Bare Beaunz : Nick

You know it’s been a good party when you make a new friend, and at Colin Mathura-Jeffree’s 40^th a few weeks ago my ‘date’ and I bonded over a bottle of Champagne with a charismatic, Seuss-like character who I later discovered was jeweler Nick Klarwill, aka Nick Von K.

Designer jewelry that borders on the macabre seems to be the thing in New Zealand at the moment, with everyone from Meadowlark to Stolen Girlfriends Club doing a covetable variation on teeth and bones. What I love about Nick’s pieces is their raw, unabashed commitment to his aesthetic, and the underlying gentleness that manifests in pieces like Nest Egg and Polar Bear Hug.

Nick kindly agreed to be on Beaunz today, before jetting off to Bali to design his next collection. Over to you Nick…

I just bought…

Two leather jackets I had tailor made in Bali, they were design experiments and both worked out rather well, using a new leather finish called ‘cracked’ that is super soft.

I’m about to buy…

Some new sunnies, not sure what just yet but I’m thinking Ksubi. I know it’s winter but it’s never winter in Bali and I’m off on Tuesday morning to finish the new collection.

I wish I could buy…

A classic ‘73 Dodge Charger in matt black like the cop cars in the recent movie In Time. I just don’t want to commit to the maintenance issues, so I go with a Japo.

When I was a kid I wanted to be…

Robin Hood. I think it was the climbing trees bit that really got me, plus the super cool way he would outdo all the bad guys. He was sneaky, clever, talented and wore great clothes, everything to aspire to it seems!

I never leave the house without…

Saying goodbye to my cat Poppy. She is a black Burmese and I’ve had her since the day she was born in my bedroom 15 years ago.

If I wasn’t so naughty I would…

Get into less trouble.

At home I am usually…

Quiet, it’s my recharge time. And at the moment that means sitting by the fire with Poppy and a Game of Thrones episode.

My fashion sense at school was…

Uniform. And how I hated it. Once I got to Uni and was free of that conformist jail cell I went mental and wore all sorts of crazy things – I’ve been toning down ever since and yet even now people comment on my crazy attire at times (and I wouldn’t have it any other way).

If I had one magic power it would be…

Flying. I fly in my dreams all the time and it’s the best.

The last time I really laughed was…

Yesterday – we convinced a friend that the aioli I had made was actually cream fraiche and she plopped some on her rice pudding. I just couldn’t believe she would be so gullible, especially with so many of us standing around waiting for her to do it!!

My secret pleasure is…

If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret anymore would it? Let’s just say I’m a healthy young man with a good appetite and leave it at that :)

I’m happiest when…

Dreaming up a new design, and then seeing it become real.

If I died tomorrow, I would be remembered for…

My fits of passion, my crazy ideas, my (mis)adventures, my wardrobe, my naughtiness and last but definitely not least, my laziness.

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I want to be a hunter again...

I'm loving this gorgeous antler ring, one of several matina amanita pieces I've got my eye on at Ruby Boutique.


The quirky and sweet jewelry collection was designed for Thai label Sretsis, and though I haven't found a local stockist for her clothes, Ruby have done the clever thing and nabbed a selection of the jewelry. 


I count antlers in my overall obsession with bones, I find them regal and beautiful and can't wait to have one of these antler lamps in my home. For now, I'll have to make do with this ring...


x

Saturday Scrapbook : Skulls

5 Skull Necklace by Meadowlark 

I have a weird (and sort of secret - until now) love of all things bony and macabre. While living in London, one of my favourite things to do was visiting the various catacombs around Europe, squinting in the dark to see the old skeletons and skulls. A spin-off is that I find it really hard to walk away from jewellery or homewares decorated with bones of any kind, and am hoping to one day own a house big enough to find space for a life-sized skeleton of some sort. Creepy? Guilty as charged. But I know I'm not the only one...enjoy...

Paris Catacombs (image credit unknown)

Skull beanie on display at Superette Ponsonby 

Skull cameo from Yellow Brick Road Boutique

SS2012 collection from Stolen Girlfriends Club, read the full review on Thread here

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The Love Stuff : Part 2

Zoe & Morgan Mini Star Ring

Dear Zoe & Morgan,


In the event that someone decides to spend some money on me this Valentine's Day, please nudge him gently in this direction.


Much love


x

I'm a little magpie...

After pulling out all my 'girlie accoutrements' to get ready for a friend's wedding in Melbourne, I was taken by how pretty they looked and couldn't help taking a photo.  


It made me realise how much I love being female, with all the sparkly, fluttery, pretty, smelly things we accumulate. Although 95% of the time I'm mooching around in jeans and flats (albeit red lipped), I don't need much encouragement to throw on a dress and heels. 


I dabbled in women's studies as part of my BA then spent a couple of years feeling guilty each time I applied lipstick. Was I really only doing it to titillate the men around me? These days I know the real answer to that...heck no. 


I love makeup and jewelry and beautiful clothes because I like to be surrounded by pretty things. Life's too long for bad shoes.


x

The other gold

How beautiful is this ring? It belongs to my friend Klara, and was bought in New York by her sister, Bara. 


Since receiving my platinum engagement ring, I have resisted wearing yellow gold and for the most part, haven't missed it...until now. 


Since spying Klara's ring, I have been singing a little rhyme that my Mum taught me in school. 'Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.'


Perhaps it is time I made friends again with the other gold.


x

Bare Beaunz : Zoe

It's funny how you create an image of someone in your head before you meet them, and how completely opposite the reality often turns out to be. 

I have been coveting Zoe & Morgan jewelry since I spotted them in London a few years ago, and recently had the opportunity to meet one third of the sibling team, Zoe Williams. I immediately said yes, then freaked out that she would be so cool, hip and chic that I would make a complete nonce of myself. Well, in this case it was half true. Zoe is cool, hip and chic but she is also so welcoming and lovely that I immediately felt like an old friend. 

True to form, Zoe's Bare Beaunz is like a beam of sunshine on cloudy day (okay - that was a little noncey...sorry). Over to you, Zoe.

I just bought...?
A huge amount of stationery from a Japanese shop on Queen St.

I'm about to buy...?

A yellow bicycle! Can't wait to get the wind in my hair and sing a little 'good morning coffee here I come' sing-a-long song.

I wish I could buy...?
An Olympic sized swimming pool for my garden.

When I was a kid I wanted to be...?
A stress free adult that ate peaches all day!

I never leave the house without...?
Jewellery on of course!

If it wasn't so naughty I would...?
Take a 4month holiday every year.

At home I am usually...?
Cooking for my children, working in my office, and planning fun and games.

My fashion sense at school was...?
Understated cool. I used to get asked to help strangers do their shopping. I guess I was quite particular from a young age, and only wore what I felt really comfortable in.

If I had one magic power it would be...?
To create happiness.

The last time I (really) laughed was…?
With my son Ace on the weekend.

My secret pleasure is...?
Facials and massage therapy.

I'm happiest when...?
I'm traveling the world

If I died tomorrow I would be remembered for...?
The smile on my face.

x

Who needs a house when you can have diamonds?

New New York ring by Jessica McCormack

A while back, I told the boy he didn't need to worry about buying me diamonds until he could afford this ring from Tiffany. How considerate and charitable of me, right? Of course, I could be waiting awhile (or forever) but the truth is, I'm not a big earring wearer, and necklaces these days are wrenched off in seconds by little hands.

This week, I visited The Department Store and was introduced to the delights of Jessica McCormack, a New Zealander making clutch-your-heart beautiful precious jewelry out of London.

I have been obsessively trawling Jessica's website since, and I am retracting my former statement and replacing it with the ring above, the New New York ring, with 4.03 carats cut to resemble the silhouette of the New York skyline. 

The only problem is, can I wait that long? House deposit...diamond ring...house deposit...diamond ring...

x

Charlotte Penman starts my wishlist...

Bow Peep ring $125 (sterling silver) by Charlotte Penman

I'm a typical Gemini when it comes to jewelry. On the one hand I love anything sparkly and will happily gaze at rings and necklaces and bangles for hours, but when it comes to actually buying something, I just won't. Why?


I'm a traditionalist and to me, jewelry is sentimental. When I wear it, I think of who gave it to me, where we were and when, and why. It doesn't have to be expensive, in fact some of my favourite items are costume jewelry I inherited when my Nanna died last year. I have one of her old RSA pins and wear it tucked inside my collar most days. No one else can even see it, but I like to know it's there.


At Tessuti recently I spied this sweet little ring by New Zealand jeweler Charlotte Penman. It is a complete about-face for me, because the last two items of jewelry I acquired were of the dark and moody kind (read: skull and bones obsession). I love the dangly little bead, and the fact that the bow sits flush with your finger. I'm secretly hoping that come January I will be looking at this ring, on my finger, thinking of my lovely husband and Christmas Day. 


What have you put on your Christmas wishlist lovely readers?


x