KEY POINTS:
Is it you or is it me, but the uniforms on Shortland St just keep changing. Well, the show is 15 years old now and the gear has come a long way from the original blue smock with epaulets. That lasted little more than two years before the peach and red combination that continued up until the late 1990s. Now, with the new hospital comes a new uniform and, you could easily be mistaken for thinking the characters were wearing stuff straight out of Middlemore - blue pants and tops complete with Crocs, the fashion crime plastic clogs that are taking over the footwear world. Very Grey's Anatomy.
Shoe excitement
The Jaimie boutique continues to bring in some of the most exciting footwear around, plus make a bit of its own. The young designer has commissioned several styles of wearable and reasonably priced pairs. Made in Australia, starting at around $250 and available in an animal print and in black and white, are flats that go perfectly with the label's interesting aesthetic.
Also arriving in store are shoes by Australian accessories designer Tristan Blair. Blair was commissioned by another local label, Cybele, to make the fabulous fluoro wedges for its Australian Fashion Week runway show a couple of weeks ago, that had all the fashion editors raving. The Jaimie boutique stocks various pieces of Blair's more pedestrian collection even though these shoes - starting at around $490 for a black felt heel and going up to more than $500 for a fashionable platform ankle boot - are lovely and far from average. Jaimie, 270 Ponsonby Rd, ph (09) 361 4000.
Cool as a Cucumber
A long time ago in a place far, far away from Ponsonby Rd and High St in Auckland, the followers of fashion were very sad. They would read about clothes by leading New Zealand designers like Zambesi, Nom*D, Jimmy D and Lonely Hearts Club but couldn't get their hands on any because the shops down their road didn't stock these guys. And then along came GeneralCucumber.com, an internationally flavoured website (members of its team are based all over the world) devoted to selling New Zealand labels online. It does a good job too with easy-to-follow shopping options, lots of pictures and clear descriptions.
And as for the funny name, it's based on the work of American artist Henry Darger, a reclusive janitor whose weird cartoonish works were discovered only after his death.
Exclusive browsing
Speaking of internet treasures, if you've a hankering for the more exclusive things in life, visit www.20ltd.com. There will only ever be limited editions of the products for sale on this British-based website and only 20 of them for sale at a time. And everything in this boutique - from fashion to design objects, wallpaper and motorbikes - has been specially created or designed for the store by the likes of Emilio Pucci, Boucheron's jewellery designer Solange Azagury-Partridge, and renowned architect Zaha Hadid for Alessi. Even if you can't afford that $1500 perfume in a hand-engraved bottle and black lacquer box, well hey, it's still a lovely place to browse.
Making up
From tomorrow you can whip into Westfield St Lukes for the weekly shop, catch a movie and pick up a M.A.C lipstick in one place. M.A.C, the makeup range beloved by professionals, will open its new free-standing store on the first floor. Like all M.A.C counters, you can get makeup applications and lessons here also.
T-shirt ambassador
Los Angeles-based fashion label, Zooey, whose designer Alice Heller has developed a following among Hollywood types for her fine cotton T-shirts and leisure wear with a flattering drape, has jumped on the going-green bandwagon with a range of clothing that states A World Of Cool. Locally, designer Agustina Mon will sell the soft cotton T-shirts out of her boutique and will also be the label's New Zealand ambassador.
Transtasman hit
Also happy with its overseas achievements at present is local street wear label, Federation. It has just arrived back from Australian Fashion Week in Sydney where the clothes were received warmly by international fashion media and may even have been used in a photo shoot featuring Nicole Richie.
Eau de BC
The world's oldest perfumes yet found have been unearthed on Cyprus by archaeologists.The perfumes, more than 4000 years old, are scented with extracts of lavender, bay, rosemary, pine and coriander and kept in tiny translucent alabaster bottles.
The scents were discovered inside what archaeologists believe was an enormous perfume factory of almost half a hectare.
Four of the perfumes have been recreated from residues found at the site. An Italian foundation that specialises in antique traditions distilled them using techniques described by Pliny the Elder in about AD70. The herbs were ground, added to oil and water, then buried in small, long-necked jugs near hot embers for 12 hours.
