The Business Babes
@serendipity.ave
Nami and Pascale make up the fashionable duo behind Serendipity Ave, one of NZ’s most successful Fashion blogs! And it’s no surprise why, serving us daily doses of fashion Inspo that’s not only inspiring but totally achievable! Not to mention they are hilarious to follow, so down to earth and relatable! I caught up with the girls down at NZFW to find out their current wardrobe faves, the collection that inspired them most this season and what’s in store for Serendipity Ave in these coming months…
Hey girls! Would love to know what you thought of the shows this year? Which collection did you find most inspiring?
The shows are always such a fun event to attend. We only attended one day due to our workload but we as always enjoyed Hailwood. His collections have such an understated coolness to them.
What are the key trends we should all be looking out for next season?
For the summer – Cute beaded bags like our Zeenat bag we have on Shop Serendipity Ave, lot’s of scrunchie wearing, bold colours, linen dresses and snake prints and the earring of the hotter season: chubbies from small to large. Wow that’s a lot.
We love Stolen and everything about their style resonates really well with us – might be our tomboy side hehe. We also love Not For You which is an up and comer from the south island killing the streetwear game, currently lusting over his bomber jackets *sigh* Also a new young designer that caught our eye this year is Olli! Think over the top ruffles – we digging it! Not showing at NZ Fashion Week, Miss Crabb – can do no wrong.
More statement sneakers, the Dior Addict Flap bag and Nami is still searching for the perfect red handbag.
Nami’s Balenciaga sneakers, our Chanel Flap Bag, oversized knit jumpers (H&M has an amazing selection in different colours at an amazing pricepoint) and MAC Velvet Teddy lippie.
their inspo
We actually started mass following a whole lot of chic AF girls from Copenhagen Fashion week for style inspo but our regular fave fashion grams are @foxyzingaro, @christinecentenera, @monikh and @josefinehj
Awww thank you babe! We have a few things in the works at the moment. Our shift is focusing on creating our own line of items so there will be a new jewellery collab releasing in November with Monarc Jewellery which we are so excited about. We are also working with a clothing and accessory factory to sample some of ideas but we will keep that under wraps for now hehe. All we can say is expect it to be very true to the Serendipity Ave style.
Our faves at the moment would have to be the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (both equal), this amazing blush from a NZ company called Inika and the Mac dazzleshadow liquid eyeshadow!
Water and comfortable shoes. They can be such full on days and without these two we go downhill very fast haha.
If you don’t already follow Aki on Instagram you are missing out! She is the probably the most inspiring Fashion Creative here in NZ that I follow. Aki specialises in marketing and advertising Luxury brands, think Gucci, La Mer and Tiffany & Co. She comes up with the most beautiful and unique concepts for her imagery and considers her style as a Maximilist, a style which I can definitely relate to! We caught up with Aki down at Fashion Week to find out what she’s coveting this upcoming season, which shows she loved and her NZFW Fashion Week essentials!
NZFW is such a busy week for you I’m sure! Out of all the shows you attended which would you say was your favourite/highlight from the week?
Thank you so much for having me Holly. I’m so happy to witness more variety of styles and colours coming down the NZFW runway this year and the work coming from the New Gens are so international (I’m so proud). Wynn Hamlyn – I’m obsessed with their knits and presentations, still can’t get over their last year’s collection and show presentations too. Love the newly refurbished DFS, the heritage building simply elevates their showcase on Friday night too.
And after seeing the shows this week Aki, what do you think are the top 3 trends we should be looking out for next season?
You can’t go wrong with knits, blazers and all the ruffles.
And who would you say are your most favourite New Zealand Designers?
Caitlin Crisp, Olli, Wynn Hamlyn, Harman Grubisa, and the new gen shows are so good too!
What are you currently coveting Aki? What’s on your wishlist?
Please don’t laugh at my answer, I do have a lot of fashion pieces that I love and want (eg: a Balmain blazer), but the top of my lists are filled with all kinds of camera equipments, they costs the same if not more than my clothes lol
And what piece have you currently got on high rotation from your wardrobe?
Shirt, blazer and flare pants.
Which Instagram accounts do you look to for inspiration Aki? Whether it be for styling or fashion?
To be honest, I hardly have the time to look at Instagram accounts for inspiration. I’m always on the go – execute, execute, execute!
Your Instagram feed is so beautiful Aki! How do you like to edit the photos for your feed? Do use prefer a certain filter? Tell us a few of your little secrets!
Thank you so much Holly, so sweet of you! I try to keep editing to a minimum, but when I do edit, I make sure the images have clear lighting and the colours of my garments are as accurate as they can be (no desaturation allowed). For example, coral can’t look like fuchsia; royal blue can’t look like cobalt blue. I think that comes from my fashion art direction background as colour accuracy is very important for potential buyers.
You get to work with so many luxe beauty brands and trial loads of gorgeous products, but would love to know what are your tried and true top 3 beauty products?
I feel very honoured in that matter. If I could only choose 3, here’s the rundown:
La Mer mask, once you go there, you won’t go back lol, La Mer face wash, I love how little you need to clean the whole face – perfect for travel packing and La Mer eye cream, soooooo luxe. Gosh, sorry to make this looks like La Mer advertising here – but honestly though, have a try and you will know what I mean.
And lastly, tell us Aki what are your essentials for getting through fashion week?
Comfy but cool shoes, good food, good company and a good sheet mask!
The Fashion Besties
@holly estelle
@rebecca_dieu
Holly Estelle and Rebecca Dieudonné are one stylish friendship duo! These beautiful besties, both have their own amazing and unique style and I just love scrolling through their beautifully curated Instagram feeds! I caught up with them after Fashion Week to find out what shows they loved this season, what they’re lusting after and all their current beauty faves!
You 2 make up such a gorgeous friendship duo! How long have you known each other for and how did you first meet?
Rebecca: I was lucky enough to meet Holly at a Remix party held earlier this year. She stood out instantly in a gorgeous white blazer and on point makeup. We chatted over cocktails and found out we had so much in common! Now we catch up regularly with our mutual friend Billie while sampling our way through Ponsonby’s finest French Martinis and Truffle fries (@augustusbistro you will always be my fav). It’s so important to have a supportive girl gang when things get tough. We are always there with a kind ear and helpful advice about what not to buy, and to say yes, he is a loser.
Holly: We first met at an event last year and since then have been religiously following each other on Instagram. Since coming back from my travels its been amazing to jump straight into a beautiful friendship with Rebecca, attending events and catching up for coffee. It’s so lovely to have friends within the blogging world who share the same passion and love for fashion as I do.
Rebecca: Oh my gosh we were so lucky with the generosity of designers this year! I fell in love with almost every piece from the Trelise Cooper show – I have worked with Julia Leuchars in the past so it’s always nice to be able to support your friends. I loved how feminine the collection was. The prints were so elegant and there was so much attention to detail with ruffled sleeves and embellishments. I can’t stop thinking about this feathered, jewelled midi dress in pale blue called “I’m Blue For You.” It was crafted using hand embellished organza with feather detailing. It is a truly dreamy garment, simultaneously sleek through the upper body and gently floating through the hem with the diaphanous feathers breaking the solid garment outlines and adding a delicious softness. I don’t know when I would wear something so spectacular but I’m sure I could create an occasion! I asked Julia what the inspiration behind the collection was this year and she explained the core theming around the show was The Bold & The Beautiful. The BOLD: Audacious, glamorous and just a little bit Dallas! They were inspired by Girl Bosses – women wearing fearless fashion. Exaggerated Silhouettes stole their hearts. The BEAUTIFUL: she is the new Maximalist. Wearing prints & perspex and rocking her ruffles! Power shoulders, clashing textures, glittering sequins – check, check, check!
Holly: Every time I leave a Trelise Cooper show I just want to run backstage, grab all the samples and go shoot them right away! I am inspired by the way they style each look with big accessories, bold colours, and fabulous heels. Each show is full of energy and its during moments like that, I realise just how lucky I am to work with such incredible New Zealand designers.
Rebecca: I am definitely heavily influenced by European fashion at the moment – lots of monochrome, and white on white. Think neutral textured shoes, vintage freshwater pearl jewelry, breezy silhouettes and relaxed hair and makeup. One of my favourite style inspirations is @vivianhoorn, her Dutch style is classic but she tastefully incorporates the latest trends into her wardrobe too.
Holly: I am definitely a summer fashion girl and I often freeze to death during winter just so I can shoot some of the summer pieces as they come into the showrooms early. A crisp white shirt is definitely up there. I’m also looking forward to adding some linen pieces to my wardrobe. While in Europe last month I lived in wide legged, high waisted, light weight pants with a shirt or off the shoulder cotton tee. I am also looking forward to some of the swimwear trends that I caught a glimpse of during my travels, especially the gorgeous one piece suits.
Rebecca: I’m loving anything overtly feminine right now – delicate ruffled sleeves, silk shirts, long skirts with a split, and anything backless. I want to get the strapless polka dot maxi dress, with the tied bust from the latest @ShonaJoy collection – and I’m also in love with the Outlaw set from @ixiah _thelabel. I need to start saving for some of the Trelise pieces also!
Holly: My wardrobe is constantly rotating each week with fabulous pieces form the brands I work with and although I return most of the pieces after the shoot I feel a sense of satisfaction similar to shopping! So I don’t have the urge to buy things in the same way that I used to. However I’ve been wanting the black Saint Laurent Sac De Jour bag for a while now. I have so many smaller bags that I shoot with however I need a larger day to day bag and I have had my eye on that for a while. I popped into the YSL stores in Europe and would obsess over their designs. One day I hope my wardrobe is lined with those pieces!
Rebecca: It was so much fun getting out all of my (faux!) fur for Fashion Week, it instantly elevates an outfit. I also believe you can’t go past investing in a good designer handbag (or three!). My Louis Vuitton Twist in Noir is a staple companion of mine. A good well-fitting black blazer is a key feature, as well as a starched white shirt. Camilla & Marc do beautiful blazers and Harris Tapper have gorgeous shirting.
Holly: My Balmain x HM Black Blazer, I rarely leave the house without a blazer but this one is a longer cut which can be easily worn with jeans or a shorter layered skirt. I live in my Mi Piachi boots and patent black heels. Im hoping they release them in a range of colours like red or a forest green.
Rebecca: Holly has such great taste! How do I summarise it in just three words?! Hmmm, I’ll say sophisticated, playful and feminine.
Holly: I would definitely describe Rebecca’s style as classic, elegant and chic!
Holly: I don’t believe anything is off limits to anyone, to a certain degree. I encourage women in their thirties to experiment with fashion and to step out of the jeans and stand out from the crowd a little. We all miss at times but that’s all part of the fun with fashion. I am finding myself moving away from the tight pants and growing my collection of high waisted wide legged pants.
Rebecca: As I work in beauty, there is a high standard of dress. I often rotate wide-leg cropped trousers, with a pointed low heel. I also love printed midi skirts with a blazer thrown on paired with statement earrings. You never know what meeting you will be pulled into, so you need to put your best foot forward!
Rebecca: Your feed is just the cutest! I love watching what you and Alba get up to during the day. In terms of style inspiration, I follow a few Australian and Scandi influencers. @Izisimundic is freakin gorgeous and can pull off any outfit. @KristinSundberg is charming. @Idasjunnesson is the epitome of Scandi beauty. @Lydiajanetomlinson has practical styling advice that I love too.
Holly: Micah Gianneli is my absolute style muse along with Rocky Barnes. However most of my inspiration comes from New Zealand with the likes of Sarah Stewart, Aki from The Sleek Avenue, Hannah Marinkovich and of course AlbaandI and Rebecca Dieudonne.
Rebecca: I believe the best makeup starts with good skincare, so I always prioritise this. I layer serums twice a day and make sure I wear SPF 50 every day – even in winter. I would suggest everyone needs to include Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid in their skincare regime. I’ve seen major improvements in overall radiance and skin texture after incorporating these. I’ve also started using the Probiotic Skin Boosting serum from Elizabeth Arden and it has done wonders for clearing up any breakouts and congestion. During my contract role at Arden, I’ve been lucky enough to try products I wouldn’t ordinarily have purchased. I love the Prevage Eye serum which is enriched with Idebenone – one of the most powerful antioxidants there is. It combats aging caused by environmental damage and provides nutrients that are essential to protecting the delicate eye area.
Holly: Confession …. I rarely use an under eye cream or concealer! I have always had Savar Wonder Lift Eye Cream by my bed which I do use once a week on a Sunday with a mask (Kiehl’s Calendula and Aloe Hydration Mask is my number one). I don’t own a concealer, that is probably something I should pop out a buy. Any recommendations? My beauty favourites at the moment are the Elizabeth Arden Dare to Bare Bronzing Gel Pearls, I apply this before my foundation to give me my bronzed dewy look. My make up kit is almost all YSL and at the moment I am specifically loving the contour blush and highlighter, adding a little pink and sparkle during winter. The best Mascara I have found is the Benefit Rollar Lash. I received a mini sample in a goodie bag once and now it’s the only one I buy. I set my make up with YSL Top Secrets setting spray.
@rebecca_dieu
