Meet The Viva Team: Julia Gessler, Digital Editor

In this Q&A series, get to know the hardworking members of the Viva team, as they share the highlights of their role, their go-to restaurants and what they do on their time off.

What is your role at Viva?

I’m Viva’s digital editor, which basically means I oversee our website. I manage its schedule, tone and feel, communicate workflows, design artwork, proofread and work with the whole team to make sure every story is watertight. I write a range of stories, from those with longer tails, like features and profiles, to short compilations and timely news pieces.

Is there a story, issue or project you’ve worked on at Viva that was particularly memorable for you, and why?

I’ve been fortunate to speak to some objectively amazing people. Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine, who spoke warmly and candidly about her new album Dance Fever, a compilation rooted in fairy tales and effervescence — “a sunken cathedral, a rock ‘n’ roll shipwreck and Miss Havisham’s wedding feast” is how she described her then-upcoming New Zealand concert. The author Lisa Taddeo was also a joy, discussing her short story collection Ghost Lover.

Another memorable story was called ‘When Did Chaos Become The New Cool?’ A piece about letting go, about a mood of heedless abandon that continued to accumulate last year, with some special interviewees including the incredible poet Tayi Tibble.

What can people expect from Viva Premium?

It’s a home of quality lifestyle journalism that platforms a wealth of great storytelling. From gorgeous fashion photoshoots shot in breathtaking locales, to in-depth features and profiles, to guides to finding the best that New Zealand — and beyond — has to offer. It’s a digital subscription from a team that cares passionately, and one that works tirelessly about its reportage in what is now a digital-first media ecosystem.

Describe your personal style.

Jeans, always. I recently invested in a pair from Citizens of Humanity that is buttery soft, sitting gently over my shoes. My style is simple and sometimes romantic, a blend of cardigans and midi skirts and a pair of red velvet Mary Janes that complement everything they’re worn with somehow. I purchase things slowly, taking my time to see just how much I want them, and how they could variously work what I already have.

What are your favourite New Zealand stores or brands?

There are a few brands that have become mainstays in my wardrobe: Paris Georgia for something sultry, Maggie Marilyn for something blazer-y, and Wixii for midi skirts. Stores like Kaukau and Simon James have stocked my small, uncoordinated collection of curios.

I have a few Hera Saabi pieces that I wear every day: a necklace with a person, tiny and gold, clinging onto a pearl; and a silver ring that curves slightly to meet two tourmalines.

Where’s your go-to spot for dinner and drinks with friends?

Cotto for generous bowls of pasta and an almond sour. For date night, it’s Pici — cacio e pepe to share. I used to go to Devonport’s Corelli’s growing up, so now I go there for the cheesecake and the nostalgia. If you haven’t already been, I highly recommend it — the cheesecake, silky and topped with berry compote, is made with love and what is probably an ungodly amount of cream.

And for coffee?

I’ve been tending a love of tea since I was around 8, but when I do want a coffee — and a pastry — I’ll head to Daily Bread. Get a cardamom bun.

What’s your favourite meal to cook for company, and for yourself?

I have a huge sweet tooth, so you’ll often find me baking Nigel Slater’s classic brownie recipe — a confoundingly perfect mix of fudge and something delicate.

What else do you read, listen to or watch when you’re not reading Viva?

I’ll listen to the Times’ The Daily on my way to work. I’m subscribed to a bunch of newsletters: New York Magazine’s The Year I Ate New York, a thoughtful, beautifully rendered exploration of the city’s cuisine by E. Alex Jung; The Spinoff’s The Boil Up; Dinner Party, another New York Magazine e-delivery, hosted by the ever-sharp Tirhakah Love, among others. I read them over lunch and, in the evenings, will settle down with a longer read from the New Yorker.

What’s your guilty-pleasure binge-watch?

I’ve recently joined the Love Island club. A drama-filled salve for the soul.

A book (or two) you couldn’t put down?

My bedside table typically has a smaller table made of books next to it. Recent loves of this pile include The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (wrenching, a remarkable feat of separate narrators); Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood (nervy, a thrill); Victory City by Salman Rushdie (an epic tale); and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (video games meets a romance that’s not about love).

On your time off, what do you like to do?

I like to go for long walks and listen to podcasts while doing so. I travel to Wellington frequently (my boyfriend lives there), so enjoy exploring a new city with him, parking ourselves in pizza parlours and sandwich shops, whiling away Saturday afternoons browsing secondhand bookshops.