taco tuesday #2

The Auckland edition

Following on from Natalie's in-depth reviews of the best taco places in Sydney, here are the results of my extensive research in Auckland.

I have come to the conclusion that there is a major drought of good Mexican and tacos in Auckland. There are only about five places in total, none of which are particularly amazing. But -my love of tacos and Mexican food prevails. Any suggestions of new places to visit are more than welcome!

Taquería, Ponsonby
This is where Taco Tuesday began. Natalie and I used to come here after work almost every Tuesday where we’d bitch and gossip over a taco (or two) and a coke. After we would always cross the road and get some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for dessert. The atmosphere is about as Mexican as I am (i.e. nada), but it's still good for a quick and relatively cheap taco on the go. Just don't expect stellar service. There are new owners now so it's not as good as it used to be - they put hot salsa in my ex-boyfriend's taco once, and he almost cried. Shame.
(A sidenote - according to Wikipedia, 'taquería' is a Spanish word meaning taco shop).

The Mexican Café, City
Everyone says this inner city restaurant is gross, and well, they're right. I secretly love it though. Not so much for the tacos, but for the jugs of margarita. The passionfruit flavour is the best, but I'm also partial to a jug of slushie pineapple or strawberry. Yum. They do the usual - tacos, fajitas, chimchangas - but it's quite expensive and not that great (although I'm seriously craving one of their chicken fajitas right now). It's always busy and very loud too, so has a great atmosphere.

Mexicali Fresh, Newmarket
There are two Mexicali Fresh restaurants in Auckland, but I frequent the Newmarket one. The tacos are very hit and miss - some nights they're brilliant and others they're like slop in bread. It sort of reminds me of a fake Mexican place they'd have in Los Angeles -because there's always a random skateboarding video playing on the big screen and a Playstation Portable in the corner. There's a reason I only visit the Newmarket restaurant: the other is in the Viaduct (ew), and was recently busted for serving alcohol to minors.

Hola! Mexican, Parnell
Could this be the quietest Mexican restaurant in the world? When I went there were five other tables of people, but everyone seemed to be whispering because the music was barely audible. Which made the dining experience a tad awkward. But isn't it such a cheery name? Hola! has lime green walls and funny Mexican inspired memorabilia all around - my favourite being a picture of a cheeky looking woman wearing a lizard as a hat. The food is average - who knew French fries counted as Mexican food? With a cute bar area, an outside dining deck, and relatively cheap prices, this restaurant could be great - if only they would turn the music up.

first day of spring

"Springtime is on my mind
Flowers blooming, all the time
Smell the roses
Smell the grass
Old man winter can kiss my ass."

Thank you Spinal Tap.

the ronettes

Amy Winehouse's beehive ain't got nothing on The Ronettes'. The 1960s girl group are, in my humble opinion, the best girl band ever. Fronted by the formidable Ronnie Spector, the band released some of the greatest songs of all time - Be My Baby, (Walking) in the Rain, I Want a Boy, I'm on the Wagon and so much more. Ronnie eventually married their producer Phil Spector, who allegedly treated her as a prisoner - he forbade her from speaking to the Rolling Stones or touring with The Beatles, in case she fell prey to their charms.

Their signature look - matching towering beehives, tight pencil skirts and lashings of thick eyeliner - has had an obvious influence on Miss Winehouse and The Pipettes, among others. But it's their music that I love most: pure pop genius. Plus wasn't Ronnie a complete babe?

film festival

I had a movie night last night, which included most of the films that defined my early teenage years. Some of them are best left appreciated as memories, some have lasted the test of time.

Some highlights:

10 Things I Hate About You, 1997

The acerbically tongued Kat (Julia Stiles) plays a 'tempestuous' high school loner obsessed with literature, feminism and not fitting in. Soft-hearted rebel Heath Ledger plays her love interest, well, she hates him at first, but it all works out in the end, of course. I love the scene where he serenades her on the bleachers. The film has a great soundtrack too, which kind of encapsulates all the music I fell in love with at that impressionable age - Spiderbait, Letters to Cleo, The Cardigans, Air...But best of all is the Notorious BIG track, 'Hypnotise', which is the track Kat dances to on the table at an out-of-control, every-American-teen-movie-has-one type house party. And Joan Jett's 'I Don't Give A Damn About My Bad Reputation'. It's ostensibly based on The Taming of the Shrew, but it's a pretty mangled version.

"Romantic? Hemingway? He was an abusive, alcoholic misogynist who squandered half of his life hanging around Picasso trying to nail his leftovers."


The Craft, 1996

This was like, really scary. The Babysitters Club goes wild with Wiccan, so to speak. It's tagline is "Carrie meets Clueless".A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school (Neve Campbell) falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who even slightly anger them. I loved the way they customised their school uniforms. Plus, Fairuza Balk was soo badass, in my 13 year old mind. Eyeliner? Dyed hair? Woah.

"Driver: Watch out for the weirdos, girls. Nancy: We are the weirdos, mister."


Reality Bites, 1994

This is so nineties. Generation X college graduates, including Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofalo try to make it in the city, and struggle. It's all very melodramatic and of it's time - AIDS scares, working at the Gap, general apathy, flannel shirts and floral dresses, DIY, lo-fi film-making, and the all important question - should Leilani choose Ben Stiller and his creepy MTV-ness or Troy's (Ethan Hawke) pseudo-philosophical musings and total babeness? You know she does the right thing.

"He's so cheesy, I can't watch him without crackers."

the catorialist

Hilarious (and cute!). The Sartorialist is so famous that he now has an imitator - The Cartorialist.

rockabilly

I went to a party last week for April 77. I like their jeans, and I like their records (they multitask, they’re like, a record label AND clothing designers). But the coolest thing was that the party was Rockabilly-themed. Well, the music was anyway. I had a fine old time dancing like a fool to some cute tunes, and it’s inspired me to revisit my affinity for the music.

Then, serendipitously, I ended up at a screening of Rebel Without a Cause, a cult Rockabilly film starring James Dean and Natalie Wood.





Now, I’m not saying that I am about to join those who don full Rockabilly regalia (quiffs and leather jackets for boys, circle skirts, blouses and bobby socks for girls), but I’m all over dropping a few elements into my day-to-day wear, and the music is unmissable - Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash are the most prominent.

Font of all knowledge Wikipedia explains:
Rockabilly fans have favoured the greaser look, in which men have flamboyant pompadour hairstyles, with lots of hair pomade and long sideburns, also they comb their hair straight back but the pompadour is the most favorite look. For clothing, men wear tight jeans or black slacks...the motorcycle jacket stems from the rockers, who needed them as much for fashion as for function.

It also reminds me of one of my favourite teen books, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

juergen teller

Juergen Teller is pretty much awesome. I love his aesthetic, and he's completely hilarious.

Who else would pose Victoria Beckham with her legs poking out of a Marc Jacobs shopping bag? Or "photography Angela Lindvall with a mound of white Champagne foam coming out of her crotch and name it New York, Paris, Milan I’m Coming". I guess ole Dirty Richardson would, but he just doesn't have the same class and panache. Perhaps it's the Germanic heritage.

He's named a series of photos Fashion Wank (my sentiments exactly), loves taking photos of his baby, and "prefers quote-unquote interesting women: Cindy Sherman, Rachel Feinstein, Laura Dern. If he does shoot models, they are older (ideally over 20): Mariacarla Boscono, Angela Lindvall, Kristen McMenamy. They are women with stories and strength. Teller knows them already, or he gets to. They often eat together, preferably something sloppy. Meal sharing, he explains, is deeply important to his process—spaghetti nero, with its muddying effect on the lips and teeth, has become, for Teller, something of a leitmotif".

But apart from all this, or sitting concurrently, his overexposed, snapshot-style, un-retouched style has defined an era - and indeed, Marc Jacobs advertising.

There's a great article on Teller in New York Magazine, which you can find here.

iggy and lou lou

I just discovered a very sweet ceramic jewellery label called Iggy and Lou Lou. Kate Sylvester is selling selected pieces in her stores, each of which are hand-crafted, hand-drawn and made from porcelain by Australian artist Irene Grishin-Selzer. I love the whimsical, vintage feel of all the pieces - and especially these bird necklaces. So cute!

we love jann and jann loves...

Jann Wong is a very clever designer (last year she won the Deutz award, taking her to London for an apprenticeship with Richard Nicoll) and very well-dressed (winning the Metro Best-dressed awards last year too!). Plus she's a lovely friend with excellent taste. Here are her favourite things right now.

1. Hummingbird bakery on Portobello Road, London A little shop near to Portobello Market, they have an amazing cupcake display on shop front.
Real brownies, light cup cakes with buttercream icing, chocolate layer cakes. Perfect with a pot of English breakfast!



2. Any novels by Louis Cha
Louis is known by his pen name Jin Yong. He is one of the most influential modern Chinese-language novelists. His fiction is of the wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") genre and is currently the best-selling Chinese author alive.

3. The Eagle-Shooting Heroes at Auckland’s 40th Film Festival
I recently watched this film, which was based on novels by Louis Cha! With a cast of big names like Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (In the Mood for Love), Maggie Cheung (Hero), it was made in 1994. Leslie Cheung plays an agent working with swordsmen-for-hire, with a who’s who cast of the heyday of Hong Kong cinema, all at the height of their glamour.

“Drenched in shocking colour - the desert shifts from egg-yolk yellow to burnt orange under a cerulean sky - the film is Mr Wong‘s most abstract endeavour, a bold excursion into the realm of pure cinema.”

4. Shopping in Hong Kong
The best places to be are the i.t boutiques. On sale from July to September, they are especially worth the trip. All the big names are under one roof, and do check out the sale outlet in TST Silvercord. You can find labels such as 18th Amendment, A.P.C, Acne Jeans, Alessandro Dell'acaqua, Alexander McQueen, Ann Demenlemeester, Balenciaga, Cacharel, Chalayan, Comme Des garcons, dior homme, Eley Kishimoto, Fred Perry, Future Classics, Gareth Pugh, Givenchy, Humanoid, Isabel Marant, Jill Sander, Maison Martin Margiela, Stella MaCartney, Miu Miu, See by Chloe, Sonia Rykiel, Tsumori Chisato, Viktor and Rolf . . . the list goes on!!

www.ithk.com

5.Aria, Sydney
A friend took me to this amazing restaurant in Sydney’s Darling Harbour. My new favourite dish is truffled potato mash, it literally melts in your mouth!

5.My favourite markets in London
Borough Market is just by Londonbridge tube station, they have an amazing range of fruit and veggies in the weekend (Friday to Sunday) and there are heaps of pastry shops and cafes around. It is the oldest food market in London. It's jam packed in the weekend, come with an empty stomach!

Broadway Market and the flower market just by Londonfields. Broadway Market was nominated in the TimeOut Shopping awards as "the best place to lose yourself for an afternoon.”

6.Cheap airlines to travel around Europe and the UK
I use easyjet.com and ryanair.com. Sometimes I have got a £0.01p ticket from London to cities in Europe! Just pay tax and surcharges and you can plan a cheap as chips trip.

7.Viktor & Rolf at the Barbican
Breathtaking life size and miniature dolls dressed in V&R collections, a selection of the most intricately constructed pieces from their past 15 years of work.


8.My new hairdresser
Jonathan @ Huderweki in London.

9. Henrik Vibskov
I am in love with Henrik Vibskov's talents. He is creative in visual art, film, music and accessories. He’s a menswear and womenswear fashion designer based in Copenhagen. What doesn't this guy do??!?

preppy

Is it wrong that I'm totally feeling the preppy schoolgirl vibe right now? Yes, I know, it's creepy. But I can't help it...

Gossip Girl (finally) started in NZ last week, and I'm already obsessed with Blair Waldorf's wardrobe. The headbands, those crossover ties, the haughty vibe. The New York Observer recently called her the "scariest raven-haired actress we’ve seen since Shannen Doherty stormed off 90210." Love it.

I've also been obsessed with the uniforms in Girls Just Want To Have Fun and Heathers for ages - I think it's the blazers.

This Luella ensemble is one of my all-time favourite outfits.

Here are some preppy things I want right now:

1. Oxford shirt from American Apparel

2. Russell and Bromley loafers

3. Deborah Sweeney's oversized blazer

4. Kate Sylvester's kilt

5. I also love everything from A.P.C.'s latest collection

6. Are these preppy Marc by Marc Jacobs heels ugly cool or just plan ugly? I'm torn...

an excerpt from a patti smith interview

From an interview in Oui, 1976. The full interview can be found here.

"A dream date for me would be something classy. First, he would send me a box from Balenciaga and in it would be the classic black dress, an orchid and dark glasses. He would send my whole outfit. I would look like Anouk Aimee in La Dolce Vita. Then he'd call on me in a Jaguar that had wings and we'd fly to the south of France. Then we'd go out for a classy dinner and there'd be a menu with no prices. After that, we'd go to a roulette house, like in Band of Angels. I'd end the evening looking like Jeanne Moreau. Then he'd drive me back and kiss my hand. And we wouldn't do nothing, if you know what I mean."

She's so great.

record covers

I picked up a copy of Taschen's 1000 Record Covers yesterday. It's so inspiring. Here are a few of my favourites.


Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure

Black leather! A panther on a leash! Super high heels!


Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True

Rockabilly, his signature thick-rimmed glasses, cuffed jeans.



Richard Hell and the Voidoids - Blank Generation

One of my favourite post-punk songs ever. Isn't he hot?! Um, I have odd taste in men.

Roxy Music - Country Life

Classic and oft-referenced album cover. Super sexy!



Bachman Turner Overdrive - Rock'n'Roll Nights

Debauched hotel room behaviour. Wild!


Love and Kisses - Love and Kisses

The ripped white tee, the red cursive script.

we love maya and maya loves...

Maya Villiger is the lovely and clever LA-based editor and founder of Turned Out, who are kind enough to host our blog through the site, alongside beautiful street style photos from around the world, features and blogs from other sweethearts like Molly from Musette.

Here are Maya's ten favourite things right now...

1. My Nikon 50mm F1.4 D Lens. Fast enough for shooting in just about any type of light and weighs only 9.0 ounces, perfect for traveling.

2. Prosecco and Peaches. Dry, lemony and bubbling, Italy’s answer to sparkling wine. Delicious with any summer meal, but I especially like mine with crunchy peaches.

3. Eres Swim suites and underwear. Rich colours, amazing fabrics and the perfect fit.

4. Going to the movies. My favorite theatre in LA is The Aero, just up the road from my apartment in Santa Monica. They always preview movies before their mainstream release (last night I saw Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona which is brilliant by the way). But best of all, the directors and actors are often there for Q&A at the end of the movie, one really great thing about living in LA. I am also in love with NetFlix, where you create your online wish list and movies are sent directly to you.

5. Sunset Tower Bar, at The Sunset Tower Hotel. This Sunset Boulevard restaurant is my absolute favorite dinner spot in all of LA. Quiet and refined, the views are as brilliant as the food. Hollywood at its best.

6. Whangapoua Beach, Coromandel Peninsula. My parents have their beach bach here, it is such a beautiful and untouched spot, my favourite place to spend time when I come home. I am getting married there in March.

7. Horse Riding. My dream is to one day own a beautiful farm with lots of horses for a big family. Next week we are going to Ascot in England to learn to play Polo, I am just a little excited.

8. Club 55, St Tropez. The first beach club along the shore of Pampelonne, Club 55 is over 50 years old and by far the most understated and elegant. Perfect people watching, comfy loungers, fresh lemon juice, a beautiful tree covered restaurant spilling onto the sand, delicious fresh seafood and huge platters of the most beautiful vegetables, makes for a pretty great day at the beach. I am spending my 30^th birthday there next month with a few great friends, it will be such a special weekend.

9. Prada Lace. So beautiful yet brilliantly fresh and young, Prada’s Fall 08 collection was genius. My absolute favourite of the season.

10. Turned Out. I love working on my little website, I love taking pictures of wonderful people in the street and I love collaborating with all the talented people who make Turned Out such fun.

Image Credit: Collage by Maya Villiger

Cul de Sac

Last weekend I went to a double feature of two Roman Polanski films, Cul-de-sac and Repulsion at the Chauvel in Paddington. Each Sunday they screen a double feature for $11 – they are mostly films from the 60s and 70s, usually an exploration of a specific director’s work. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Anyway, Cul-de-sac. It was a pretty drawn out film, but I really loved the setting, a dilapidated and isolated hilltop castle set on a ‘bleak and remote tidal island’ and the style of the lead female character, Teresa.

So, it was a little serendipitous to stumble across this fashion shoot by photographer Patric Shaw today, which uses the film as visual inspiration.







Cul-de-sac begins with gangster Dickie pushing his broken-down car through rising seawater while his companion Albie lies inside, bleeding from a gunshot wound after a bungled robbery. Cut off by the unexpected rising tide, they are on the only road to a bleak and remote tidal island where, in a dark castle on a hilltop, the effeminate and neurotic George lives with his luscious young wife Teresa (played by Francoise Dorleac). Dickie then proceeds to hold the two hostage while awaiting rescue by his boss, the mysterious Katelbach, even throughout an unexpected visit from one of George's old work colleagues.

Zoe wrote a post earlier about Rosemary's Baby, one of Polanski's later films, which you can find here.

fleet foxes

"Fleet Foxes may have a firm grasp on rock and folk history, but they never play to their record collection," say Pitchfork magazine.

I'd guess that the Foxes, whose eponymous album has been played on repeat almost without stopping since I bought it yesterday, have a record collection that includes an awful lot of Crosby, Stills and Nash, as well as Neil Young and maybe the Steve Miller Band? Maybe some Nick Drake too, and, dare I say it, Fleetwood Mac (the earlier albums, obviously, not the MOR shit). All of whom are amongst my favourite artists. So, it was with great pleasure that I hit play on this one. It makes me think of forests, log cabins, ethereal dresses, cable knit socks, and other such lovely autumnal things.

My record reviewing skills are pretty dusty, so if you'd like to know more, go here.



I'm not a huge fan of this video, but I do love this song.

the royal tenenbaums

I can't stand Samantha and Mark Ronson, but I love Wes Anderson's film The Royal Tenenbaums. It's one of my favourite films; I especially love Gwyneth Paltrow's character Margot (must be her surly personality and tennis dresses). Harpers Bazaar have shot three of the Ronson kids in a Royal inspired shoot - check out the story (and great pics) here

i love these boots

If only it weren't almost summer...Top: Marc Jacobs, Bottom: Chloe