind of freaky about them, but she tells me that they’re utterly comfortable—she designed them to help her heal some podietral qualms of her own, and I can’t help but feel like they’ve got to be, right? Either way, my pair’s coming soon, can’t wait to try them.

Lee Mathews is having a sale with lots of really nice gingham
Perusing the Lee Mathews site earlier this week, as one of course does, and I was reminded that they do indeed do a very good sale. There’s lots of plaid and gingham on there, which I do love, and reminded me of what a lot of our local designers were sending down the runway here at NZFW. Great minds think alike.

Sons For The Return Home was an unexpectedly very good read
When I sat down to the Harris Tapper NZFW runway, I was one seat away from receiving The Communist Manifesto. Instead, I walked away with this book, which made equal levels of sense when I read that it was written at the University of Auckland, much like my own manuscript has been. The story itself was about an interracial relationship between a Samoan man and a Pākeha woman in 1970s Aotearoa, and it’s unsettling to see how far (or how not far, some days) we have come in such a short space of time. The writing itself felt quite aged and masculine, which are two qualities that I never normally veer towards in my reading, but I’m glad it did. What a special observation of our world.

Most prominently, that ugly, Silicon Valley tech bro word: content.

Content is created for the consumer, of course, but it’s a marketing concept, opposed to an editorial one, and it’s almost always created to manipulate the consumer. Content is fashioned with a strategic goal in mind: clicks, views, impressions. Content is almost always commercialised. But journalism—proper journalism—has always had all stakeholders involved: it cares about the writers, the readers, the people involved in the story being told, the impact it has on the public. It takes trained journalists and skilled writers and meticulous editors to produce this kind of work. Anyone with an iPhone can (and does) create content.

To see the next Editor-in-Chief of the world’s biggest fashion masthead reduced to Head of Editorial Content is disappointing. I think firstly, and selfishly, because generations of us have based our whole working careers on that coveted EIC title. And secondly, and more disappointingly, because it affirms that shift we’ve been seeing in legacy fashion media for years now.

You might call it naivety—the pipe dream of someone who has spent a decade working towards her Managing Editor title at an independent publication in a small Oceanic nation—but I think it’s a greater reverence for nostalgia. Kirsty Thatcher’s recent piece on reboots for Russh tugged on an interesting notion: the nostalgia and hope we (in fashion media) collectively feel when we watch and yearn for The Devil Wears Prada and the earlier seasons of Sex And The City reminds us of being younger, when a future in fashion media seemed well-paid and assured. Mastheads were built on sturdier ground back then. We aspired to be assistants, staff writers, editors—titles that meant something. Titles with clear roles and responsibilities.

Now, magazine publishers are updating their LinkedIn bios to call themselves founders. Contributing editor titles are offered at random. Features editors aren’t even writing features anymore. We have no staff writers, because no one can afford to pay the salary to mentor a junior. We’re all digital heads and marketing managers and section editors, rolled into one. We’re all running ampersand titles—Head of This & That—which lack any real meaning or context. The Editor-in-Chief of Vogue has been replaced by a Head of Editorial Content.

Some chatter has been shared about the supposed selfishness of Anna Wintour herself, someone who absolutely has sway at Conde Nast, and what it means when she pulls the ladder up behind her. In this appointment, she has made herself the last Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, as if her tenure wasn’t already notable enough. And while many of us smaller independent publishers have to follow suit, have to conform to the once-again unrealistic standards set by the Condé Nasts of the world in order to keep on printing, mastheads like Vogue set the status quo, and eliminating this title is a sad day for all the emerging talent out there in fashion media with big dreams.

Subscribe now

The question is, will the job change? How much sway and influence will Malle actually have over the editorial direction of Vogue, with Wintour staying on as the group’s Global Editorial Director—an extension of her role as Chief Content Officer (again, what does this even mean?). Malle is no doubt qualified for the position—after all, under her digital leadership, Vogue.com saw double-digit growth in metrics like traffic and engagement; notably, the site now draws an average of 14.5 million unique views monthly. But this pivot underscores that Malle isn’t truly replacing Wintour—she’s taking a role that represents a kind of structural dilution of power, one that not only disestablishes the title of Editor-in-Chief, but one that actually dismantles the responsibilities of the role.

As I edit this piece today, I have just come across news announcing Malle’s intention to reduce Vogue’s production from regular, monthly issues to pivot around seasonal and cultural moments—about which I have thoughts. On one hand, this returns to my earlier thoughts about legacy editorial. The idea is that Vogue will feel more editorial, be printed on higher-quality stock, and feature less advertorial content. That excites me, both as a reader and someone who works in media who gets quite fussy about the sizing and stock and weight of a print publication. In essence, we’re told that Vogue will be becoming more of a coffee table tome.

But how much so? I can’t see it getting to something like The Gentlewoman. The mass appetite for beautiful publications just isn’t there. Not at that scale. And if we’re talking about nerdy things like paper stock, as an international subscriber, I’ve noticed that my Vogue is getting smaller, spec-wise, thinner, and it’s printed on the finest GSM paper stock. Sure, it’s to save printing costs and allows it to be delivered (normally a month late and wet) across the Pacific Ocean. But this change has me curious about what it means for my subscription, given the vague pitch. How many issues? How many cultural moments? Will the cost increase or decrease? Will the paper stock feel thick and organic and sexy when I sit down to read it? Will international subscribers still get the same quality publication, or will it be more of a glorified brochure of summarised digital reads, like I’m currently receiving?

The details of this change are hazy, but when I try to think about it in the bigger picture, media right now is trying to save costs. It needs to. And with subscription rates down and printing costs obscenely high, a return to the editorial days of yore is expensive. I don’t see the publishers at Condé Nast being brave enough to take that risk.

And this all comes off the back of the season’s earlier gaffe, with Vogue opting to run Guess’ AI-generated ad, confirming that the title isn’t really there to advocate for industry creatives, not anymore. I wasn’t surprised, but the bee has stayed in my bonnet ever since. Another win for the ChatGPT bros of the fashion world.

It’s not the optimistic note that I’d like to end on, but it’s left me wondering—like I do every day, like so many others—what the future of media actually looks like. If there will ever be a time again when newsrooms are filled with people who are passionate and genuinely inspired by the stories they tell, with readers happy to pay their hard-earned money because they know they’re going to sit down with some good journalism. Or if media now, guided notably by some of the world’s biggest mastheads, is purely a content game for clicks. If that is the future, I don’t see it taking us anywhere good.

On other days, I’ll make a kimchi toastie like the one I’ve included below, which, naturally, I am utterly obsessed with at the moment. I’m yet to find any good habits to fold in.

In this swing season, I hope you find these hyperfixations as good as I do.

T x

One book to read:

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion — particularly the final essay, ‘Goodbye To All That’. I was reflecting on this with an internet friend earlier this week, and although it’s been seven years since I first read the work, I struggle to find something else I love so viscerally. Call it wanderlust or something equally lame, but I’ve never heard the twenty-something experience articulated so eloquently.

Three recipes on rotation:

• This NYT kimchi cheese toastie

  Truthfully, I don’t use a recipe because it’s quite simple, but the way I love NYT Cooking is so palpable. I’d skip the mayo (but maybe add a drizzle of kewpie on top), and I’ve been extremely slovenly and using pre-sliced gouda. This is totally delicious on Lucy’s gluten-free bread, too.

• Action Bronson’s Chicken Parm (in a sandwich):

  I tend to use this one as inspiration, more than anything else, but a good chicken sammy is equal measures comforting and good for on the go. Be mindful that he uses olive oil very liberally, and most of us can’t afford it in this economy.

• This easy prawn toast

  I’ve been missing Omni’s prawn toast so bad since they left me, and despite being a serious hater of prawns, this recipe is just too easy and too good (although if anyone knows anywhere to buy pre-minced prawns, I’ll be sending you my firstborn).

Five things to spend your money on since I can’t:

• This sleeping bag coat from Norma Kamali is perfect for early morning trips to the gym is very chic, and is on sale (which we love).

• There’s one left of these striped blouses from Ganni, which will make everyone think you probably had a fun Euro summer, even if you spent it under the heat pump at home like I did.

• I love this shacket from local label Josephine that I won (how cool!) in a birthday giveaway last week. It arrived yesterday, and I’ve only taken it off to sleep.

• This hairpin from Colleen, despite its outrageous cost, is so beautiful, and I can’t get it off my mind. Use it for inspo if nothing else.

• There are few things I love more than the perfect oversized shirt, and this one from Julie Pelipas’s BETTTER could be the best I’ve seen yet. I love a silky shirt that requires very little ironing, and it feels a touch more exciting than a plain white one. If you don’t want to buy it for yourself, please, someone get it and send it to me.

Subscribe now

In te ao Māori, it is called ūkaipō, which in one definition is a placenta or umbilical cord, but it reflects that further in the space of mothering and sustenance. A place that you feel bound to in the most intimate sense of the meaning.

Growing up, we moved a lot. I went to five different primary schools in five different postcodes. Home was never stationary, an immovable building that comforted me at night; we flatted, lived in a housetruck. I loved every moment, but my definition of home is a pointed contrast to what most know.

It would be cliche to suggest that I found my home in people—which, yes, I undeniably did, but more pertinent, it was the land that I would return to no matter the address I tried to familiarise. Perhaps that’s why I never knew how to settle into a space either. The longest I ever lived in a house was three years. I grow restless easy.

So it is understandable that the longest place I have ever known feels most like home; where on a good day the mountains pierce into the sky and the cupboards still smell like my grandma’s cooking. Returning there lends me the kind of intimate sustenance that I crave.

It was fitting that I visited recently, having just moved my physical house—that is, the one that contains my boxes of books and where I snooze my alarm each morning—after leaving the first place that really felt like my own since moving to the city.

I have two schools of thought, which is perhaps what I’m trying to understand. And I wonder if anyone else ever feels the same. We talk about community living as if it were some great thing that we should all partake in; and I feel so fortunate to live in a home that DOES feel like that, where help is given without want or reciprocation. ‘It takes a village’, we often say, but how many of us really give it? Something has gone so wrong with our society that people are still stuck in flatting dynamics when we were never really meant to be living like this for so long. Flatting was meant to be a short-term stopover on our way to a secular family life, never a decade-long ordeal.

I’m too old to squabble over chore rosters or whose heater uses the most energy. I want to be able to do my washing when it’s dirty and cook my dinner when I’m hungry. I’d like to feel free from horrible roommates and lacklustre landlords. Why the hell was I paying $352.50 a week for a cold and damp room in Auckland with one shared bathroom?

Home is a concept half-baked for me. I know it in its truest form because when I return to the upper reaches of the Rangitata River, I feel it in my belly. But I’m yet to learn it in a physical sense, although I’m still really trying. 

Anyway, here’s some clothes I’ve been eyeing up:

• This Acne Studios scarf
  Who am I to be spending $500 on a scarf on the brink of poverty. It’s cosy though.

• Kye Intimates’ Recline Pant (from Underlena of course)
  These look like great working from home pants. (Which I do permanently now, by the way.)

• This dressing gown-like Coat
  I can’t explain how cosy this coat is. If you rush, you might be able to pick it up even cheaper at the Harris Tapper sample sale this weekend.

• A good cotton shirt
  I have this one from Bite Studios and it’s equal measures flattering and crisp. I’ll wear it more when I get over my fear of crinkling it.

• This Rick Owens ‘going out’ shirt
  I’ve reached a point where comfort prevails. Going out must be cosy, ideally without a style payoff. There’s literally one left of this snuggly looking shirt. Are you getting it or am I?

And some other things I’ve been enjoying

• Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro
  I found this book wrapped up and waiting on my bed for me when I got to our high country bach for my birthday. I can’t even explain what a feat this is, but it’s so beautiful and thoughtful like my mother. Josie wrote this on the creative writing course I’ve just begun, my friend Kathy worked on publishing it. It feels just like running.

• A simple and fresh pasta with pantry ingredients
  The list seems exhaustive, but I’m sure you’ll already have most of it at home. Pasta is perfect for any kind of weather. I love it with zucchini and ricotta in warmer circumstances; which you’re either enjoying or manifesting.

Subscribe now

Like most braving these frigid Auckland mornings, I’ve caught a cold, and I’ve been genuinely flattened for the first time since covid years. And while I enjoy the occasional opportunity to bed rot, this has taken over my life in ways that feel too all-consuming to justify to your inbox.

Wellness exists in extremities for me—the all-or-nothing approach cemented so heavily into my psyche, and it’s still a challenge to unpack it. I think one part of it exists as a rebellion against the eating disorder that somehow prevails; that if I say ‘fuck it’ and do the exact opposite of what I should do if I want to weigh the amount I should and look the way that I should, that this defiance will make me feel better inside. (That it will help me retain control.)

But often, it will only make me feel worse.

Some months ago, I undertook the Benson Detox, a beloved ritual of the IG girlies that, with my background in nutrition, I actually deemed quite nourishing as far as pre-event crash diets go. I eliminated gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, and every little joyous food I had come to know for ten days. I lost 3.8kg. I felt healthier than I could remember. I wasn’t bloated, I was sleeping well, and a colleague told me I had lost weight in my chin, which was almost weird. But I was flattered. Part of me genuinely believed the effects would last. And while I now know how to get back to that place, life's interruptions will always prevail.

Never in my eating disorder recovery did anyone guide me on how to navigate weight loss while trying to heal from the thought patterns behind weight loss. It is just assumed that you should now, somehow, be okay with your body because you don’t want to live at the mercy of your ED anymore. It’s too paradoxical, and it’s just a given that while I should like to get better, to improve my health, I should also be happy with my body, even though there are days when I hate it for not being able to bend or move in particular ways, or when I struggle to get dressed in the mornings.

However, right now, I’m just trying to navigate a cold. Later today, I plan to throw off the covers of the bed I just climbed back into. I’ll have some more vitamin C, put on some comfy clothes, and hope my legs remember how to go for a walk to the sea.

I’ll try to catastrophise about it all a little less, and I’ll remember the joy I find in ritual soon enough.

Love Tess x

P.S. I take no issue with Sala’s cancellation fees. In fact, they often prompt me to get out of bed. But this week the sleep in was worth the cost.

Subscribe now

My favourite looks from AFW (so far):

Beare Park - sheer pants & oversized tailoring

Rory William Docherty - great trenches & androgynous suiting 

Albus Lumen - more sheer pants moments

Karla Spetic - lots of lace & knitted garters

3 recipes to recreate:

1. These traditional Palestinian arayes
   This needs little context, but the recipe looks utterly delicious and perfect for an easy weekend dinner.

2. Green pea and coconut soup
   When the weather cools down or I need to eat something that feels like a hug. I couldn’t think of an easier recipe.

3. Crispy lemon feta with spiced chickpeas and basil orzo
   I once worked with a girl who made this meal for her flat every week. It’s so delicious, and you can substitute the feta for halloumi which is equally as delicious. I just really fuck with yoghurt on savoury dishes.

5 things to spend your pay check on this week:

1. Cosmetics 27 Concentré 27 Vitamin C & B3
   Other vitamin c serums have previously made me rashy and compromised my skin barrier. This one is so nourishing and effective. I’ve noticed a total change in my skin texture in a month. I’m sorry it’s so expensive.

2. Lipo-spheric Vitamin C
   Continuing the notion of wellness is a supplement I’ll never live without. This form of vitamin c is in it’s most readily available, and if you find the aftertaste in water a bit icky, I just suck it straight from the packet on busy commutes.

3. The Row Margaux 17 buckled leather tote
   For reasons unknown to even me, I really broke the bank this week on a pre-loved Margaux 17. I’ll let you know the condition and just how much I love it when it arrives.

4. Beare Park silk georgette elastic waist skirt
   This one has been on my wishlist for a hot minute—I’m just trying to think of where is most appropriate to wear it. (It’s 70% off on limited sizes right now too.)

5. Matheson pepper mill and salt cellar
   Moving house has prompted some unhealthy scrolling of delicious homewares. I love Matty Matheson, and the kitchenwares he designs are just divine.

If you read one thing this week let it be this:

Crooked Plow by Itamar Viera Junior
This beautiful novel has been translated from Portuguese - I love reading the cadence and flow of different languages. It’s a heartbreaking but beautiful story of family ties.

And yet there are days where, when I’m sad and dreary, hours are spent in bed. Even more are spent through scrolling strangers’ thoughts on the internet. Time commitment seems less pressing when you are watching the day breeze by.

I’ve read a few pieces recently discussing how our pursuit of mental wellbeing - and the introduction of the boundaries we create as a result - are hampering our friendships. Too often we feel awkward or burdensome to ask our friends for a ride to the airport. Too often are we suppressing the challenges we face for fear of overwhelm.

I don’t necessarily agree. I know firsthand that taking part in self-informed rituals allows me to be a better friend, colleague, partner. And sometimes the introduction of those rituals may be a boundary. But I know that, like anything else, nurturing a relationship, evolving an idea, channelling your passions into a weekly newsletter, all require commitment.

So I’m going to try to get a little better at that.

Tess x

Subscribe now

If you read one book, let it be this

The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells
Glenn cried. I didn’t - but it deeply moved me all the same.

Three delicious (time-efficient) recipes

1. Roast spring vegetables with mustard and cheese sauce
   I love anything Anna Jones cooks. This is perfect for a dinner party or beside Sunday roast with friends.

2. Crispy baked chicken tacos with avocado lime dip
   Weeknight tacos. These are so crunchy and perfect.

3. One-pot miso-mascarpone pasta
   This reminds me of Omni’s amazing miso cacio e pepe, which I’ll never get to eat again. This recipe will suffice.

The best Met Gala looks (so you don’t have to scroll all 226)

I’ve been repeating the same sentiment to anyone who will listen — I think the men have finally outdone the girlies. I won’t delve into an explanation of why, but here are some of my favourite looks.

Five things to spend your paycheck on

1. Ganni fringed satin tote
   You might have a festival coming up. If I did, I’d buy this for it. I might just buy it for fun anyway.

2. Deiji Studios strapless cotton top
   I’m always served ads for this top, but it’s constantly out of stock. It’s terrible timing for us southern hemisphere girlies, but I think it would be the perfect piece for Euro Summer.

3. The Great Eros canova underwire in black

   Rhyana and Maxine recently put me onto this bra. I have it in two other colours. I’ll never wear anything else again. Peak comfort and subtly sensual. Love.

4. Kirsten Dryburgh’s nimbus fruit bowl

   Everyone requires at least one ornamental fruit bowl. This one’s on my Wishlist.

5. Jil Sander leather wedge sandals

   These little stompers would be as cute on a beach in Greece as they would with fuzzy possum socks for a New Zealand winter.

Nelson, for me, is such a restorative place. Maybe your hometown is like that for you too. You can regress to a place where worries are at least a plane-ride away, where organic vegetables are abundant (and free), and there’s a childhood memory on every street corner.

The irony is I spent most of my teenage years itching to leave. I wanted to explore newer, bigger places. The furtherest I got was Coolum Beach. (But hopefully more on that to come.)

I started off with a lot of reading. There’s been cooking (some recipes below), gardening, volunteering, running. There’s been weddings, there’s been new life. The joys of this year only continue to compound.

But I’ve also found time to mong out a little. To form an unhealthy attachment to new, traumatic TV shows (as told below), to delve into books, and to even start working on a project of my own.

For now, I hope you’ve had a beautiful summer. I’m excited to keep building on this space into the new year.

Much love, Tess xx

What I’ve Been Wearing

Food To Eat

Bar Celeste Golden Hour: I’ve made a semi-promise to myself that while still trying to save a small fraction of my income, I need to get out and about a little more. Cue Golden Hour at Bar Celeste. I missed out on these famous lockdown burgers the first time around, but as someone who’s tried and tested many across Tāmaki Makaurau, these are my current favourites by a country mile (sorry Parade!). $15 for a soft and juicy cheeseburger between 5pm and 6pm, plus another $12 for some garlicky fries to share. There’s $15 glasses of pet nat too, which IMO, is a steal. There’s also $3.50 oysters. I didn’t get those, but they looked pretty decent. It’s on Tuesday through til Saturday for the forseeable future.

Rosalia’s: Speaking of Parade, the beautiful and talented team behind these burgs have opened Rosalia’s, in Mount Eden, ahead of the upcoming opening of their new bistro, Bodega. Here the offering is pretty simple - it’s a pizza al taglio (foccacia-style, by the slice), plus some cannoli if you’re seeking something sweet. It’s only open lunchtimes, Thursday through til Saturday as of this week, so perfectly suited for those working in the vicinity, or those with some errands to run. You’ll probably find me there Fridays, breaking my no-gluten resolve. But trust me, it’s worth it.

Mustard Seed Butter, Grilled Sweet Corn Recipe: With summer in full swing I’ve been eating an abundance of fresh corn off the cob in these last weeks, all sourced from the neighbourhood Kelmarna Community Gardens. I’ve been blasting them on the griddle with this really simple burnt mustard seed butter from a perennial favourite, Anna Jones. I’d highly recommend you try it too. (It’s the second recipe on this page when you scroll down. The chutney is delicious, but sometimes I don’t bother.)

Beauty Round-Up

Cosmetics 27 Moisturisers: I’ve been trialling the cream and balm consistencies of this cult-favourite moisturiser for the last two weeks now - sorry to every Mecca worker I’ve pestered for a sample - and after 18-months of Cetaphil usage, I’m so excited to make my first skincare splurge in quite some time. I already know it’s going to be worth every penny. I’ve been opting for the cream consistency in the morning, for a lighter touch underneath my heavy SPF, but the thick, paste-like consistency of the original Baume 27 just feels so perfect for a nightly skin ritual. I love them both for a rich-yet-wearable layer of moisture, and their patented extracts pack a powerful anti-aging punch. (Don’t come at me for the price of this one; I’m choosing to remain woefully ignorant.)

Virtue Hair Mask: It wasn’t until I ran out of this hair mask late last week (the pottle has been going for nearly two years) that I realised just how much I love it. It’s seen me through roaccutane-enduced hair breakage, the dehydrating bleach sessions, and summers filled with salt and sand. Never have I ever found a more hydrating hair mask, that smells and feels so good. It’s worth every penny.

Short Nails: Call them a casualty of pottery class, (I’m so sick of a sharp nail tearing up the sides of my bowls), but my nails of late have been short and fuss-free. It’s not to say I’m biting them again, or that I’ve no longer got the budget for elaborate extensions (I don’t), but I’m saving the brighter, bolder colours for my tootsies (like this fun coral colour from Dior) and taking on a more fuss-free approach to at-home manicures.

Read: Big Swiss

My most literary friend Kathy has been recommending this read to me for months - but it took Glenn actually buying it as a Christmas present for me to sit down and get stuck in. I think it took me less than 36 hours to consume the entire thing. It’s funny in a ha ha way, but also in a what the fuck are you doing way too. I’d recommend this for the kind of reader who wants something gentle, easy and thoroughly enjoyable, without compromising on the quality of writing (is that too much to ask for?).

Watch: One Day

Watch this when you’re in a good space. I’ve personally been on Leo Woodall’s nut since White Lotus (sorry, that’s really crass), and this is exactly the kind of show I was hoping to see him in. Netizens are hailing it as 2024’s answer to Normal People, and I can see the parallels - a university somewhere in the further-afield parts of the UK, cool guy befriends uncool girl, the will they, won’t they kind of love. Only this one hurts so much more.

The basic plot is this: Dexter and Emma meet at a graduation party in the 80s, there’s an almost one night stand, and each 20-30 minute episode revisits that same day, a year later. I love this kind of friendship. Watching their growth and constant self-sabotaging. Their pull to eachother. So beautiful, so lovely, so fucking sad. It makes me want to be 22 again. You can (and should) watch it on Netflix now.

Listen: Everyday Māori

One of my more ambitious goals for the year is to get to a point on this reclamation journey where I’m comfortable enough with my reo to embark on a full immersion course next year. (For those outside New Zealand, or those unfamiliar, access to learning the Māori language in New Zealand is free, which makes it really accessible for anyone at any level of knowledge.) Since heading out on my morning commutes again, Everyday Māori is a podcast that I’ve been listening away to in the background. I don’t always take everything in, but I’ve found immersing myself in the language has been the best way to start. Also, listen to more waiata from your childhood, they are so beautiful.

What’s the harm in romanticising summer a little?

For nearly every year of my adult life, and hopefully all those to continue, I’ve managed to swing a summer at home in Nelson. Where the hardest decisions are between the beach and the river, which campground we’re going to for New Years’, or what fresh salad mum and I want to throw together for dinner. It’s a privilege to have a life where I can be this carefree. Where I can spend the better part of the month in a house truck in a paddock with a horse called Jim, working on this great piece of writing I’ve always promised strangers I’ll share.

That’s two weeks away. Until then, I’ll be lapping up every last moment in the city. Whether you’re in Sydney, London, or somewhere slightly more off the beaten track, I trust you’ll be doing the same.

Where I’ll be eating in Auckland:

• Gemmi: Found in the inner sanctum of Commercial Bay, Gemmi is the latest string in local restauranteur David Lee’s bow (Aigo, The Candy Shop, Gochu, Tobi, Pōni, etc.). This feels like then most definitive departure from his desire to fill Aucklands street with authentic Korean food spots, with the focus here being on Italian food, but as expected, you can still find some nods to an innovative flavour. Excited to try this one.

• Duo Eatery: Christmas dinner with Chloe will be spent in Birkenhead. We’ve been talking about going since we lived together in Mount Eden nearly two years ago, and next week we’re finally taking the boys for a long-awaited double date (ick). I’ve heard fantastic things about the paua doughnut, of which I’ve found the notion slightly polarising, and Glenn only has eyes for the duck frites. Really looking forward to Wednesday.

• Beabea’s Bakery: This little bakery has overtaken the old joint in Westmere village, alongside a burgeoning local line-up, and has the royal seal of approval from fellow bakers across the city (Mor and Mibo to name a few). Planning on devouring another Miso Eggplant Scroll that I tried at Roses a few weeks back.

What I’ll be cooking for friends:

• Tofu & Green Beans in Chraimeh Sauce: This Ottolenhgi recipe is a staple when I’m seeking something simple for a friend or two on a weeknight. Just this week I made it incredibly unsimple by pairing it with this Caramelised Onion Rice - which for the most part, you could probably save yourself some stress and partially prepare in advance. Also chuck the tofu in the air fryer instead of panfrying it, if it’s accessible for you. Much easier and crunchier this way too.

Clothes I’m purchasing for the season:

• Swimsuit: I’ve been bathing in this one-piece collab between Maggie and Sydney-based Fella Swim. It’s not too sultry, which is great if you’re somewhat self-conscious like me, and the nice thick fabrication means it easily doubles as a cute bodysuit under some baggy jeans too.

• Sandals: I’ve been considering purchasing these (ON SALE) Ganni slip ons for some nicer summer occasions. The bows aren’t overly me but I think with some light baggy jeans they could be cute as. For evenings, in an ideal world, I’ll slip on these strappy sandals from The Row for an inevitable date night. Until then I’ll be looking for a realistic alternative.

• Beach Bag: My Palorosa Project tote has been a saviour for the last 18 months. It’s probably ready to retire from its everyday status to something more holiday specific, but there’s something about the way it fits so neatly in the back footwell of my car for work commutes, and its versatility for anything to just be thrown in. Last I checked they didn’t ship from Portugal, but they’ve just been restocked at Everyday Needs. Australian friends, you can buy them at Lee Mathews.

• Shirts: Recently discovered the brand With Nothing Underneath from Muse Boutique (thanks to a voucher I found lurking at the bottom of my nightstand). The stripes are the perfect weight and the cotton is nice and thick - meaning it’ll double as workwear when you get back to the office too. I’m just waiting for a monochromatic black and white option.

• Multitasker: This Fourth Street sarong needs no introduction. An essential that takes you from the beach to dinner. The pistachio colourway feels just summery enough.

My summer beauty essentials:

• Sunscreen: For a natural, tinted approach (read: I wear this to the office in lieu of make-up), Raaie’s Sun Milk Drops are a summer necessity. While the bulbous ceramic vessel isn’t ideal for throwing in your handbag or carry-on, I promise it’s worth the extra weight. For more active moments (starting January 1, I’m training for my first half-marathon), I swear by La Roche Posay’s yoghurt-like formula. It’s a thin veil that allows you to sweat for any occasion.

• Face Base: On the rare occasion it ever calls for it, you’ll find me with a full suite of Westman Atelier essentials. The Vital Skincare Complexion Drops double as a skincare-infused base that is seriously dewy, and I layer it with a series of the contour, blush and highlight sticks, that I personally believe are best blended with fingers. I’ll add a spritz of Urban Decay All-Nighter (in the handy travel-sized formula) should I be planning on a few drinks after dinner, and a lick or two of this Ilia mascara.

• Scent: Given my partner will be joining me for much of the summer, and I always like to smell like a sexy bunch of roses around him, the travel-sized Thé Noir 29 from Le Labo will be bouncing between bags (this little set is perfect for those new to the brand - and any gifting too - Santal 33 is their most adored scent, and Paul Mescal wears Another 13). When I let my guard down, Salt from Ellis Brooklyn feels like the refreshing scent I crave.

• Lip Balms: Swapping out any lipsticks and stains for these necessary moisturising solutions is vital for the hot months ahead. Some luxury lip balms that I actually would bother purchasing include this one from Dr. Barbara Sturm, this one from Augustinus Bader and this one from Allies of Skin. If you misplace yours as much as I do, you can never go wrong with a tube of Kiehl’s or Sans [ceuticals]. I’m also keen to try this one from Le Labo as the biggest fangirl of the brand.

• Body Essentials: I always use this Standard Procedure sunscreen and aloe (the latter best kept in the fridge), this natural insect balm (if the situation calls for it), this kit: body wash (hoping they formulate a travel size soon), and this Sans [ceuticals] body moisturiser for some post peeling action. Summer also means I’m putting away the hair tools and just focussing on some fuss-free hydration instead. These two Kevin Murphy products have been in my beach bag for years. Easy Rider is a nice balm to tame frizz, and despite the hefty tag on this Young Again oil, my last bottle lasted five years (and I’ve never found an alternative that compares).

Movies to see on rainy days and books to read in better weather:

• Saltburn: Can I just ask someone who knows, WHY are they pushing movies out of the cinema so swiftly? I exclusively wait for half price Mondays at Silky Otter, where bottomless popcorn is also on offer (if you didn’t know, now you do), but miss one Monday and all of the sudden the movie is off the cards. I’m so desperate to see it. I’ve heard some curious things. I’m looking forward to the soundtrack most of all.

• Sputnik Sweetheart: Murakami’s writing has a kind of quality that is so hard to define, and I’ve never not loved a single book of his, but this might have been the best I’ve read yet. I imagine some people will struggle with some pointlessness of it, or maybe the ambiguity that surrounds it, but I think it makes for beautiful and delicious reading.

• Lola In The Mirror: Another W from Trent Dalton. If you ask me, his books just keep getting better and better, and I couldn’t help but stay up til 1am savouring the last chapters of this read. Taking place in modern-day Brisbane (my favourite kind of narrative landscape), it follows a young woman’s quest for her identity - quite literally - and the chaos that endures as a casualty of her life. Will recommend to anyone who comes within a 3 metre radius. Be warned.

After some 55km of walking through wilderness, internet-less and senselessly sore, I’ve found myself coming to the conclusion that while I’d like to carry that certain sense of peace with me throughout life, it’s not always attainable. And that’s what makes it so special.

Instead, we can look to the little things we love. Brunch shared with friends, a new set of lingerie for your lover. Those moments of tangible happiness we find in the rat race of life.

So while never intending to be a vehicle for consumerism, I did still want to share a few things I’ve found of late. Some may interest you, some may satisfy your desire for some seasonal retail therapy. Ultimately, it’s not that deep - and I hope you find something to enjoy.

Food To Eat:

• My New York Times Shakshuka Recipe: It’s brunching season, and this failsafe shakshuka recipe is easier than it looks. I tend to always have the ingredients on hand, bar a couple of capsicum (which are surprisingly affordable in New Zealand right now), but if they’re hard to find using a jar of roasted red peppers should also do. This recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner (and you can easily prep a batch of the sauce beforehand and make as much as you need). If you’re using a cast iron pan, be sure to season it after - the acidity of the tomatoes tends to strip all the good oils away, so I use my stainless steel instead.

• The Butcher Baker: Earlier this month we *finally* visited The Butcher Baker out in Helensville. The owner, Reginaldo Richard, is probably best known for his integral part in his leadership of the Honey Bones kitchen, and has extended his culinary intent to the furtherest reaches of Auckland. Here the philosophy is farm to table - it feels delightfully organic, with most foods cooked in the constantly-burning woodfire, and the courtyard’s sunny disposition makes it idyllic for days ahead. By night, you’ll find intimate sharing plates and natty wines - it’s next on my list to try. If you’re going for brunch, order the chickpea socca (with whatever topping they’re serving that day) and grab one of the divine chocolate chunk cookies from the cabinet for the drive home.

• Tokki: This spot has been around for at least a year, so I’m still surprised when I’m reminded of how few know it - perhaps because it’s over on the shore. But I promise it’s so worth the trip. The environment feels like Omni, and the approach ever so slightly more refined. Owner Jason Kim made this space in an ode to traditional Korean cuisine and it’s by far one of my top three restaurants in the city. Standout dishes include the raw fish, lettuce cups, wagyu steak and hand pulled noodles. We ordered the house menu to get a taste of everything. Best accompanied with a bottle of Unico Zelo Esoterico Zibbibo+.

Clothes To Wear:

• Ohen Underwear: Since the great debacle of 2020, I’ve been trying to find the right brand to fill the Lonely-sized void in my heart. Enter Ohen, of which you’ve likely seen billboards everywhere and influencers sporting their favourite lace. Co-founder Anja Bucher actually used to design for Lonely, and these designs capture the essence of her influence. We’ve been waiting for this for a while. 

Podcasts To Listen To:

• Taringa Podcast: One of my Te Reo Māori tutors shared this with me last week, it’s a truly bilingual podcast which is perfect for listening to on long commutes to and from work. While I’m not always sure of the language or context, there’s enough English to pick up on the gist of it, and it helps garner a further understanding of tikanga. I’m told the best way to master the language is exposure, so this is forming the soundtrack of the season. (Also a nice sense of home for those around the world.)

Beauty Rituals To Follow:

• Mecca Christmas: This month Mecca released its highly coveted Christmas collection which, if you ask me, is the best way to discover all your favourite new products. This season you’ll find a seriously impressive amount of kits to gift and the likes, but my suggestion would also be to treat yourself to one of the advent calendars (Eve Lom or Diptyque if you feel like splurging, but the Mecca Max one will also do just fine).

• Westman Atelier Face Trace Stick: Speaking of Mecca, I finally topped up my contour (no amount of gua sha time is dealing with this roaccutane-induced puffiness), and added this highly coveted product to my ritual. It’s light, a hell of a lot less messy than the Charlotte Tilbury stick, and I feel like the staying power is tenfold. Plus, this entire brand is infused with skincare ingredients, which is why I’m slowly swapping out every product I own for one of theirs.

• Nars Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick in Turned On: I’m not a lipstick girlie, it’s typically far too much admin, but this shade I was recently gifted might just change that. It feels subtle and summery, and if you smudge it on just right you can have the perfectly plump lip that rarely calls for a touch up. Perfectly low maintenance.

  Thanks for reading Compeneri! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

From restaurants that attempt to rival the global greats, to long lunches and spring produce-inspired salads (like the recipe I’ve noted below), I truly believe this city will never cease to excite me.

I’ve also found some art classes for friends seeking a creative outlet (both near and far) and discovered the perfect baggage solution that genuinely might respond to your commuter woes. (Tube girlies, this solution is for you too.)

I just want to end in reflection that although it’s been a hard and heavy week, e hoa, there is bliss to be found in this sunshine, the long weekend, and the small joys of wherever you are in this world.

All my love to you,
Tess xxx

What To Eat:

• Gilt Brasserie: This latest Josh Emett venture opened this week — and as someone who genuinely finds Onslow utterly overrated, this restaurant is worth celebrating, beyond the industry hype. I believe the vision is bistro-esque, as many as there are these days, but my suggestion is to wait a couple of weeks for the dust to settle. The venue itself is stunning but simply just far too loud.

• Springtime Salad: I made a pretty bloody good salad on Saturday night — if I’m allowed to say so — that has been fuelling me all week. While I don’t have a recipe to reference it’s still worth trying. Toss some crispy, buttery lettuce and plenty of diced chives in a bowl with dijon mustard, creme fraiche (or sour cream), apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and a little salt and pepper to taste. I just eyeball the measurements, it’s quite hard to falter.

• Osteria Uno: I’ve been really, really waiting for this one to open (you seriously have no idea how long) and by all accounts it is finally about to, somewhat. You’ll find this little trattoria adjacent to the perennially busy Duo Eatery in Birkenhead. It’s another one from Jordan Macdonald, who, alongside Duo, was previously involved in Culprit, Lowbrow and the likes. For now it’s opening as part of a Stella Artois activation (you can find out more about the ridiculously affordable menu and nab the final few tickets here), with the promise that the destination will officially open in the weeks to come.

• Lilian Lunches: Latest news on the block is at that this most revered neighbourhood eatery, lunches are now on the menu. There’s been no indication of a shake up in the offering, more-so just a new destination to see in those sunny Friday afternoons ahead.

What To Wear:

• Utility by Yu Mei: A new addition to this locally grown leather goods label, Utility is a chic nod to the versatility of those customisable compartment bags making the rounds on Tiktok. Using recycled nylon, the base collection comprises a couple of totes, plus some pretty little inserts and pouches that add an element of organisation for busybodies like me. (The supplements are also designed to tuck into your existing mainline products too.) Kudos to Yu Mei for this thoughtful design.

• Hagon Workroom: I fell upon this cute reworking project by way of its founder, editor Edwina Hagon. Here she reimagines old shirts and fabrics into decidedly androgynous shapes that feel wistful and hopeful for the days ahead. Made in Sydney, these can (and should) be worn anywhere.

What To Do:

• London St Art Club: Lately I’ve found myself with a hankering for a new hobby — something to do wholeheartedly for the joy of it with little capitalist intent. This cool local art club is hosting a still life drawing class, wines included, which has been on my agenda for some time. Bookings are essential, here. Here’s a class at The National Gallery in London that looks cool too, as does this one in Sydney.

• Te Uru Exhibitions: At this Titirangi gallery, exhibiting artists have drawn inspiration from a forest under threat for their latest collection, which exists in harmony with te ao Māori. A few pieces worth collecting too, for the amateur collectors among us, or anyone with an eye for the enduring appeal of the environment. (There’s also a curators talk on November 11, and a couple of workshops that look like a fun place to play too.)

• Annabel’s Radio with Crayon: For my party people, here’s a fun Friday night planned that promises groovy music and plenty of pet nat. Given that it’s Annabels, there’s sure to be some cool girl vibes going on — but Crayon does know how to throw a really great party. And I like the place, so it’s a sure thing from me.

  Thanks for reading Compeneri! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

For my friends further afield, firstly, I miss you dearly (call me). Secondly, some things to share with you too. A delicious quesadilla recipe that I would cook if I were there to share it with you, and a couple of interviews I’ve conducted lately. One with Witi Ihimaera, the brilliant genius behind everyone’s favourite Whale Rider, and perhaps my favourite piece I’ve ever written.

Something for everyone, I truly think.

T x

What To Eat:

• Baby G Burger: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or just don’t follow the same IG accounts as me, you’ll have heard the news that Baby G Burger is officially open for business. These are my second favourite burgers in Auckland, which is pretty high praise considering you’ll find a burger joint on every block, and in an economy like this - the prices are super enticing. You’ll find them in Avondale and on IG here.

• Broke Boy Tacos: Another favourite pop-up, and purveyor of the second-best tacos in Auckland (if you can count Ragtag as first), Sean Yarborough has very, very quietly opened a taqueria in Mount Albert. He’s been doing residencies all around the city for some time with his Mission District-style tacos (just like you’d find in a food truck in California), and now he’s opening his first brick-and-mortar location. You can find all the details here. Another point for Mount Albert.

• Cooked Plates at Roses Regular: While Katie Riley has been putting in some serious legwork at Roses of late, this week sees the return of owners Karl and Ophelia, the brilliant brains behind Cooked Plates. The bittersweet news is that while Katie will no longer be a permanent fixture here, Cooked Plates will keep the momentum going - now open three nights a week from Wednesday through Friday. Tables are still minimal, I’d suggest booking. Yum yum yum.

• A Chic Little Quesadilla Recipe: This one is an old favourite rehashed for lazy nights. No matter where you are in the world, I wanted to share something delicious with you - and that is my quick and easy little vegetarian quesadilla recipe that’s still fancy enough to serve at a dinner party. I make it with stuff I have on hand; any leftover tortillas from taco night, swapping machengo for goats’ cheese and parsley for coriander (for obvious reasons), and it normally only calls for a quick trip to the shops for some jarred roasted red peppers. Or you could make your own. It’s surprisingly quick and easy, a little budget friendly, and just genuinely delicious. You’ll find it here.

What To Wear:

• Harris Tapper Sample Sale: Starting now, effectively, the Harris Tapper Sample Sale has become a permanent fixture in the Auckland girlies’ calendar. You’ll find it today and tomorrow at Kingsize Studios in Grey Lynn. Good for basics and also topping up your coat collection for next winter. Don’t worry about rushing down, as always, there’s a lot to look through.

• Black Box Boutique Sample Sale: Kicking off a little later this afternoon, this curated sample and end of season sale can be found at Public Library, with goodies from Entire Studios, Meadowlark, Beach Brains, Paloma Wool and Videris - the latter being my new favourite underwear brand since the great Lonely debacle.

What To Read:

• At Home With Witi Ihimaera: Earlier this year I had the immense joy of spending some time with this literary great - someone who has since become a formative writing figure in my eyes. We formed friendships over shared croissants and cake, and keep in touch from time to time. He’s such a special angel, and this interview is perhaps the piece I’m most proud of. I hope you enjoy it.

• Olivia Arezzolo’s Sleep Tips: Also if you’re lacking in the sleep department, earlier this year I picked sleep-expert Olivia Arezzolo’s brain to discover her recipe for success. It’s since been somewhat bastardised with a shoppable edit that holds little relevance in context, but her insight is brilliant and I’d recommend following every step.

What To Put On Your Face:

• Glossier in NZ: As of yesterday, Glossier officially ships worldwide - signalling perhaps the end of a very isolating era, only just a few years too late. While I feel that the beauty-cult status of this brand has since faded somewhat, hero products like the Cloud Paint and Invisible Shield are currently on their way to me. I’ll come back on these in due course.

• Emma Lewisham’s Anti-Blemish Hero: There’s been a lot of noise about this new product from EL, in part because of a brilliant man behind the PR, but mostly because of its genius and efficacy. A patented strain of probiotic, this blemish-fighting formula is all about adding beneficial elements to the skin, rather than stripping them of their purpose. It’s felt really nourishing throughout my second bout of roaccutane, and has been contributing to a near-constant glow. Also love that the dual-pump mixing situation elicited some nostalgic memories of my preteen favourite Maybelline foundation. Go buy it, the hype is indeed real.

Elsewhere, I’m waiting patiently for Pheobe Philo’s launch at the end of the month. (I imagine I’ll be adding a lot to cart, but maybe pulling the trigger on one piece if I’m lucky.) In the interim I’ve stocked up on some Rachel Mills sleeves to keep me warm, and I’ve ticked one dress of the list for the forthcoming wedding season.

Love Tess xx

What To Eat:

• Stracci: When Melissa Mao first told me her plans for this iconic Westmere address, it sounded like the missing piece for date nights everywhere. This pasta deli is just a few doors down from Ragtag and the team here serve fresh pasta and divine sauces for you to replicate the Italian experience at home. I opted for the pappardelle and beef ragu, and will be returning this week for a tiramisu.

• Agni: I had a seriously divine dinner at this pop-up on Thursday night. Hasan is the sous chef at Alma and his pop-ups (which you can keep tabs on here) will be ones to watch.

What To Wear:

• Phoebe Philo: After her departure from Celine, the fashion cognoscenti have waited so patiently for this launch. The waitlist dropped earlier this year, and this week a date was announced. Mark October 30 in your calendar - and save your pennies between now and then.

• Beare Park One Shoulder Tank Dress: This dress feels like an ode to simplicity, and I’ve already got my hands on the chocolate brown for a late summer wedding. The silk georgette is equally essential for any beach-inspired affair.

• Rachel Mills Bolero: I finally put in an order for these custom Rachel Mills sleeves. Sure to keep you warm through this transitional weather, from early morning pilates to late afternoon office shivers, it’ll be living in my handbag from now on.

What To Listen To:

• October Playlist: Keeping with the moody and nostalgic weather, I’ve curated this little playlist of old favourites on heavy speaker rotation.

• Call Her Daddy S4: Love or hate Alex Cooper, this latest season (so far) is doing something for my ageing, dopamine-craving self. Featuring Alix Earle and Madeleine Argy as a kind of pre-launch publicity for their own podcasts (Hot Mess and Pretty Lonesome, respectively), if these interviews are anything to go by, I’m excited for their own endeavours to drown out my dreary commutes.

To Make Yourself Feel Good:

• Fluidform NZ Takeover: While I find myself uninspired by the notion of another home workout (call it lockdown fatigue), Kirsten King’s Fluidform will finally take up a physical - but not permanent - residence in Auckland. Early November at Hotel Britomart, along with partners HANA, Baina, The Facialist and Maison Balzac, tickets sold out for the first session so quickly, another has just been added. You can reserve your spot here.

  Thanks for reading Compeneri! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.