Retail therapy: Furniture form

Buzz Yudell's recliner sold for $50,000. Photo / Supplied

If you haven't checked out the Formica Formations exhibition, currently on at the Auckland Arts Festival, we suggest you do - and then have a go at designing a piece yourself. The Laminex Group, which represents Formica in New Zealand, is running a competition which gives designers - experienced or emerging - the chance to compete alongside 10 of the world's best architects and come up with a concept for a piece of sculptural furniture. The winning item will be produced by Formica, and then who knows? The chair pictured, by leading US architect Buzz Yudell, was auctioned for $50,000. To find out more go to formicaformations.co.nz

A very special guest

Australian designer Akira Isogawa has been announced as the special international guest designer at iD Dunedin Fashion Week next month. The respected designer, who was recently in Paris to exhibit his newest collection, will present pieces on the runway as part of the iD Dunedin Fashion Shows on April 8 and 9, as well as giving a public lecture on April 7. Isogawa will be a guest judge on the panel of the International Emerging Designer Awards, which attracts entrants from all over the world. His presence continues iD's run of credible guests, following on from last year's guest, British designer Zandra Rhodes. Tickets to iD Dunedin events are still available; for more information visit idfashion.co.nz.

Meet the designers

Wellington-based label Twenty-seven Names is having a new season launch with Little Black Crown tomorrow night, and designers Anjali Stewart and Rachel Easting are coming up for the occasion. The event, with food from Kingsland cafe The Fridge, will celebrate the arrival of their fantastic winter collection, called "The Fearsome Five". Meet the designers and buy some new season fashion at Little Black Crown in St Kevin's Arcade on K Rd, from 6pm to 8.30pm.

Who's in Melbourne?

Karen Walker and Kate Sylvester are just two of the designers involved with the Melbourne Fashion Festival this week, taking part in the Frankie magazine show on Friday night. Viva is in Melbourne for the festival, where Dazed and Confused founder Jefferson Hack and Acne CEO Mikael Schiller will talk about fashion branding for the future at the business seminar tomorrow.

Get crafty

With long winter nights fast approaching, join the fashionable retaliation against mass production and sew, knit or embroider your way to hand-made individuality at the Craft Expo. There's everything from learning to sew with Bernina through to discovering the art of Japanese-style quilts, textiles and kimonos. From March 17-20, 10am-4pm at the ASB Showgrounds.

VIP Viva

Check out the World Man store next week, where internationally-acclaimed artist Reuben Paterson will be clearing out the stock and transforming the space into a pop-up gallery in order to exhibit his new show Icecream and Muscles. Not for the faint-hearted, Paterson describes the collection as "sexually frank" and plans to create a "sex museum from close friends' personal collection of sex toys". Along with the artworks Reuben has also produced a small range of T-shirts and badges which will be on sale.

To celebrate this collaboration of art and fashion, Viva is delighted to have one limited edition print by Paterson to give away. This is only available as part of the exhibition and is one of the few opportunities to get hold of his work outside of gallery sales. To go in the draw, simply email your name, address and contact phone number to vipviva@nzherald.co.nz with "World & Reuben Paterson" in the subject line. Entries close March 21. Winners announced March 23.