1. Coming up roses
Despite what Miranda Priestly famously said in The Devil Wears Prada, we’ll never shy from florals during spring. This week, Maggie Marilyn has welcomed yet another drop from her coveted ‘The Best of It’ collection, introducing eight new floral styles inspired by the designer’s upbringing in the Bay of Islands. “The pale pink cottage roses – a fixture in the garden at both my childhood home up North in KeriKeri, and the Auckland home I spent my late teens in, were always pruned to perfection, and then arranged by mum into posies that we’d find scattered around the house,” says founder and designer Maggie Hewitt. “So at the beginning of the year when I started designing this collection, I asked Rani, our print designer, to hand-paint a cottage rose print using a photo of mum’s garden as her reference.” Harnessing a romantic palette of white, baby pink and pearl, the collection’s bespoke floral print is available in a selection of dresses and top styles that have already secured a place at the top of our sartorial wish lists.
The new drop is available in Maggie Marilyn’s Auckland and Sydney homes now, as well as online at maggiemarilyn.com
2. No frills
Beloved for their luxurious locally-sourced leather accessories, Wellington/Pōneke-based brand Yu Mei has just welcomed a new UTILITY line to its already extensive collection. Crafted from ECONYL regenerated nylon, the new range offers a selection of practical yet chic styles, with each design informed by the needs and experiences of Yu Mei’s customer base. “We’ve always listened to our community and are constantly looking to anticipate their needs,” says founder Jessie Wong. “It turns out, a lot of us are out of the house for 10-12 hours a day. We need gym bags, baby bags, travel bags—they need to be hard wearing, but also need to speak to the understated luxury aesthetic of our community.” With eight utility-driven styles now on offer, there’s a piece to suit just about any lifestyle.
View the entire UTILITY range online now at yumeibrand.com
3. Beat the blues
Give your brain and body a daily boost with Happy Days – the newest supplement release from the team at Two Islands. Formulated with the perfect balance of science and nature, Happy Days is a mood support capsule designed to lower the body’s cortisol levels and reduce feelings of stress and burnout that can result when we’re overwhelmed at work. Blending together a range of clinically-researched ingredients including Bluenesse Lemon Balm, Safr’Inside Saffron and AshwaMind ashwaghanda, the supplement helps to regulate mood-enhancing neurotransmitters and supports the nervous system, making it the ideal thing to take before kick starting your workday.
Give Happy Days a try for yourself by heading to twoislandsco.com
4. Beachy keen
Tauranga-based fashion enthusiasts have a lot to be excited about this week as local label Ruby opens the doors to a new store in Mount Maunganui’s main strip. Arriving as the brand’s eighth location in Aotearoa, the store is set to become a hotspot over summer – as many people flock to the region for the festive break. Located just a stone’s throw away from other boutiques such as Sisters & Co and Paper Plane, the Ruby team partnered with multi-disciplinary build & design studio Homewerk and interior designer Sam Boanas to create the new space. With a kaleidoscope of colourful textiles and pastel hues lining the walls, the new store offers an inviting space for brand lovers to try on their latest creations in person.
RUBY Mount Maunganui is open now at 116 Maunganui Road. Head in store or shop their latest collection online now.
5. Pretty in pink
We’ve long been fans of The Ordinary’s affordable yet hardworking skincare, and recently they’ve added a new product to their collection: The Soothing & Barrier Support Repair Serum. Like the name suggests, the serum is designed to repair the skin’s barrier, soothe discomfort, and reduce the look of redness (just in time for allergy season), with the added benefit of delivering lasting hydration. Formulated with a variety of skin-loving ingredients including Niacinamide, ceramides, and Vitamin B12 (which gives the product its distinctive pink colour), it’s the ideal serum for those looking to elevate their current skincare routine without breaking the bank.
The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Repair Serum is available online now.
