1. Clip clop
Hot off winning Footwear Designer of the Year at the FQ Awards, Deadly Ponies kicks off Spring ’26 with Mr Clippity, a soft-shouldered tote cinched by a single brass clip, its name a nod to the sharp click of a horse’s hoof on stone. Crafted in Calf Nappa and Calf Suede, it’s built to soften and deepen with wear. The season also sees the Bandit family grow into three new silhouettes, the Pouch, Baguette and Tote, each firmer in construction but unmistakably slouchy at heart. The collection is now available in-store and online.
2. Tying the knot
Volume Three of Maggie Marilyn’s Fine Tailoring collection has landed in its Auckland and Sydney flagship stores and online. This time, inspiration came closer to home: Maggie’s own upcoming wedding, and the moments around it, the shower, the rehearsal dinner, the barefoot day after. The result is a range made for transition, anchored by the High Hopes Blazer, a necktie standing in for a lapel, designed as what Maggie calls “elegant armour.” Crafted from Italian silk-cotton double twill and recycled polyester crepe, the collection is Maggie Marilyn tailoring at its most personal.
3. Pump, then pilates
Tauranga-based BreastFriend, the brand behind wearable breast pump The Breasties, has partnered with Auckland studio Sala to gift new mums a free 10-week Mums & Bubs Pilates series, running every Thursday from 6 August to 8 October. The initiative comes from founder Marie-Claire Houtsmuller, who built BreastFriend after struggling to find adequate pumps and support as an exclusively pumping first-time mother. “The thing I needed most wasn’t just a better pump, it was people,” she says. Held at Sala’s Ponsonby studio, the sessions offer new mums an hour of movement and connection, babies welcome, entirely free to attend.
Spots are limited — book via www.sala.studio
4. Beyond the gym
Australian style authority Elle Ferguson has turned her attention to activewear, bringing her signature styling sensibility to Lorna Jane’s latest collection. Rather than focusing on performance alone, the edit places versatility front and centre, with Ferguson styling key pieces to move seamlessly from morning workouts to coffee meetings and weekend plans. Standouts include the Retro Snap Button Long Sleeve Rib Top and District Cargo Shorts, styled together for the perfect season-round combo. The range is a refined take on athleisure, built around Lorna Jane’s philosophy: designed with intention, worn without limits.
5. August, served
Restaurant Month is here, and Bravo at Cracker Bay is making the most of it with a limited-edition menu running until August 31. It’s the perfect excuse to book that table you’ve been meaning to, two courses for $55 or three for $65, with standouts like cured salmon and caviar, grilled pork scotch fillet with mandarin mustard, and a fazzoletti finished with stracciatella and basil. Restaurant Month only comes around once a year, and Bravo at Cracker Bay’s take is well worth clearing your calendar for.
crackerbay.nz
