hunter gatherer

the only drawback to carrying predominantly northern hemisphere designers (and it's a small price to pay!) is that we're always buying the opposite season - so come winter we're sometimes missing those deliveries of nice, ruggy, heavy wintery coats and knits. enter perth designer carly hunter - whose collection of sculpted merino asymmetric coats, sumptuous shearlings and silk backed knits completely captivated us. carly's first drop just arrived today with more following shortly. now we just need the temperature to drop a few more degree's...

carly hunter shearling vest (top) $540.00, asymmetric oversized merino coat (bottom) $665.00, in-store now.

wax lyrical

we love emmelie brunetti's 'a treatise on white magic' line of perfume balms - they've become a bit of a cult hit and ours are never far from our finger tips. so we were pretty excited when emmelie mentioned that she was working on a candle... in fact we may have harassed her constantly for the few months it took her to get them into production. but they were worth waiting for, and perfectly timed, the onset of winter doesn't feel so depressing when we can welcome it with the gorgeously smokey and leathery scent of atwm 'high desert campfire ritual' burning away.

as emmelie describes "for this candle, I was inspired by the channeling of current world events and the allure of liberating the mind through mystical drug induced journeys. I chose to work specifically with paraffin wax to evoke a discourse about our dependency to crude oil, as paraffin is a direct derivative of petroleum. the aroma exalts the scent of religious candles, burnt snakeskin leather and the high desert at dusk."

burnt wood, sand & tar scented 1oz (8-hour) travel candle. deep, leathery, smokey in aroma. paraffin wax. oils of cajeput, choya loban & birch tar. $25.00, in-store now and online here.

well seasoned

hi! sorry for the lack of informative posts recently - to be honest we can't quite believe it's nearly april!! sheesh!! but never fear, we'll be back on top of this whole blogging thing from now on. cross our hearts and hope to die.

above is a little taste of all the exciting new season deliveries that are currently gracing our racks, with new label 'bless' on its way and a candle line delivering soon from 'a treatise in white magic' entitled camp fire ritual that we can't wait to start burning in the store - it'll be the perfect way of easing ourselves into the impending winter.

stay tuned, and thanks for your patience!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

cult following

above images by oliver rose

even though our fashion radar is pretty firmly focused on international designers, we are always excited when we find labels closer to home that can slot in along side our other fashion finds. auckland designer celia phillips has always had a formidable personal style, and was a standout at the aut (auckland university of technology) final year show - with a strong, cohesive collection inspired by cults and religious garb. celia kindly answered a few questions for us:

name of designer: celia phillips

right now the time is : 1.45pm

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

date of birth: 21 feb 1986

label name: celia phillips

year label started: 2010

new collection is entitled: yearning for zion

concept/motivation behind new collection: fundamentalist mormons prairie dresses combined with an interest in occult imagery inspired this collection


the ultimate celia phillips lady or gent is: I have always had an obsession with marianne faithfull

marianne faithfull

most exciting fashion moment: seeing my garments captured in the amazing photos taken by photographer friends oliver rose and lydia cowpertwait.

shoot, shag and marry: shoot: paul mccartney, shag: daniel ash (when he was younger), marry: the blonde guy in rosetta stone (also when he was younger)

daniel ash

i had a vision and my vision was: to create clothes that my friends would love to wear

celia phillips new collection 'yearning for zion' is in-store now.

heeling powers

one of our favourite discoveries from our buying trip to paris in september was london based shoe designer atalanta weller - her sci-fi sculptural creations were like shoe tractor beams - resistance was sorta' futile (see what I did with the whole sci-fi star trek thing there?). her shoes feature spock like extensions, futuristic rubber tubing and crystaline, faceted carved platforms - and atalanta herself is a total sweet heart, equal parts shy and totally kick ass. we love that she created shoes for gareth pugh by vacuum packing them onto the model moments before they walked on to the catwalk. genius. anyway, this is starting to sound like some kind of deranged fan letter, i'm gunna let atalanta do the talking now.

name of designer: atalanta weller

right now the time is: 2.32 pm.

and where abouts in the world are you?: london

date of birth: 21/12/1978

label name: atalanta weller

year label started: september 2009

my new collection is entitled: the landing

concept/motivation behind new collection: retro futurism, from pompei to star trek via bat for lashes

the ultimate atalanta weller lady is: confident, sexy, intelligent, and fun.

most exciting fashion moment? going to 10 downing street!

on my day off I would....: make sculptures.. make shoes .. make more sculptures ... hang out with my friends...

what do you know about new zealand? it's far away and very beautiful, and every body who goes there seems to love it.

shoot, shag or marry: shoot -a shoe film, shag- couldn't possibly tell you! , marry -a wild man..

complete this sentence, I had a vision and my vision was… shoe shaped.

thank you.

atalanta weller is available in-store now and online here - don't miss out, they are exclusive to children of vision in the southern hemisphere and stock is very limited!!

sibling rivalry

we've been fans of sibling's quirky take on men's knits for a few seasons, so it was one of our first port of calls when we hit london for fashion week, and what a lovely bunch of ladies and gents they are! cozette mccreery, sid bryan and joe bates are the trio behind the east london label, and between them they have worked for (and in some cases still consult for) the likes of giles, mcqueen, lanvin, fendi, and givency... so... ya' know, they know they're stuff!

we've ordered from their next season 'social zombie' collection, but sneaked in the iconic 'skull breton' long sleeve tee now as a little taste of what's to come. 

check out what's to come from their next collection in the hilarious video below.

Sibling Collection 4 Film from TiRA on Vimeo.

sibling skull breton tee's are instore now and online soon.

dark with happy ending

finnish designer daniel palillo is a designer going from strength to strength, taking his trademark supersized proportions and black metal aesthetics to new and exciting extremes each season. his new spring/summer collection 'renaissance' has just arrived featuring padded 3 dimensional spike shoulder pads, jester like flaps and dark prints penned by daniel himself. we probed daniel (in a nice way) about his inspirations, best fashion moments, and his knowledge of new zealand...

name of designer: daniel palillo
 
right now the time is: 10.39 am
 
and where abouts in the world are you?: helsinki, finland. my office.
 
date of birth: 7th january 1981 
 
label name: daniel palillo
 
year label started: 1996
 
my new collection is entitled: renaissance 
 
concept/motivation behind new collection: bondage, clowns and things close to me. music, art... 
 
the ultimate daniel palillo lady or gent is: it is anybody who likes my clothes. 

most exciting fashion moment? getting production started for the first time.
 
what do you know about new zealand? I dont know that much, but my ex girlfriend spent a year there and she liked it a lot. I trust her taste. 
 
shoot, shag or marry: this is hard... well I dont want to shoot anybody... but to shag, goldie hawn in old woody allen films. to marry it is too early to think this kind of things.. I get stressed when I even hear the word marriage.. 
 
complete this sentence, I had a vision and my vision was… dark with happy ending. 

thank you.

OMG KTZ 4 EVA!

During our recent trip, Kokon to Zai was definitely one of our favourite shopping destinations - their stores in London and Paris are filled to bursting with some of the coolest labels around, and we feel pretty happy to share a few of the same labels such as Bernhard Willhelm, Daniel Palillo, Casette Playa and now, their own in-house brand KTZ. Worn by the likes of Rihanna, Lady Gaga (they recently ditched showing at London Fashion week in order to focus on the wardrobe for her latest tour) and regularly featured in international magazines like Italian Vogue, I-D, Dazed and Confused, KTZ is a big deal!!

It's fun, in your face, and we kinda want everything.... uh-oh!!

In-store now, and online soon!!