Latest news with #Zambesi
The Spinoff
30-06-2025
- General
- The Spinoff
How vintage clothes from Aotearoa are helping feed families in Gaza
Alex Casey talks to Dianne Ludwig from Welcome Back Slow Fashion about how her community of clothing lovers has stepped up for Gaza. Dianne Ludwig was about ready to quit running her 13k strong Instagram account Welcome Back Slow Fashion in 2023. Having spent nearly a decade posting about vintage fashion finds in Aotearoa, her enthusiasm for the work was beginning to wane. 'I was starting to get pretty over the whole thrifting scene, the opshops being full of crap and people doing these massive vintage hauls,' she says. 'In spite of lots of us wanting to have a slower way with clothes, it felt like the secondhand scene was becoming just as consumerist and depressing.' But nearly two years later, Welcome Back has been imbued with a new and urgent sense of purpose that goes beyond slow consumption and sustainability. Ludwig now almost exclusively sells donated vintage and New Zealand made pieces as a way of fundraising for families in Gaza. Her community in Aotearoa is currently directly supporting eight families to purchase extortionately priced food every week, against a backdrop of the Israeli army committing 'deadly violence' at food distribution sites in a region the UN has described as ' the hungriest place on Earth '. Ludwig wouldn't describe herself as coming from an activist background, and admits that she didn't know very much about Palestine before the current humanitarian crisis took hold. Fittingly, it was social media posts made by anther local sustainable jewellery brand Pads Pearls that alerted Ludwig to the escalating situation in the region – one that has since been declared a genocide by human rights experts and has seen Israel kill at least 56,000 Palestinians and injure over 131,848 more. 'I was just so horrified by the scale of the retaliation,' she says. 'I couldn't look away.' As she started to post more about what was happening in Palestine, Ludwig also started to get more and more DMs from people looking to donate pieces for fundraising. She sold a Zambesi bag here, a Deadly Ponies clutch there, and soon made her first significant contribution to charities supplying aid to the region. From those early fundraisers, pieces for Palestine kept coming in from across Aotearoa, including a pristine 1980s Mary Quant poncho and a pile of 'scrubby shopping bags' dropped on her front porch that were bursting with vintage Celine and Prada. Other donations weren't as much about the labels as the stories behind them. 'There was a woman who had all these beautiful hand knits that she had made over the years, with a lot of her wool dyed by her mother-in-law who is now in her 80s,' Ludwig says. 'She got in touch and said this seemed like the perfect way for them to find a new home.' It was just one of many deeply personal donations that Ludwig says speaks volumes about people's commitment to the cause. 'You can feel that people are reaching really deep into their hearts for this.' Ludwig also contacted many local fashion brands in the DMs for donations, and was equally moved by the response of one New Zealand label in particular. 'I really thought Penny Sage would just throw throw me a few scrunchies or something, but they ended up customising one of their Maisie dresses for me with the most beautiful hand-embroidered cross stitch in homage to tatreez, the traditional Palestinian style of of cross stitch,' she says. 'I was just so in awe of the fact that they would spend that much time doing it, so that was a pretty special one-off.' The lack of response from other local brands raised another question for her: where is the fashion industry when it comes to Gaza? 'We always talk about fashion being political and being the zeitgeist drawing from what's happening in the world, but I just don't see anything in our fashion media about what's happening in Gaza,' she says. In one post selling a keffiyeh-inspired Cecile Copenhagen top, she called out the 'radio silence' from the fashion world. 'It's disappointing, because there are many ways into Gaza – you don't just have to be covering the suffering.' In that spirit, Ludwig shares the story of Mohammed, who she refers to as 'son'. Two years ago he was in the last year of his software engineering degree and living with his large family on a farm in Rafah. Now, he is living with next to nothing in a tent in Khan Younis, and chatting to Ludwig in Tāmaki Makaurau almost every day. 'He's 24, I'm 62, and he calls me mum,' she laughs. 'We've become really good friends, and we chat about his girlfriend, he'll ask me marriage advice because he wants to get engaged when the genocide ends, and we just laugh all the time.' But due to the rolling internet blackouts, Mohammed's communication often stops for days, sometimes weeks. 'I've been in tears worrying, but then in the middle of the night, I'll see that little circle around his Instagram Stories pop up and I've never felt more relieved in my life,' says Ludwig. Just last week, Mohammed's aunty and her two children were killed with artillery in the tent next to him. He recently attempted to travel to buy a slightly cheaper flour, and was caught up in a shrapnel bombing. 'He was lucky to survive,' says Ludwig. 'The situation is terrible.' Ludwig updates her followers regularly on how all the families are doing. 'That's one thing I really think that people have really connected with – seeing these real people who had lives just the same as our lives,' she says. 'They're just incredible people who have got a huge amount of care and empathy, in spite of everything they're going through.' From nearly giving up Welcome Back altogether, Ludwig is now grateful she held onto her platform to 'do some good' and use her eye-catching clothing as a conduit for getting other people involved. 'People say 'thank you for doing this' which embarrasses me, because I think what they are really saying is 'thank you for enabling us to help',' she says. 'A lot of people are stuck doing nothing in these times which are pretty scary, but one way to overcome that fear is just to take action.' The experience has taught her that everyone has power in their networks, no matter how big or small, to make a difference. 'I sell clothes, which doesn't seem directly related to the Palestinian struggle, but now it has become a vehicle for doing something,' she says. 'No matter what your skill set is, there's ways that we can all help.'
RNZ News
23-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Queuing for brunch and browsing the shops a rose tinted memory in Ponsonby
Ponsonby Road Photo: Google Maps A Ponsonby business says landlords are willing to let some of Ponsonby road's more well-known shops empty out in order to keep the rents high. Some who still have shops say the famous road's flavour is shifting from having a balance of creativity and fashion combined with restaurants - to leaning heavily in favour of hospitality. And some feel that it is a sway in the wrong direction - with Ponsonby's struggle becoming another suburb's gain. A quick Google search brings up over 100 results for retail spaces for rent in Ponsonby. It is not surprising considering many well-known businesses have shut up shop on Ponsonby Road. Local fashion icons and mainstays on the road like Zambesi, Kate Sylvester, Juliette Hogan and Carlson are among them. Flotsam and Jetsam vintage homeware store is on that list, and owner Cam said retail margins are so slim that there is not enough turnover to pay rent. Last year they had a new landlord and with that came higher rent on top of lower foot traffic and sales. After 14 years, they moved last May from their spot on the corner of Williamson Ave and Ponsonby Road to Richmond Road in Grey Lynn. Cam said landlords have not learnt from what he calls "the demise" of Parnell Road when the ratio of hospitality to retail businesses got out of whack. "When the balance of hospitality and retail sway the wrong way to too much hospitality, I think it ruins an area. "Even though the nightlife and the bars and the hospitality is a big part and it's a reason why a lot of people go there then so was retail as well." Now in Grey Lynn, the biggest difference has been customers being able to find parking. Cam said the face of Ponsonby has changed a lot over the last decade. "You know the changing face of retail, there just isn't going to be character shops around anymore, and I think people spending differently moving into apartments, young kids, not buying houses. "We might wake up one day and there won't be shops around." San Ray Restaurant took a leap of faith and opened for business on Ponsonby Road last July. Co-owner Rebecca Schmidt said things were worse than they expected. "The recession has been grittier than we anticipated. "We are aware of the circumstances that we're operating in, but people are finding it really tough out there and the lag I guess is deeper and longer than we had hoped for." While the festive season was a circuit breaker for businesses by providing a sugar hit, the last financial year and the first quarter of this year have been really challenging. "You can see that in the foot-fall on the street, it's significantly down, just people being out and about and then the customer behaviour when they are out, which we really understand. "There's a lot of small, shared plates right now because that's what is within reach for many people." They are trying to make their space welcoming for a glass of wine and piece of cheese or even just a coffee, hoping they can wait it out and eventually welcome customers back for full meals. They are keeping their staffing tight over the winter and not drawing from the business to pay their staff and suppliers first. Schmidt said there has been radical change they did not anticipate when they opened with long established neighbouring businesses not renewing their leases. "Ponsonby struggle is another suburb's gain right now, it's really interesting seeing some smaller suburbs doing well with independent businesses. Birkenhead is a good example. "Some nice new retail shops there, some great restaurants humming along Westmere, another really good example that probably is at Ponsonby's expense." Meanwhile down the three lamps end of Ponsonby Road a new flavour of business was brewing as part of a $14 million penthouse development to be completed next year with retail and hospitality spaces available to rent. Mecca beauty store, menswear brand Rodd and Gunn and the Lodge Bar were already onboard hoping to buck the trend.
NZ Herald
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Robyn Malcolm celebrates Bafta nomination for After the Party series
'It was 12.45pm. I was eating my eggs, trying not to overthink, when Peter said, 'I don't think you've got it or you'd have had a call by now,'' she recalls. 'And I was like, 'Oh, well, it was fun to imagine,' and I hadn't brought a frock over. Then he refreshed the Bafta page, scrolling and scrolling, when his face changed colour. He went silent, then he said, 'Oh, my God, you're on the list.' Then I went quiet, I got a bit teary, and I nearly passed out!' Within moments, Robyn's phone lit up with messages of support from around the world. 'Text after text, DMs, WhatsApps... Then an email came from Bafta saying congratulations, this is the hotel you can stay at, here's the invitation to the nominees' cocktail party, and it became very real very quickly,' continues Robyn, clearly still gobsmacked that the six-part series where she plays Penny, a teacher who accuses her ex-husband (played by Peter) of a sex crime, is up for such a prestigious award. Back in Aotearoa, Robyn's creative collaborator and scriptwriter, Gisborne-based Dianne Taylor, was similarly ecstatic. Explains Robyn, 'Di had set her alarm for 2am to check if we'd been shortlisted, and she called from her bed and we screamed at each other.' Now that Robyn has had time to digest the incredible news, her next drama became deciding what to wear for the big night. 'I have a WhatsApp group with my mum and my sisters called 'Rob's Bafta Dress' and it is live 24/7,' she says. 'I also mentioned it on Insta and all these fab women started sending me ideas. And I'm thrilled that Liz Findlay from Zambesi is making me a frock especially for the occasion.' Always adamant that she wanted to showcase a local designer on the world stage, Robyn couldn't be happier that Zambesi has come to the party. As for Robyn's other non-negotiable, she wants her ensemble to be long enough to conceal her trainers. 'I wore heels to the Oliviers the other day [London theatre's Laurence Olivier Awards] and I'm never doing that again because you can't be on the dance floor for hours in heels,' she says. 'I spoke to one woman at the Oliviers – she was wearing a massive pink taffeta ball gown and she looked amazing. Her friend in a green gown was wearing trainers, and I asked the taffeta woman if she was wearing trainers too. She said no and revealed her gorgeous heels, then she put her hands in the pockets of her big taffeta gown and pulled out a pair of slippers!' Robyn probably wouldn't give two hoots if she were seen wearing sensible shoes because she has made it her mission to normalise everything from mental health to menopause. To that end, Robyn has also said goodbye to shapewear. 'I don't wear tummy-flattening undies any more. They're so uncomfortable and sweaty, but my body is my body. And I love seeing glimpses of a woman's shape beneath her clothing, with all her moving parts, not some trussed up, imprisoned abdomen that looks like it's been redesigned by AI,' the star declares, then cackles and recalls the first time she attended a glittering Baftas ceremony. 'It was 2019 and Peter was in a comedy called Mum that was up for a bunch of awards,' she shares. 'I was shooting a film in Serbia at the time, and I'd bought this phenomenal jumpsuit in Belgrade. But I'd also eaten a fair bit during the shoot, so by awards night, I had to lie on the floor and be zipped into my outfit, wearing incredibly tight undies underneath. 'Halfway through the night, I'm so uncomfortable, and the three amazing actresses from Mum took me to the ladies, removed my pants, then zipped me back up – and I swore I'd never wear shapewear after that!' As Robyn reflects on the incredible recognition the Bafta nomination represents, she's quick to express gratitude to all the people she has collaborated with, and not just on After the Party, but across her four-decade career. 'It's been a ladder and I've climbed it hand over hand, rung by rung, and I've become pretty resilient in the process. I've lost my secure rope a few times. I've slid and barely held on, but I've kept going,' she declares, then adds that she and Dianne didn't set out to win a Bafta when they wrote After the Party. 'We shared a lot of fury about how middle-aged women are portrayed on screen, and we wanted to explore a story with a fallible 50-something, and challenge her profoundly. We then surrounded ourselves with genius people, and the rest just happened.' Asked if she has drafted an acceptance speech, Robyn is philosophical. 'Nope. We're up against incredible shows, including Shōgun, Say Nothing and Colin from Accounts, and the nomination itself is more than enough,' she tells, then notes that the Baftas do sometimes celebrate the underdog. As to who'll take the trophy home if they do win, Robyn has definitely given that some thought. 'I've been in this business a long time and I've been on a hundred shortlists, and the thrill of the possibility is part of the fun,' she muses. 'Because if there's another thing I've learned in this racket, it's that expectation is the mother of all disappointment. But on the off-chance we win, perhaps we can 3D-print it, then share it between Sydney, Auckland and Gisborne.' Robyn is also proud to inspire the next generation of actors, including the incredible younger cast members from After the Party. 'Tara [Canton, who stars as Grace], Ian [Blackburn, as Ollie] and Elz [Carrad, as Tom] knocked us sideways with their bravery and talent, and let's not forget four-year-old Ziggy [O'Reilly, aka Walt] who taught us all how to act again,' Robyn says fondly. 'I also tell younger actors, while acting is the best job in the world, if it doesn't work out, trying will have made you a better person because you're in a constant conversation with yourself and your humanity,' she says, which is why, if people tell Robyn they want to be actors, she only has words of encouragement. This is also possibly why Robyn's own sons have also fallen for the craft. 'One of them was doing an audition recently and I said to him that acting's pretty simple really − you just have to like feeling stuff,' she says. 'A lot of people will do everything they can not to feel. They're hard-wired to run a mile from pain or confusion, embarrassment or anxiety, but for actors, feeling things is our bread and butter.' Looking to the future, Robyn is happy to be surprised with what comes next, but she has a few ideas up her sleeve. 'I want to hang out with everyone I love in Aotearoa, Australia and the UK, without contributing to climate change,' she declares. 'I also want to work with amazing people until I drop, on stage and on screen. To do things I've never done before and remain terrified and ambitious. I'd also like to make more TV with Di, get more dogs and pay off my mortgage, if that's not too much to ask!' One thing is certain – we'll all be glued to our screens on May 12 as we watch the BAFTAs unfold. Robyn will be wearing her Zambesi frock − with comfortable undies and trainers beneath − and all her fans, family and friends will have their fingers tightly crossed for a win.
