It’s the city that never sleeps: cosmopolitan, contemporary, sexy old Auckland. Business and pleasure make Auckland’s cogs turn, and the two are often intertwined. This holiday weekend we reveal the people behind the scenes who pull the strings and add a vibrant dash of the unexpected to the City of Sails.
1. Barnaby Marshall and Valentin Ozich: The cool kids
Marshall, 26, and Ozich, 29, are the founders of the increasingly successful fashion brand I Love Ugly, which has a rapidly growing reputation both on the Auckland fashion scene and internationally. The pair manage to keep relatively low public profiles but have managed to grow their brand globally since starting in 2008. They opened their first overseas store in Los Angeles last year and have opened another this year in Australia. Their label can also be found for sale at online retail giant Asos.
Founder of luxury travel charter services Blak International, Sargent has exclusive access to some of the wealthiest people in the world. The 26-year-old, nickname Sarge, keeps his profile discreet for his clients, although we are sure many would do their best to cosy up to the luxury travel broker who deals in private jets and helicopters.
3. Kirsty Godso: The fitness queen
Kirsty Godso (center). Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Les Mills instructor Godso is making the most of the health and fitness boom. The 26-year-old has become one of Auckland's most in-demand trainers. More than 40,000 Instagram followers keep track of her lifestyle and motivational tips. She is
also a Nike Master Trainer who lunges her way around the world training and empowering women from all walks of life. All this and she boasts an incredible workout wardrobe.
4. Colin McColl: The impresario
The artistic director of the Auckland Theatre Company is quietly reinventing the theatre scene with a bold season that looks confident, inviting and never less than flamboyantly dramatic. Always the distinguished gentleman, McColl is a commanding presence with spectacles and a silver fox beard. He is the artistic director on Emily Perkins' hotly anticipated adaptation of A Doll's House opening later this month at Auckland University's Maidment Theatre.
Photo / Kellie Blizard
5. Sonja Yelich: The momager
Kiwi superstar Lorde (pictured right) with her mother Sonja Yelick (left).
Kim Kardashian has mother, Kris; Lorde has mother Sonja Yelich. Where Mumma bear Kardashian is narcissistic, ruthless and overbearing, Yelich is protective, charming and self-deprecating. It's the Kiwi way. The 49-year-old travels the world accompanying the Kiwi songstress and also showing her global followers what a cool place Auckland is. She keeps Kiwi fans in the loop through her Instagram account, which has 37,000 followers, and isn't above posting embarrassing photos of Lorde as a child. Stalkers beware (as George FM's Thane Kirby found) if you try to get too close to Lorde, Yelich will step in.
6. Lani Momoisea and David Dallas: The perfect match
Leilani Momoisea and David Dallas. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
The country's best rapper, David Dallas, 32, married long-term partner model and blogger Lani Momoisea, 28, last week. The pair wed in a huge greenhouse, the bride wearing a white Juliette Hogan gown and the groom looking dapper in a black Zambesi suit. We look forward to hearing about the trials and tribulations of married life on Dallas' next album. Marriage is not very hip-hop, but expect these two glamazons to change that.
7. Gemma Fordham: The radio guru
Fordham, 32, is Chief Content Officer to the radio department of NZME (publisher of the
). Poached from Australia, where she produced the infamous and unpredictable Kyle and Jackie O Show, Fordham worked with Nicole Kidman for eight years, producing movies including Rabbit Hole, which saw Kidman nominated for an Oscar. Fordham has made a huge difference to the culture of Auckland radio and is worth buying a drink should you be lucky enough to meet her - she loves audience feedback.
8. Ricky Cave: The real estate leader
Photo / Supplied
One of Auckland's nice guys, at 29, Cave is the top salesman at Ray White Remuera - the top-performing office of 142 up and down country. He makes his sales mainly in the blue chip suburbs of Auckland. In an article featuring 10 of the most expensive houses in New Zealand, two worth more than $30 million are marketed by Cave. He owns a home in Remuera and a beach house in Pauanui, which is decked out with all the toys. Ladies, Spy hears Cave is recently single.
9. Andrew Szusterman: The producer
Andrew Szusterman (center). Photo / Norrie Montgomery.
Love TV3's relentless commitment to trashy reality TV? You can thank MediaWorks' group entertainment content director. Szusterman is also co-executive producer of
The X Factor
NZ and when Willy Moon and Natalia Kills activated their evil plan to become the world's most-hated reality TV villains, it was the quick-thinking Szusterman who pulled an all-nighter to stop the show going off the rails. Making TV is harder than it looks, and MediaWorks staff are loyal to their leader, "Szusty". Anyone who can survive fiercesome reality TV doyenne Julie Christie (MediaWorks board member) is good by us.
10. Leigh Matheson: The fashionista
Photo / Supplied
Daughter of legendary fashion designer Keith Matheson, the 39-year-old spent a lot of her childhood on the cutting-room floor of Jeanmakers, Auckland's iconic denim brand. After working as general manager for Dad's company, Matheson took time off to be a mum. Now she's back in the fashion game as fashion editor for the
Herald on Sunday's
Living
magazine and has just been appointed fashion editor of
L to R, Stephanie and James Kellow. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
The CEO of NZ Mortgage Securities, Kellow is the man you need when wanting finance to invest in property development. A gentleman in the old-school sense, Kellow, 40, is known for helping people make big projects come to life. Many of the city's most interesting buildings over the past 10 years have Kellow's behind-the-scenes touch. Kellow is married to beautiful socialite Stephanie and has two children.
12. Jillian Friedlander: The philanthropist
L to R. Jillian Friedlander and Nicky Pennington. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
With a significant role on the board of the Friedlander Foundation, a philanthropic foundation that has made generous contributions to the arts and medical research, Friedlander does charity work largely under the radar. She is a staunch supporter and fundraiser for Act, helping MP David Seymour find his feet among the elite. Friedlander is married to rich lister Daniel Friedlander (son of one of Auckland's biggest property owners, billionaire Michael). They have twin daughters. Friedlander has made a business of giving advice on industrial interiors and has an interest in funding research into uses for cord-blood stem cells.
13. Angelina Farry: The communicator
Photo / Supplied
Farry is a communications maven who has worked in a large number of national and international brands. She loves the challenge of doing what people say can't be done. Focused and elegant, Farry moved from a group account director role at a major Auckland agency to set up her own Starseed PR, balancing the demands of a hectic professional schedule with being mother to two boys.
14. Andy Higgs: The council conductor
Higgs is one of Auckland Council's best assets. The 43-year-old is working his magic with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed). He knows everybody and if there's someone who needs to be schmoozed, he is the one to facilitate it. With extensive contacts among Auckland's decision-makers, Higgs has the nous to push through difficult commercial projects. He jointly developed the West Coast's Piha Cafe.
L to R, Steven Fernandez and Samantha Bellingham. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Remix
magazine's deputy editor Fernandez, 25, has fantastic international connections and the ability to score some of the world's most-famous faces for exclusive cover shots. He has managed to get interviews with Paris Hilton, Rita Ora and most recently Kylie Jenner, and will also feature on an episode of The Kardashians after flying to Los Angeles for the Jenner interview.
