TELEVISION
InkedThe first Chinese bilingual made by and for New Zealanders, comedy-drama Inked follows 22-year-old Jiayue (Lisa Zhang) as she secretly pulls out of university to pursue her dream of becoming a tattoo artist and navigates the challenges of a strained relationship with her father, who had his own dreams of her becoming a doctor. Available to watch on SkyGo and Neon.
MaidBased on Stephanie Land's bestselling memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, this compelling American drama follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a 23-year-old mum who flees from her violent partner in the middle of the night with $18 against her name. With a toddler in tow, it's a moving, emotional watch as she tries to make a life for herself below the poverty line. Available to watch on Netflix.
PODCASTS
Keep ItLike listening in on a group of friends gossip about celebrities as if it were their academic imperative, Ira Madison III, Louis Virtel, and Aida Osman’s pop podcast excavates the latest in culture and entertainment through the lens of politics and society with guests including Minnie Driver, Ronan Farrow, Brett Goldstein, Jennifer Coolidge, Roxane Gay, Riz Ahmed, Rina Sawayama, and many more. It’s very funny, too.
CrumbsGrey Lynn cafe Crumb is connected to its community, and the people that enjoy its coffee, which is why a weekly podcast makes sense for the local it-crowd institution. Hosted by Miles Harty, you'll meet flat white and double-shot espresso regulars like TikTok sensation Harry Waugh and Charli Cox of Koha Apparel to talk about beans and beyond.
BOOKS
Matrix by Lauren GroffThe life of the 12th-century poet and nun Marie de France is brought to life in this imagining rivalling the likes of Hilary Mantel. Longlisted for America's prestigious National Book Awards this year, it's a force of a tale, formidable in its research and its portrayal of a woman who took the helm of an impoverished abbey after her banishment from the royal court. Historical fiction enthusiasts, make hast. Available from all good bookstores.
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Advertise with NZME.Versace: The Complete CollectionsThe latest designer to join the hefty fashion tome Catwalk series (including Prada, Dior, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton) are the glitzy designs of Versace. Off the back of its unique collaboration with Fendi last month, this new book is a celebration of the brand's distinctive panache and the first comprehensive overview of Versace's womenswear collections, from Gianni Versace's debut in 1978 to its present collections overseen by sister Donatella.
Written by New Zealand fashion journalist and editor-at-large of The Business of Fashion Tim Blanks, the book delves deep into the family-run fashion house responsible for dressing some of the world's most photographed women including Madonna, Princess Diana, Jennifer Lopez (in that navel-grazing tropical print dress worn to the 1999 Grammys ), Liz Hurley (in that safety pin dress worn to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994); and of course, ushering in the advent of the 90s supermodel.
In keeping with the series formula, the book features brief biographical profiles of Gianni and Donatella, before dissecting the collections themselves, organised chronologically and supported by hundreds of archival colour images. Even more fabulous, the book is rendered in gold of course. Versace: The Complete Collections (Catwalk), published by Yale University Press, available for pre-order from where all good books are sold.
WORKOUT
Fluidform PilatesStretch and tone your way through October with new to New Zealand Pilates studio Fluidform. Sign up to take part in unlimited access to online workouts, meal plans, workout challenges and more for beginners and experts alike. They also offer a buddy programme so you can keep motivated (and be held accountable). Fulidformpilates.com.au
THE OUTDOORS
Have a BBQSid Sarawhat's esteemed restaurants Sid at the French Cafe and Cassia are offering BBQ kits filled with delicacies for those looking to head outdoors. The French Cafe's offering includes 12 marinated lamb chops, 12 pork and fennel sausages, 6 marinated chicken drumsticks, beef sirloin steaks, potato salad, green beans, roasted kumara, garden salad and homemade bread and butter; Cassia's comprises 12 Goan lamb chops, 8 chicken tikka sliders, 1kg of pork and jalapeno sausages, Kolhapuri-style beef biryani, smoked yoghurt, coriander chutney, roomali rotis and pickles. Order online for click and collect.
Have a picnicThe Park Hyatt has Afternoon Tea Boxes on offer from The Pantry, with a range of sweet and savoury treats and a choice of tea available in individual, group and 'extravaganza' options. Contact phauckland.restaurants@hyatt.com or 09 366 2509 for more information and to order. Orders must be placed at least 24 hours before picl-up, which is available from 12pm to 2pm. 99 Halsey Street, 1010 Auckland
