An exhibition titled Sun Room and described as “an ensemble of feeling” felt like a fittingly joyful backdrop for our second, second birthday party held in Pōneke on Thursday night. Fresh from a celebration in Tāmaki Makaurau the week earlier (why have one birthday party when you can have two?!), we welcomed supporters, contributors and local creatives we admire to the brilliant Jhana Millers Gallery where artist Ruby Wilkinson’s new paintings were on display.
Guests included an array of fashion industry friends including Anjali Barnett and Rachel Easting of Twenty-seven Names, Havilah Arendse, stylist and photographer Chloe Hill, Marilou Dada, creative director at Kowtow, Bobby Campbell Luke, hairstylist Michael Beel, Emily Partridge of Nisa, James Bush, founder of Underlena Maxine Kelly and Prak Sritharan of boutique Kaukau.
They were joined by an equally well-dressed group that showed off our capital city’s unique creative and political mix, including Ziggurat owner Kate Bryant, young photographers Tommie Love and Simon Wong, the prime minister's chief press secretary Andrew Campbell, Abel Odor founder Frances Shoemack, Stuff CEO Sinead Boucher, Dominion Post editor Anna Fifield, Janhavi Gosavi and Alice Brown of Salient magazine and politician Golriz Ghahraman.
We drank Fairy Bread natural wines, Dirty Water seltzer and beer from Wellington legends Garage Project, with a gorgeous floral display by Flowers Manuela. And, of course, there were dreamy birthday cakes - a slab by Tomboy Cakery covered in hundreds and thousands and lollies, reminiscent of birthday cakes of our childhoods; a sparkly, orange tiered creation by Baby Cakes that felt like Barbiecore on acid (in a good way); and a charming chocolate ganache cake covered in edible flowers, handmade by Twenty-seven Names’ Rachel using a family recipe.
Like our earlier Auckland party, we asked guests in Pōneke to add a song to our party playlist - play the ensemble-sourced mixtape on repeat below, and keep scrolling to enjoy party photos by Lewis Ferris from the fun and fabulous event.
