Milan / Lake Como / Italy

One of the highlights of my year has to be my trip to Italy this week - I don't even know where or how to start expressing how important this trip was for me. I was given the opportunity to visit one of the largest and oldest design archives in Europe to research and pull fabrics for work but more importantly to put my Coronation scarf line into development. I was sitting in this incredible building, on Lake Como with my scarf designs on the table surrounded by Louis Vuitton and Hermes scarf samples as examples of the type of quality we can expect. I sat there and just told myself to really really remember and enjoy this moment. When I left uni all I wanted was to have something I designed in a shop and that happened pretty quickly after I graduated so I just let the rest happen in its own way. If someone had told me when I left uni that all of these incredible things would happen in my life within 4 years of graduating I don't know if I would have believed them - mainly because this is the type of thing I read about in magazines or saw on TV - I guess working in the fashion industry was never on my radar in the first place which has really taught me not to plan life and just take it as it comes.

I left for Milan on Sunday morning and arrived in the freezing cold and rain - a random cold blast hit Europe over the weekend! But still I ventured out and saw the Duomo di Milano which literally took my breath away - it was an incredible sight! Inside was stunning as well and after I had warmed up a bit I left and made my way to the Castello Sforzesco which had beautiful grounds to walk around and explore. I couldn't help but think that in NZ I could barely make it to Wellington from Auckland without someone helping me at the airport and now I travel around Europe solo and quite enjoy it really. Only hassle I had in Milan was local people hanging around the ticket machines trying to help and then ask for money but other than that it was very safe and easy to get around.

The next morning I boarded a train for a half hour journey to Lake Como and spent the next two days there for work - it was still chilly but the sun was out and the lake was stunning, really reminded me of Queenstown actually. I finished work then headed to the airport and 
got home round 11:30pm and was up bright and early for work the next day!

I worked out that over the last 10 weekends I have had two full ones in London and one of them was working at the fashion show so I am looking forward to chilling out a bit this weekend and checking out some fireworks - next Thursday I fly up to Scotland to spend some time with my family before heading to the All Blacks game near Edinburgh! 

TOKYO!

Wow, where to start with Tokyo?? Was it everything I had imagined it to be? I feel like it was such a whirlwind trip and I worked long days but on the whole I really did love Japan and would definitely plan to go back in the future especially to Kyoto or Osaka where its more historical and traditional. For the first time in my life I had serious culture shock! Whenever I have travelled around Europe most people speak English and there are English signs around for restaurants or travel or the wording is similar enough for you to figure out what it says - even travelling to Turkey I was with a bus full of Aussies and Kiwis with a tour guide that organised everything for us so this was my first experience being the sole traveler in a completely different country to anything I had experienced before. Of course I was looked after by the team in Japan who were so hospitable - in general the Japanese culture are incredibly polite and respectful, everything they do is done with a touch of natural elegance. 

It was also my first official business trip - I have traveled to Paris for work to look for prints and fabrics and do market research but this time round I went by myself and had to meet a lot of people and learn a lot about what our company does in Japan - I feel it went very well and I was so nervous before I went but I just got on with it and did the best I could. I didn't experience any jet lag which was a bonus - I arrived around lunch time on the Monday and then had a nap before wandering around the area near my hotel it was so exciting and I ordered a Ramen noodle dish through a vending machine system - you select what you want then pay then the receipt is taken to the kitchen and the food is made in front of you! It was a small, loud, fast paced Japanese diner and I was the only foreigner in there - over my travels I have learnt to eat down the side streets where all the locals are hidden!

The Japanese have so much respect for their country and each other - the subway stations are five times the size as London one - literally - and still people line up at each door to get on the tube where as here everyone just pushes and shoves. The streets are so clean, to think that there are 130 million Japanese people in a similar sized landmass to New Zealand which has 4 million people and their busiest city is so much cleaner - it was really something. I thought that the London stations were confusing when I first got here - even if your a local in Tokyo it can still be tricky to figure out which line to go on - even if you have a smart phone! So many exits, platforms and train lines I would have honestly just taxied if I was by myself!

One of my favourite things in Japan was Kakigori - its literally crushed ice with amazing syrups and whipped green tea ice-cream oh my god I had one every day I was there! It was so humid during the day and it poured down on one of the nights to the point where I had to empty my shoes! My favourite day was spent with my dear friend Maiko who used to work at Daks. We visited Asakusa where there was a temple and huge market - my eyes teared up a bit when I saw the temple, I have never seen a Japanese temple in real life and have always dreamed of visiting one. When we were leaving Maiko spotted a 'Monjayaki' traditional restaurant, barely any signs and no tourist would have noticed it or wanted to go in cause it didn't look very appealing but inside was amazing and we sat on the floor and had our own BBQ table, you order the ingredients and cook your own food, was so cool! Then we headed to Kappabashi which was a road full of amazing cheap shops at wholesale price so I bought some chopsticks, miso bowls and cups. We then visited Meigi Zinguu temple but had to look through the gates as we got there too late! But it was round the corner from Takesita Douri which was a really cool young fun shopping district, so colourful and exciting! We went to the Sky Tree but no tickets were available (was still amazing to see from the outside) so we decided to head to Roppongi Hills where you get one of the best views of all of Tokyo city - it was as high as the sky tower in Auckland. It was a really breath taking moment just standing there staring out at the biggest city I have ever seen - it was dark by this point and the lights were amazing, it was like something from the Matrix, just building after building it stretched on and on. It was 9pm by the time we finished there so we headed out for a traditional dinner - in Japan restaurants some have separate areas / rooms so they slid open this door for us and our table was in there, then they closed the door we had our own room it was such an experience! We ate traditional food and it was so good - I want to go back!! Of course I had some Saki too then we headed back to the hotel, had a few hours sleep then headed to Tokyo station for my bus.

Because I travel so much around Europe it never occurred to me that my debit card wouldn't work in Japan... luckily I had my credit card but that could have even been cancelled cause I didn't tell my bank I was traveling out of the EU. It was quite stressful on the last day cause I literally just made the bus to the airport (I did leave with plenty of time but couldn't figure out where the bus stop was!) then I had to pay for my ticket on the way - if my card had declined I would have literally had no money or any access to money and I wouldn't have been able to get to the airport.... the thought alone makes me feel ill! But I made it in the end so all good! Before I left NZ I was sooo super organised with all things travel but now I'm so chilled out about it, probably a bit too much though!

I didn't get jet lag when returning either so, bonus number 2! All in all it was such an amazing adventure, it all went so quick I have to really tell myself it actually happened! Next work trip is to Lake Como at the end of October so I can't wait to go and see all the design archives and work with the designers there. Will update when I return!

Daks Fashion Show SS2013 / PV Paris Trip

This years show was my favourite so far and we had great reviews from the likes of Vogue UK and Style.com. I don't think the excitement will ever fade even when your working crazy hours and up at the crack of dawn (well, before dawn and thats if your one of the lucky ones that gets some sleep!) arriving at Somerset House when everything is still dark and quiet - its really special moment. I loved the sequin fabrics and accessories!

The following Thursday we were up at 4:45am to get a train to Paris to visit Premiere Vision once more - again I can't see myself getting over being surrounded by the most beautiful prints and fabrics that Europe has to offer! The next day consisted of market research and then a few of us stayed on for the weekend as there are some markets that are only on a Saturday. Instead of staying at a hotel over the weekend we found an apartment on www.airbnb.com which I can't recommend enough - theres a different story behind each apartment and the one we got was through a women that lived there and hired it out sometimes in the weekends while she was away - it was so cool and in a very safe courtyard right near the Notre Dame and you can't really get more central than that. Prices are very affordable as well, so much nicer than staying in a hotel. We would get up in the morning and play the French radio while we got ready - so much fun! If you are ever in Paris you must eat at a restaurant called Fish la Boissonnerie. I walked in and saw paua shells and a Pukeko which was quite odd in the middle of France! Some of the most beautiful food I have ever eaten (French cuisine) and half of the restaurant is owned by a Kiwi and the chef is from Japan! Perfect combination if you ask me! We asked for some bread and its so fresh that they walk across the road to a night bakery and it comes in hot from the oven, how cool is that. Will definitely be returning there at some point!

I really have grown to love Paris and it is one of my favourite cities, once you know the city a bit more and avoid the touristy areas its the perfect city for a weekend getaway.

Spain

Spain was beautiful, such a nice relaxing, chilled week - I haven't had a relaxing full week at the beach for nearly two years now which is kinda crazy! The day before we flew out news broke that the worst forest fires in a decade had spread through the area we were going to, basically we were flying to Malaga and driving to Estepona but the road we needed to use was right in the middle of these fires. Anyway airports were still open and we figured it would be fine and when we got there the road was open again but it was black along the motorway and there was still smoke in some places from the last of the now dying fire... of course my parents weren't informed of this until I returned to London!! The fire had spread to the forestry near our house so everyone had vacated which meant we had the pool to ourselves for a few days!! Crazy to think we probably would have had to go back to London if we had flown out on the Friday instead...

Nothing major to report other than that, we slept in, swam in the pool, chilled on the beach, ate at yummy restaurants and just really relaxed in the beautiful sun. It felt a bit like home and its so refreshing to walk around in boardies and a singlet again! On one of the nights we went on a boat ride and watched the sunset which was one of my favourite parts of the holiday for sure. There was a marina round the corner from the beach and we had dinner at the restaurants there and I couldn't help but think that for 12 years I lived round the corner from Half Moon Bay marina and only ate there once - its truly amazing what you see when you leave home that you never saw when it was in front of you everyday. 

Whats next? Well this week is the lead up to our fashion show so it will be work work work, the following week we will be in Paris for four days and the most exciting news of all is that I will be heading to Tokyo in 3 weeks time. TOKYO! Since I was 9 years old and first wrote my name in Katakana I have dreamed of Japan and finally I have the opportunity to go with work for 7 days. Following Japan (literally the next week) I will be in Lake Como with work again to develop a project I have been working on for the past few months. Full steam ahead!

Ayr - Beggs Factory

I was lucky enough to stay with my family for an extra day as I had a factory visit in Ayr which is about 2 hours away from where I was in Livingston so first thing Tuesday morning I boarded a train and headed to Ayr. The factory there is incredible, we got a behind the scenes tour to see how all of our goods are manufactured and the factory also produce for the likes of Louis Vuitton and Hermes Paris - its a bit surreal walking around with piles of Louis Vuitton blankets and scarves just sitting there! Its such an interesting process - techniques and machinery are still in use from hundreds of years ago. Everyone was so lovely and welcoming and Ayr itself is a really sweet quaint town. At 6pm we boarded a flight back to London, I have been in the office for 3 days now and am re-packing tonight to head to Spain for a week with some girlfriends where I plan to do nothing but sit on a beach and sip cocktails! Oh la la!

Scotland Family Wedding / Reunion

Last weekend was a bank holiday for England so I booked an extra day and had four days with my family in Scotland. My cousin David got married to his partner of 12 years and it was the first time the whole family had been together since I was 7 years old (minus my parents and brother of course but they sent a message to be read out at the speeches which was really nice). We danced all night long, my legs were sore for days after!! It was my first Scottish family wedding and everyone looked so smart in their kilts - even though I have never lived in Scotland it all feels very natural when I'm up there with the traditions etc and its just great to spend time with everyone. On Sunday my Auntie Ali had a big family BBQ at hers, even though most of us were struggling from the night before it was a great BBQ with lots of food and more drink....! I love getting away to Scotland, at the moment I visit around four times a year and will be up again in November when the All Blacks are playing there so will squeeze in some family time as well as NZ time!

One Year at DAKS

Wow - I can't believe that I have been at Daks for a whole year now! I have had such an incredible year here and have been given so many amazing opportunities - still pinching myself really. I never thought in a million years that I would end up in the fashion industry - it was never my 'thing' but now I just can't get enough of it and am officially hooked! I work with such a talented team who are also now great friends of mine so I couldn't be happier. When I think to back to living at home and hearing stories of designers in London that get to travel to Italy and Paris during the year it just sounded like a movie to me - I mean, I only did see it in the movies - and now thats my life, even writing this now I'm pausing and thinking, wow. The mornings where we get in a black cab and head off to the V&A to see an exhibition or wake up after a nap at a hotel to get a 6am cab and head to Somerset House to work backstage at the fashion show - those are the movie mornings.

I've been working towards this since I started my diploma in computer graphic design when I was 16 years old and ten years down the line I am so proud of my journey through the design world, I really can't imagine any other way of living, I am constantly learning and growing and I just can't seem to get enough of it.

Next month is London fashion week yet again followed by a trip to Paris to the textile fair - I'm staying on for the weekend to have a mini break while I'm there - I never seem to get over seeing seeing the Eiffel Tower its just so breathtaking so were planning a picnic in the park near by as well as exploring the markets for some vintage finds. Before all of this I'm off to Scotland for my cousins wedding then off to Spain for a week of relaxation - all my holidays consist of traveling over chilling so I'm going to take some books and just chill out. I really feel like I could just sit at the beach and stare at the ocean for a week straight!

There are so many exciting projects coming up at Daks over the next year so I'm ready to go into year two with just as much excitement and enthusiasm as when I first started here - I look forward to updating you all with future projects! 

Fare Thee Well Wimbledon - Hello Clapham!

After 11 months in our gorgeous home in Wimbledon (re-named Wimbles or Wimbledoniam) it is time to say goodbye. Where the time has gone I do not know!
I have never lived anywhere else this long that hasn't been a family home (due to me being in the generation of returning home to save some dosh every now and again!) so it has been bitter sweet leaving. I have decided to venture out on my own so I can meet new people and even though it was daunting at first I'm really glad I settled on this decision as I have found a nice new place in Clapham South. Its really hard finding a new place in London, so many factors play into it with cost, location, competition with every other flat hunter and of course finding people you actually like and feel you could live with and vice versa. You have about 10-15 minutes in each house and that includes getting to know the flat mates! After a few months of searching I finally found a house that is 25 minutes to work (I was an hour away in Wimbles) and of course one of my new flatties is a Kiwi and ones an Aussie - but there is one token English! They had around 20 people come to view the place so I was stoked when they called and offered me the room - I saw it on the Monday and by the next night it was settled really - like I said, rooms go quick. So to fare thee well our first home in London we had a tennis themed BBQ at the house with friends! I made tennis ball cake pops which were so cute! Definitely my new craze...

I'm excited about this new chapter in my London life - at first I had minimal things in my room as I was all about saving to travel but seeing that London is now where I live I am going to make this new place more of a home (as in I want to buy photo frames, cushions, candles etc all the little things I initially wanted to do without) so I was a little naughty and splashed out on a beautiful cushion from John Lewis to get things started! Seems I will be here for a while so might as well decorate! I couldn't believe the pile of things I had to move - considering that I only arrived last year with just one suitcase - I have accumulated a fair bit!  

Hope everyone back home is keeping warm, its been really hot here the last week (going to rub it in while I can, tomorrow may be freezing again for all I know!) Will be doing an 'Out and About in London' update soon! Happy weekend to you all!

Royal Windsor Horse Show

A few Sundays ago I went along to The Royal Horse Show with my work colleagues as Daks is one of the key sponsors of this event. It's held annually in Windsor, about an hour from central Waterloo station and is only £4.40 return which is amazing for London! Windsor is such a beautiful, quaint town full of character and history - I had no idea it was there until this trip! I really need to study up more on London... You arrive in a cute little village of commercial shops and as you walk out Windsor castle is right in front of you! Beautiful rivers and parks surround the area making it perfect for picnics on a sunny day (so not that often over here haha!) and the grounds from the station are about a 10 minute walk away.

It was such a fun day out and I'm really glad I went, it was like a huge fair with stalls, rides and of course the show area - we had V.I.P tickets from Daks so got some of the best seats! There was a perfomance from the NZ Army band which was so cool to see! They even did a version of the haka!!! Its buzzy to be in the same place as the Queen and other royals though, its a world you just see in the tabloids or on the news so to be that close was an awesome experience. Highly recommend a visit to Windsor should you ever visit London....

Ephesus & Pamukkale

Today I was bright eyed and bushy tailed while everyone else was feeling absolutely rubbish! To start the day we headed to the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (which later became a Roman City). 

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - no need to guess why - I thought it didn’t get better than the ruins of Pergamum but I was happily mistaken - I can’t even describe how breath taking this place was, walking around what was once and actual city that the ancient Greeks and Romans walked through thousands of years ago - how do you comprehend it? Its one of the biggest must-sees of the tour thats for sure! You’ll see in one of the photos above what they used to use for toilets - not alot of privacy! It was 28 degrees when we were walking through here so an ice cream was needed before we boarded the bus to continue on our way to Pamukkale!

On the way, we stopped at a leather good factory where they put on a mini fashion show - out of everyone I got pulled up, taken back stage, dressed in a leather coat and sunnies and made to walk down the runway... was all good fun though! Then we stopped at an incredible carpet making company - the workmanship that goes into one carpet was remarkable. It can take 9 months to make just one square meter of carpet by hand and we got to see such talented women creating a piece of carpet each, one knot at a time. Of course I was in my element photographing every piece of carpet  - the designs were so inspiring! Then we all got given apple tea and they rolled out carpet upon carpet for us to see. The building was huge and as you walk down the corridor there is room after room after room each with an individual business selling carpet - it was really something else! Everywhere you go in Turkey there seems to be carpet especially at markets like the Grand Bazaar - being a tourist I’m not sure how we are meant to buy it and carry it through customs!!

To finish the day we headed to Pamukkale which is famous for its unique cascades of natural mineral rich pools - it was so beautiful. When I saw this on the brochure before booking I thought it was snow! Its an incredible mountain like area of white rock and the water is so fresh, clear and warm. It went down layer by layer - everyone has to take there shoes off before stepping onto it so you have to be careful walking barefoot down the layers and in the water but wow it was so cool!!! Highly recommend! We then headed to our hotel where there were hot thermal pools and all chilled out and relaxed. I was out like a light that night and didn’t wake up till 6am when we had to get up and get ready for our 11 hour bus ride back to Istanbul which actually went quite quickly as we were watching movies and sleeping most of the way. An ice cream fight with one of the Aussie boys at lunch ended with me in a puddle of water and mud so I spent the last half of the bus trip soaked and I had to sing again for being last on the bus which wasn't fair! I survived though - thanks to my fair share of experiences growing up with an older brother - having my clothes ruined by mud and sitting in dampness for a few hours wasn't the worst thing that I have had to endure in my lifetime! Love you Greig!

Roman Pergamum

 

 

 

 

The Roman ruins of Pergamum were so amazing!!! WOW! I love ancient ruins, walking around them and imagining who walked before you on the exact same path. The craftsmanship and labour that went behind these ancient structures are just remarkable. I was never really interested in history at school, everything was always art and design (still is really!) but after the past year I have such a keen interest in history - I find it all so fascinating! We got a gondola up to the top of the hill, reminded me of going up to the gondolas in Rotorua, and had a wonder around for an hour or so all while our tour leader was telling us the stories behind the ruins. Rege used to be a history teacher and speaks great English so we all really enjoyed learning from him - he must have told the history of this place so many times but he re-tells it with such pride that this all took place in his country. I had no idea Turkey contains so much history from the Roman empire...

We arrived at our hotel which was a bit of a down-grade from the last few but still better than a hostel! That night was 'the big night out' but considering the state I was in from the previous night I just had a sober dancing night out! Randomly we went to an Irish Bar... in Turkey? Yes... whats more there was a tattoo parlour right next door. What happens when a bunch of Aussies get drunk next to a tattoo parlour?? Note how I said Aussies and not Kiwis haha! A handful got tattoos, including a 6 inch Tinkerbell sitting on a lotus flower... my oh my...

My Birthday!

 

 

 

At dinner after we arrived at the hotel from Gallipoli, Logan and I were surprised by an amazing and delicious Turkish cake that our tour guide had organised for us!! It was so thoughtful and sweet and really made my day. There was a group of 8 or so that were adamant on celebrating into the night even though they were exhausted from the last few days which I thought was really neat especially since we only really just met everyone! After a few bottles of Raki and Vodka I woke up minus my camera, shoes and sunnies. This is a sign of a fantastic birthday!!! After running around the hotel for an hour or so I finally found all my belongings and clambered onto the bus - needless to say I wasn't feeling the best....! It was my first birthday away from home and it was one to remember, especially because of the experience at the Anzac service.

I was surprised at work when I returned the following Monday with a gorgeous cake and cookbook! I was rummaging in the cupboard for a book and somehow two offices of people managed to sneak up behind me and start singing happy birthday - I got the fright of my life!! I can't believe I am doing another birthday update on this blog - feels like it was not that long ago since I posted about my 25th combined with my farewell - time flies! I can't believe I am 26 years old - each year I feel more carefree and fun even though I have more responsibility in terms of looking after myself etc but I'm free to do whatever I please and I'm so excited for the next year!!!

Gallipoli, Turkey

 

This morning we were up early and away heading to the WW1 battlefields on the Gallipoli Peninsular. We stopped off for a BBQ lunch on the way then continued on to the site. We parked up in a long queue of buses where we had to wait for a few hours in line before getting into the service area - you have to go through a security check like you would at the airport. So we left our stuff in a heap and wondered over the small hill to a beautiful beach - it was a site I will always remember with a big smile - hundreds of Aussies and Kiwis standing on the bank in awe of the sandy beach before us and almost simultaneously everyone took off their shoes and ran onto the beach, splashing in the water, chucking a rugby ball around (who packs a rugby ball fro Anzac day? Of course our culture does!) and on top of this Logan and I bumped into another friend form uni!!!! Pretty crazy, we also saw Sarah and Christian again (they were on a different bus) so we all got to sit together in the stands for the service. My favourite thing about travelling is the fact that you can meet perfect strangers from NZ and Aus and just bond immediately - Sarah and I were sitting together all night, arms around each other keeping warm and chatting away to everyone like we had been friends for years - were all away from home and you can't help but feel homesick when you are surrounded by Aussies and Kiwis and watching documentaries all night on these young, innocent lads that lost their lives in such an unnecessary, pointless war. We saw letters written to loved ones, re-enactments of families being told their sons weren't coming home and when your away from home yourself its even harder - it was one of the best experiences of my life though and we all supported each other - we were just so proud to be there representing our countries and paying respects to all the brave men that perished on the very hill we were sitting on - and the ones that survived. Anyone who survived the horrific circumstances of that war would never be the same again.

I was one of the only ones from my bus that stayed awake the entire night. I thought, how often do you get a chance to come to Gallipoli for Anzac day? Its a once in a lifetime event and I didn't want to miss a minute of it. I got to see the sunrise on my birthday, in Gallipoli and its something I will never ever forget. After 12 hours the dawn service commenced and it was really something to see. When it finished we began our 6.2km walk up hill (even at 7am the day was really warming up so we had to stop a few times to remove all our layers!) to where the Kiwi service was being held and again this was something special. We got to sing our national anthem twice in one morning and it meant so much for me to be able to do this. I'm so glad that I did Gallipoli this year - last year I wouldn't have appreciated being surrounded by my fellow Kiwis and Aussies - we are truly such a unique group of people and really come together to support each other no matter where we are in the world.

After the service there is up to a 4 hour wait for the bus to come but somehow our cheeky tour leader managed to arrive in under an hour after the service! We were all exhausted so got on the bus and headed off to Ayvalik where you would think we would have an early night - but since it was mine and Logans birthday it didn't quite turn out that way!!

Anzac Day in Gallipoli was definitely the highlight of my trip. Every single Kiwi and Aussie should experience this remarkable service and pay their respects at least once in their lives. I feel its something I will go back and do again when I am older. I had no idea of the true story behind Anzac Day and over 120,000 soldiers lost their lives. One out of every three that came off the boats on arrival were instantly shot dead and the next 8 months were spent in trenches through the coldest winters and hottest summers - they advanced just 200 meters up the hill in 8 months. We watched a documentary on the bus a few days later and the exact details and actual photos from the event will never leave my memory. Over the past year I have seen such disturbing imagery and learnt of some the most inhumane events that have occurred throughout history - as well as visiting the sites where they all actually happened - but I have made myself watch and learn because if human beings just like you and I actually went through these unthinkable times the least we can do is learn about what happened and help ensure that it never happens again.