totes babes

you may have noticed on this blog that since opening we've asked each designer a few questions about themselves to get to know them a little better. ya' know, questions about their collections, what they'd do on a day off, what they know about new zealand, who they would shoot, shag or marry, etc. we also ask them to complete the sentence 'i had a vision and my vision was...'

we've had some pretty great answers, so we decided to start the 'tote project'. we asked incredible auckland based artist erin forsyth to interpret and illustrate these answers and we'll continue to release new totes through out the year each with different designers response to the question 'i had a vision and my vision was...'

the first two designers we've released are new zealand designer jimmy d (duh! of course!) and our favourite finnish prince of darkness, daniel palillo.

each tote bag is $45.00, made out of 100% cotton, in a sturdy cotton drill with robust tape handles. one side features erin's illustration and the other has the children of vision logo.

and hey! it's christmas! so gift it, or sling it over your shoulder and chuck all your christmas shopping in it!

the tote project is available in-store now or online here.

occult hit

the other day we got talking to the lovely natalie smith, one half of our favourite blog 'so much to tell you' about our new delivery of black amber balms. she recounted a story that she wrote about black amber balm creator emmelie brunetti for russh magazine a while ago, and whilst she talks about her initial project 'hopi botanicals' i'm sure emmelie would agree that her motivations and philosophies still apply. it's a beautifully written article and I don't know about you, but i love learning more about passionate creative people, so enjoy it! (click on the article above and click again to magnify)

thanks natalie!

the new shipment of black amber perfume balm's just arrived today, the last shipment sold out so don't delay! available in-store now or online here.

ring ring. hello.

we first noticed anne-mieke ytsma's handiwork when we viewed her jewellery for fellow dunedin label company of strangers - we marveled at the 'till death do us part' ring that resembled three fine rings roughly bashed together, with twinkling stones that, instead of being precious, are actually cast in metal and highly polished. it's these contradictions that abound in anne-mieke's own line underground sundae.

name of designer: anne-mieke ytsma

right now the time is: 9:21pm

and where abouts in the world are you?: dunedin, new zealand

date of birth: 10.07.1984

label name: underground sundae

year label started: 2010

my new collection is entitled: future famous summer night

describe the concept/motivation behind your new collection: jewellery to remind us of the transitory nature of life. It's about the drift down city streets in search of signs of attraction or repulsion.

the ultimate underground sundae lady or gent is: elegantly trashy

most exciting fashion moment? going to an op-shop and finding an old ladies entire collection of eighties attire, never worn still with tags attached, crazy great outfits! everyday is an exciting fashion moment...

on my day off I would....: probably be found drinking coffee or making something

shoot, shag or marry: shoot andy warhol cos he's already been shot and i don't want to shoot anyone. shag and marry maybe one day? philip james frost my amazing artist boyfriend

complete this sentence, I had a vision and my vision was... magic

thank you!!

the first delivery from anne-mieke ytsma's new collection is in-store now and is online here.

press up's

wowsh! there's been a whole lotta online love of late!! the lovely queen michelle at one of our favourite blogs kingdom of style features jimmy d's new collection (due in-store february/march) and describes children of vision as 'incredible' - awww bless!! the stunning elena zubielevitch is featured in the latest issue of online mag 1am, photographed by matt benns, elena is dripping in jimmy d aw11 (thana silk dress, nighthawk bra, and venom knickers to be precise). and super cute website michi embarks on a round up of auckland's best stores and takes a visit to children of vision.

thanks for the love guys!

check out the new issue of 1am here
check out kingdom of style's write up on jimmy d here
check out michi's full write up of children of vision here

white magic woman

many an hour has been spent looking for unusual candles and perfumes for the store - and it ain't easy - there has to be that perfect mix of an intriguing, unique scent, beautiful packaging and a bit of a story behind it...

so when we discovered black amber balms by 'a treatise on white magic' we all got pretty excited. created by emmelie brunetti, black amber balm natural solid perfumes are made with a variety of the highest quality essential oils, absolutes, and co2 extracts available, as well as certified organic jojoba oil, certified organic unfiltered beeswax and vitamin e.

each perfume has an amber base, this common accord, which acts as a base note and fixative, enables the perfume to linger on the skin and will impart a delicately sweet yet woody aroma. each scent is captivating on its own but it also perfectly suited to be layered with other black amber balms or even used as a base to compliment a favourite perfume to create a truly personalised scent.

anyway, blah blah blah. they smell incredible, and emmelie was nice enough to answer our random questions which will probably give you much more of an insight into what black amber balms are about...

name of designer/owner: emmelie brunetti

right now the time is: 12:05 am

and where abouts in the world are you?: los angeles, ca

date of birth: june 29 1980

label name: a treatise on white magic (atwm)

year label started: 2009

describe the concept/motivation behind black amber perfume balms: black amber balm is the product of an eclectic mix of influences, observations, fascinations and in-depth research on master plants, perfumery and the occult.

the ultimate black amber lady or gent is: anita pallenberg

most exciting fashion moment? styling our 3 year old daughter bella

on my day off I would....: get a pedicure, swing by agent provocateur, pick up a few good bottles of red wine.

favorite smell: campfires
what do you know about new zealand? kiwis, diwali & rugby

shoot, shag or marry: 1,2 & 3: my husband, erik

complete this sentence, i had a vision and my vision was… from beyond.

black amber balms are available in-store now and online soon. each 12ml tin retails at $40.00

check out this package

remember getting letters? as in, hand written letters... not bills or bank statements... but letters from far off places in ever so slightly crumpled brown envelopes with clusters of exotic stamps... we do, and we sorta miss them. that's why we really love getting deliveries where the sender has injected a little bit of character into their packaging, whether it be quirky handwriting, a little hand written note or something like the above. this box is from the lovely emmelie brunetti who not only has an amazing blog 'a treatise on white magic' but makes beautiful black amber solid perfume balms that just arrived today. in the box above. which we love.

black amber perfume balms are in-store now, more information very soon.

talking black

 

jimmy d designer, and children of vision co-owner james dobson caught up with rachael churchwood and grant fell from iconic new zealand magazine black to talk "norwegian black metal, chiffon punk, ms. 45, and selling bernhard back to the europeans.."

see the full article here

and a huge thanks to grant and rachael!!

habanarama

we're often drawn to that potent combination of pretty and dark with our buying for children of vision - and when it comes to jewellery 'dainty' just aint our thing... so when we came across the work of new york jeweller chris habana we knew we were on a similar wavelength.

his new collection 'loosing my religion' is full of suitably gothic imagery, crosses are made three dimensional and wrapped around the wrist or inverted and turned into small (but definitely not dainty) studs. A ram's head is covered in tiny nail heads and large frame work quartz shapes form a striking neck piece.

yeah, we're pretty much in love.

the above selection is in-store now and online soon.

better living everyone

the recently opened douglas + bec is one of our favourite destinations for amazing furniture, accessories and one off gifts - we visited last week and left with one of their incredible white angle lamps... but that's a whole different story...

the lovely owners rebecca snelling and paul dowie were just featured in the latest issue of home new zealand - rebecca wears the jimmy d 'remains' silk shirt dress and paul wears an andrew mark smith 'duo' shirt, and they wear 'em mighty well...

rebecca also divulges that she's (not so) secretly coveting a deadly ponies mr. sleep over from children of vision.

awwwww jeeeez thanks guys!!

press up's

this is all a little late, but there are some truly stunning images of children of vision pieces in the latest remix magazine, above is just a small taste of the amazingness... go buy one now!!

huge thanks to atip and the remix crew.

wholy (un)holy

charlotte rust has a formidable pedigree, she owns one of auckland's coolest vintage stores, has worked for leading new zealand label nom*d, and possess that kind of effortless 'cool' that is frustratingly impossible to emulate. for her new label/project 'unholy' charlotte puts her vintage sourcing skills to good use, unearthing ironic metaler tee's, tacky holiday tee's or just plain weird tee's, splicing them together, and creating clever drape front jackets. the combination is considered (often creating new hybrid band names where they meet at the back) and the result is infinitely wearable.

name of designer: charlotte rust

right now the time is: 10.27am

and where abouts in the world are you?: k'rd, auckland, nz

date of birth: year of the dragon

label name: unholy

year label started: 2010

my new collection is entitled: um pass, i've never been one for themes which is probably why I failed so miserably at the fashion and design polytech course I did when I left school

concept/motivation behind new collection: yet another version of a recycled t-shirt garment but with more form and function, I am interested in using existing fabrics/garments rather than developing a garment from scratch

the ultimate unholy lady or gent is: keith richards circa exile on main st, diamanda galas



most exciting fashion moment? being profiled in i-d magazine - but my ego was quickly deflated when I realised they had used someone else's answers for my questions

on my day off I would....: bake, eat, browse online for shoes..

shoot, shag or marry: shoot - madonna, shag - eric northman, marry - rick owens (strictly for material gain)


complete this sentence, I had a vision and my vision was… leather and fur clad - recycled, naturally

thank you.

recycled double drape tee's by unholy are in-store now and available online here

press up's

(above) sophie hulme neckpiece

(above) romance was born monster claw necklace

(above) raphael hauber tank

we're loving this shoot from the September issue of US magazine SOMA - expertly styled by phoebe trezevant-miller and photographed by russ flatt, it makes us wanna rock that huge sophie hulme bow neckpiece with a tailored jacket... if there were any left that is...

view the full issue here

thanks guys!!

french dressing

sorry! we've been missing in action recently - new zealand fashion week and a trip to paris for buying has meant we've neglected the blog a bit! but never fear, we've been tracking down lots of exciting new things for you for next season (and eating a few pastries along the way) and we'll be a lot more diligent now we promise - we have lots of exciting deliveries, press, and interesting bits 'n pieces to share with you.

stay tuned!

i'm weaving you.

few people are as deft with a pair of knitting needles as aucklander areez katki - areez creates delicate, cobwebby knits out of materials as diverse as recycled sari silks, shredded jersey, and even nylon cord. for spring/summer areez's collection 'hand made IV' is an all together more monochromtic affair, delicate tones of cream and beige dominate, whilst areez explores new textures in black (children of vision has some exclusive and totally amazing experimentations in bungee cord).

areez kindly submits to the children of vision interview below:

name of designer: areez katki

right now the time is: 02:18pm

and where abouts in the world are you: in-between classes at auckland university

date of birth: april 6th 1989

label name: areez katki

year label started: 2009

new collection is entitled: handmade IV

concept/motivation behind new collection: developments of my preceding work; this time it was through an exploration of perennial natural fibers, which I sourced when I was in india. (recycled sari silks, mulberry silk, raw cotton fibers, tencel, rayon etc)

ultimate areez katki lady or gent is: i love and respect everything that I know about bjork


most exciting fashion moment: seeing a complete stranger wearing something that I made always has an affirming and powerful impact

on my day off i would: be having lots of tea, knitting at home with my gran

shoot, shag & marry: shoot that gaga creature, shag d.h. lawrence and marry julia child


i had a vision and my vision was: interrupted by consciousness.

areez katki's new collection 'hand made IV' is in-store now.

press up's

every issue metro magazine runs a feature entitled 'dress code' where they compare varying styles of dress within the same occupation - with fashion week rapidly approaching this months issue featured fashion designers.

james dobson, designer of jimmy d and co-owner of children of vision (centre) represents! wearing a combination of children of vision labels including jimmy d, rad by rad hourani, complexgeometries, and salvor projects boots.


our friends at simply you magazine were kind enough to feature us in their latest issue out now - the image features australian label akira, new to children of vision for spring/summer.

thanks guys!!

book it

mitchell oakley smith's stunning 'fashion - australian & new zealand designers' has just been released and is groaning with sumptuous images and beautifully written interviews with leading australasian designers - children of vision faves material by product and gary bigeni are both featured as well as my own label jimmy d... yay!

the book is widely available through retail stores and galleries through out new zealand, australia, and internationally, including such prestigious locations as the tate in london and centre pompidou in paris - alternatively grab a copy here.