What We’ve Been Crushing On This July

Here’s a selection of things that recently left us with that warm fuzzy feeling, from a wear-everywhere shirt dress to herby made-to-order sourdough and a green-tea laced candle.

Axel Arigato Catfish Lo sneaker

When I was 10, I bought my first pair of DC sneakers. They were white and pink (go figure) and I’d shlep around in them with my low-rise, embroidered flares and triangle peasant top from HBK. You won’t find me wearing either of those things these days, but these blue-green Axel Arigato’s Catfish Lo Sneakers feel like a grown-up version of the sneakers that only left my feet for swimming or sleeping. They’re just the right amount of chunky for stomping around in, and come with three cute crystal embellishments on the laces. $369, from Farfetch — Ashleigh Cometti, beauty editor

The Retrievals

I have to admit that this was my first foray into the world of podcasts (apart from the Viva Talks podcast, of course). It seems to me like a saturated market and can be tricky to find a goodie, but with eight hours of driving over the most recent long weekend, I was stoked to have them on hand. My favourite of the drive was this astounding real-life podcast from The New York Times about a nurse at Yale Medicine who was replacing Fentanyl, a drug used for pain medication during egg retrievals as part of fertility treatments, with saline for her own use. Three out of five total narrative episodes are out so far. They talk to the women who went through the excruciating pain of unmedicated egg retrievals, all of whom had no idea why they were experiencing such horrific pain during a regular procedure. They then speak about the nurse’s complicated home life and, finally, the sentencing trial. It is a thought-provoking listen on the common misconceptions and dismissals of women’s pain, and the justice system. An interesting, eye-opening case that will make you think about what is right and wrong. — Annabel Dickson, fashion assistant

Crushes Sweet Green candle

Flore Flore May cami

It can be hard to find a dependable singlet — some are too long, too thin, too strappy, not strappy enough. This camisole from Amsterdam-based Flore Flore has, in my opinion, just the right amount of everything: enough crop to sit nicely on my trousers, enough opaqueness owing to its medium-weight organic cotton, a romantic square neckline and some hefty banding. The colours are rich and lush: The Bubblegum pink is candy-sweet, the Ruby red as bright as lipstick. For something softer, I like the Heather Grey, a gentle, wear-everywhere basic. $146, from Flore-flore.com — Julia Gessler, digital editor

Sourdough from The Dough Shed

Crusty three-seed breads with a hint of lemon zest. Herby olive loaves made with fresh rosemary. Rustic whites with Himalayan pink salt. If you love your sourdough, make sure to visit The Dough Shed in Red Beach, a micro bakery gaining a cult following. Founder Anna produces restaurant-quality, made-to-order loaves using organic, spray-free and locally sourced flours, for collection from her tiny home bakery. Not one to horde her skills, she also runs sourdough-making workshops in nearby Ōrewa. Thedoughshed.nz — Rebecca Barry Hill, writer

Subhana by Ahmed Ben Ali

A melting pot of sounds and influences, this synthy, folky, reggae-infused record is brilliant, and I’ve had it on repeat since it came out in June. Self-produced by Libyan artist Ahmed Ben Ali, released by the Berlin-based label Habibi Funk Records, it melds 70s, 80s and 00s references with the region’s distinctive musical culture, and depending on your volume setting it can provide chill background beats for a morning coffee, or funky uplifting vibes if the mood entails. $40 from Habibi Funk Records, or listen on Spotify. — Emma Gleason, commercial editor

Caitlin Crisp Mrs Vincent dress

Right now I’m crushing on anything green and I love the versatility of a good shirt dress, so Caitlin Crisp’s Mrs Vincent dress is a winner in my eyes. The flattering fitted top is balanced with a flared, full skirt for easy movement, while the sash can be tied at the front or back to emphasise the waist. Made of 100 per cent oxford cotton, I’ll team this with long boots over the last days of winter, and then roll up the sleeves and wear with sandals as the weather starts to warm up. $525 from Caitlincrisp.com — Amanda Linnell, editor

All-In and Cumming of Age

I’ve fallen in love with publishing underdogs again, and there are two diverse publications I’d like to get my hands on. These include All-In magazine’s sixth edition, with its limited run of 700 hand-numbered copies, consisting of 244 unbound colour pages encased in a manila envelope bound by a satin ribbon. It’s whimsy at its finest but the contents and themes of this particular edition sound pertinent, taking a look at the process and cycle of fast fashion. Along with some great contributors, the concept offers up some hope for indie titles moving to the beat of their own drum once more. Would be great to see more lo-fi zines do their own thing as their voices are integral to progressive and inclusive voices in publishing. Love the collaborative effort between local indie Gen Z brands Karaoke Superstars, Sleeping Profit and jeweller Zen Blu with their handmade 20-page multimedia magazine Cumming of Age; as well as the inspiring mix of music, art and writing from local magazine Rat World. As a magazine lover, it’s inspiring to see people create freely in an era of AI and paid content. — Dan Ahwa, fashion and creative director