Good stuff
People, happenings and things locally and abroad that we applaud.
Make it ethical When founder Sharon Sitter learned more about worker exploitation in the fashion industry she decided she wanted to change her shopping habits and support ethical brands wholeheartedly. And so, Make It Ethical was born. Three years on the online directory features more than 160 ethical fashion brands (including New Zealand label Kowtow, pictured left) for men, women and children, plus coffee, confectionary, homeware and toy companies who are doing good too. makeitethical.com Shop small Buying good things from real people, shopping small and supporting local is what online shopping site, Shop Small is all about. With more than 200 shops on board already since the site launched in September, you can meet the people behind the brands you find and love and gain Shop Small discounts to redeem at the shops of your choice. shopsmall.co.nz MOOI adds to its African family First started after the overwhelming feedback founder Vashti Uys received when she created her first bespoke piece for her own use, MOOI (which means beautiful in Afrikaans) offers a full collection of premium luxe leather and cowhide accessories and handbags, all hand-crafted ethically in South Africa. Get this – all materials used to make the bags are by-products of the food industry. MOOI’s latest news is the opening of Indigo – an ethical family-owned production facility in South Africa, which is in planning to be accredited as 100 per cent Fairtrade certified. mooistore.com
Karen Walker’s Mujer resort collection Artist John Reynolds’ handiwork adorns the faces of the models presenting Karen Walker’s ‘Mujer’ resort collection inspired by the poetry of revolutionist Federico Garcia Lorca. Walker’s love for juxtaposition is clearer than ever in this collection. A beautiful collision of the masculine and feminine, folk and utility. We love the new prints of whimsical wild bouquets, tight geometric shapes and modern take on camouflage. Karen Walker ready-to-wear is now Child Labor Free certified at manufacturing level too. karenwalker.com
Nozomi Store Japanese for hope, Nozomi is filled with beautiful handmade products to discover – including homewares, jewellery and ceramics. It was started by Mt Maunganui couple Mitch and Erin Horton, and everything you find is a reflection of the Nazomi values: skillfully-made and fairly traded all while empowering people. We love their Good Paper handcrafted cards (above) made by women who have escaped sex trafficking in the Phillipines and young adults orphaned by disease in Rwanda. nozomistore.co.nz Colour in your undies Ever felt the urge to colour in your undies? Well now you can with a Thunderpants’ first. Their Colour-Me prints are created by 25-year-old artist Lorien Stern from California, and can be personalised with eco-friendly crayons that you can buy online. thunderpants.co.nz DUTCH LIVING OFF THE GRID A new version of a more sustainable, off-the-grid ‘integrated neighbourhood’ community is being created in the Netherlands. The first of a series of high-tech farm villages, dubbed ReGen Villages, is set to be completed next year. ReGen (Regenerate Villages) is an idea that combines sustainable farming and land management, and will be power positive – effectively generating surplus energy that can be fed back into surrounding electricity grids, also accounting for half of its food growth and all of its waste. Being built just outside of Amsterdam, there are also plans to take the concept to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Germany. Can we move in? MAKE A DIFFERENCE OVERSEAS Planning a trip to India, Kenya or Ecuador? The Travel Corporation’s family of brands has teamed up with social enterprise Me To We. Guests on Trafalgar, Contiki, Adventure World, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Insight Vacations trips can now add on an immersive volunteer trip after their holiday and contribute to sustainable development work in these regions. All meals, ground transfers, transportation and local sightseeing excursions are included on the Me to We volunteer trip extensions. Visit ttc.com and metowe.com.
Summer playlist sorted We’re set to have Kiwi artist Anna Coddington’s new album Luck/Time on repeat all summer long. An eclectic mix of captivating lyrics, great drums and baselines, it’s Coddington’s first album since 2011, and her new music is a reflection of her varying life experiences since then. Check out her album release tour dates, which kick off from October 28. annacoddington.com We love the packaging, not to mention the flavour of Ceres Organics new Organic Mayonnaise, made with only organically grown, plant-based ingredients – no eggs! Give it a go and you’ll also discover it’s creamy and smooth in texture with a light tangy flavour - yum. ceresorganics.co.nz Real Seal has us smiling at their range of toothpastes made without added fluoride, harsh chemicals, dyes or other nasties and instead from all-natural ingredients. Red Seal offer a range of toothpastes including kids, smokers, baking soda, natural and propolis flavours. redseal.co.nz New Zealand Kettle Korn, who are an official partner of Eat My Lunch, have recently launched their special supporter’s bag initiative in all major supermarkets – pledging that for every special bag of Kettle Korn brought, they’ll give another to a Kiwi child in need. Their goal is to donate 100,000 extra bags to the Eat My Lunch programme, an awesome effort as they’ve already committed to donating $20,000 a year to the programme, which provides 4,000 extra lunches. kettlecorn.co.nz
Living beauty Introducing French food blogger Mimi Thorisson, the first face of beauty brand L’OCCITANE who is fronting their Immortelle Precious and Divine skincare ranges. Thorrison’s natural beauty values draw parallels to L’OCCITANE’s – who believe beauty is not about perfection, it’s about living. Beauty breathes, it is alive and we should take a natural and graceful approach to ageing. Thorrison loves nature, just like L’OCCITANE, too. “It’s like going back to my roots, back to basics,” she says. loccitane.co.nz
Pasture restaurant mindful of waste Good was lucky enough to attend a preview of the menu at newly opened Parnell restaurant Pasture, created by husband and wife team Ed and Laura Verner. With an intimate setting and strong focus on sustainability and gastronomic discovery, the restaurant offers one tasting menu to give diners a complete and crafted experience. It also allows the team to be more conscious and minimise food waste. pastureakl.com BEST FISH GUIDE APP Get ready to download the 2017 Best Fish Guide app this November, brought to you by New Zealand conservation organisation Forest & Bird. The app will help consumers monitor the sustainability of the seafood they are purchasing, and features a ‘traffic light system’ that gauges the best choice of seafood to buy. Seafood is ranked in an ecological assessment looking at various factors such as fishing methods, habitat damage and each species’ biological characteristics. The app also features delicious seafood recipes from famous New Zealand chefs. forestandbird.org.nz WELLINGTON CANCER SOCIETY POWER UP The Cancer Society’s Margaret Stewart House in Wellington has launched a fundraising appeal to pay for solar panels that will generate predicted savings on power bills of $300,000 over the next 25 years. The ‘Power Up The Cancer Society’ campaign will culminate in 116 new solar panels at Margaret Stewart House. The savings means more money for services and amenities for the area’s 21,000 cancer sufferers. cancernz.org.nz