KEY POINTS:
Caroline Church is splitting. No, not literally - she's not coming apart or going anywhere. But the popular fashion label is separating various aspects of its business.
This will mean closure of the long-term Jervois Rd store and a shift. Church's more commercial collections will continue to be
sold throughout the country, and will be re-named Caroline Church Red Label. Meanwhile, Caroline Church White Label will focus on made-to-measure pieces and special occasion and bridal wear and will be housed in an intimate, atelier-style area next to Church's Newton workroom.
The new premises open tomorrow, and are at 1/1 Cross St, Newton. Ph (09) 377 2059.
Coming out
And guess who's moving into Caroline Church's vacated space? The small Akie store, named for owner Genevieve Acquier and stocking unique and hard-to-find European jewellery (mainly from France) has been a stylist's secret. Hidden behind another store in Ponsonby, it's been the place to go for that bracelet or pendant or beads that you wouldn't find anywhere else. Now the secret is out. Akie French Jewellery opens at 36 Jervois Rd in Ponsonby on Saturday, and Acquier promises a batch of new stock late this month and some new lines in January.
Bats for boys
It must run in the family. Vincent Langford, partner of Widdess designer Yvonna Van Hulzen, has come up with his own, interesting, masculine T-shirt designs. Featuring a bunch of bats, some paint-by-numbers dogs and a Bela Lugosi picture straight from an album cover, these cool tops for boys are on sale down the road from Widdess at the recently redecorated Marvel menswear store at 143 Ponsonby Rd.
A Shore thing
It was all the traffic jams, the roadworks, lack of parking and the fact that everyone else seemed to be opening stores in the nearest mega-mall that made Wellington-based designer Andrea Moore decide to open her fifth store in Milford, on Auckland's North Shore. After all, what's not to like, says Brian Molloy, Moore's marketing manager and partner - a beach nearby, plenty of parking and great coffee on site. And, he adds, noting the sales success the new store has already had, "there are plenty of people who obviously don't come shopping in the city".
Imported style
More cool designer items arriving in the country. The World stores have a limited selection of shoes by hip Franco-Argentinian designer Gaspard Yukievich, and Zambesi has the latest from Belgian wunderkind designer Raf Simons.
And fancy shoe boutique Mei Mei now has Fiorentini & Baker boots, made by an Italian interior designer and an English shoemaker in Italy, in store.