CALENDAR

Social diary
ALL DRESSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO? NOT ANY MORE. HERE ARE PLENTY OF OCCASIONS WORTH FROCKING UP FOR
musical renditions of A Midsummers Night Dream and Romeo and Juliet in Auckland Town Hall. Tickets start at $51 for adults; see apo.co.nz. the public. The most famous is the garage sale, perfect for scoring designer samples and fabrics. Visit nzfashionweek.com.

ALEXANDER WANG

JULY 24-29 Clicquot in the Snow Veuve Clicquot has a week of events organised in Queenstown in time for the snow. There are brunch sessions, late-night sessions, a table tennis tournament (not quite sure of the dress etiquette here), a degustation at the Hilton and a fashion show with Kathryn Wilson. See queenstownhilton.com.

NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 6 Melbourne Cup Day This exciting day of races across the ditch is a great excuse to take a few days off and jetset in style. Bring your favourite and most fashionable attire and enjoy the famous Birdcage Bash after the last race on Tuesday afternoon. Visit melbournecup.com. NOVEMBER 7 TO DECEMBER 12 Royal NZ Ballets Giselle This two-act ballet and romantic French classic follows the ghost of brokenhearted lover Giselle through a dramatic course of events. Tickets start from $37 for adults. Visit nzballet.org.nz.

AUGUST
AUGUST 2 TO SEPTEMBER 9 Royal NZ Ballets Cinderella A favourite fairytale comes to life in this romantically powerful ballet. With awe-inspiring costumes and a grand set, the nationwide tour will draw audiences from all over. Tickets start from $37 for adults. Visit nzballet.org.nz.

JUNE
JUNE 7 TO 17 Rigoletto Sung in Italian, Giuseppe Verdis Rigoletto is filled with infidelity, passion and revenge. The opera runs at the ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, with tickets from $49.50 for adults. Visit the-edge.co.nz. JUNE 23 Cancer Society Charity Ball Support the Cancer Society of New Zealand in a night of glamour with fine foods, wine, music and an auction at the Rutherford Hotel in Nelson. Frock up theres a history of a prize for the best dressed. $125, visit cancernz.org.nz.

DECEMBER
DECEMBER Boxing Day The Fashions in the Field event is a great excuse to dress up and immerse in summer spirit. Catch premier thoroughbred racing or be front row for the catwalk at the Auckland Racing Club in your most glamorous attire. Visit ellerslie.co.nz.
WORDS Amanda Karakoudas. PHOTOGRAPHY Headpress.

SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER 1-30 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty A month-long celebration of fashion and beauty with fashion shows, seminars, films and events and online challenges. The month brings Fashion Quarterly and other ACP magazines to life. For more information go to 30daysoffashionandbeauty.co.nz. SEPTEMBER 1 Grocery Charity Ball This annual event will this year support Look Good Feel Better, a service offering fun makeover expertise and special workshops to help boost selfesteem in women coping with cancer. The ball will be held at the Langham in Auckland. Visit grocerycharityball.co.nz. SEPTEMBER 3 TO 9 New Zealand Fashion Week While mainly an industry trade show, Fashion Week has several events open to

JULY
JULY 3 TO 8 The Nutcracker on Ice The Imperial Ice Stars will make their way to Auckland to present a stunning show filled with daring leaps, graceful ice dancing and Tchaikovskys famous music. The show runs at the ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, with tickets from $59 for adults. Visit the-edge.co.nz. JULY 19 Shakespeare in Music Watch as Shakespeares classics come to life as Dvorks Violin Concerto presents 18

JANUARY 2013
JANUARY 1, 2013 New Years Day Races Ring in the New Year at the races and be daring with your first glamorous outfit of the year new year, new fashion. See ellerslie.co.nz.

MARCH 2013
MARCH 2012 Auckland Cup Week Join the social thrill at Ellerslie Race Course for Aucklands biggest party: the annual Cup Week. Wear something fabulous for this top-class entertainment. See aucklandcupweek.co.nz.

NEWS

Fantastic Ms Ricci
Nina Fantasy is a floral, fruity, limited-edition fragrance, $105, by Nina Ricci. Its perfect for the occasion youve been counting down for in your diary. With subtle hints of citrus and vanilla, its a fragrance to covet.

Healthy skin
If you truly want to indulge your skin with high-quality creams, these are the perfect ones to choose from for that special occasion. La Mer Reparative Body Lotion, $325, is a luxurious cream to treat your entire body, firming and soothing the skin in the inimitable La Mer way. Lancme Paris Absolue lExtrait, $448, uses stem cells from roses to stimulate human dermal cells to regenerate skin, with a whopping two million cells per jar.

OCCASIONS news
THE LATEST AND GREATEST INSTRUMENTS FOR GETTING GORGEOUS

My beautiful launderette
Housewifely things arent usually a priority but the Electrolux Iron Aid Dryer, $2709.95, is genius. It refreshes clothes so they dont need drycleaning as often even silk, beaded pieces and suit jackets. Ditch the iron now.

Interest registered
You cant always get what you want. Unless you choose your own wedding gifts with beautiful new online registry Mildred&Co, that is. Select from a range of designer items from cake mixers to outdoor furniture or choose the wishing well option for a larger item or a honeymoon contribution. Your guests can select and pay online, making life easier for everyone. Visit mildredandco.com from August.

WORDS: Amanda Karakoudas. PHOTOGRAPHY Patric Shaw / trunkarchive.com / Snapper Media.

Tower and glory

Described by Ma Cherie bakery as the new fashion of wedding cake, the looming Macaron Tower is sure to dazzle your guests. You can choose the colour scheme to match your wedding, and pick from heaps of delicious flavours like mocha, passionfruit and raspberry and chocolate. From $250 for a 45cm x 20cm tower of 100 macarons. If you only want a few though, you could always go to the caf at 20H Sylvia Park Rd, Mt Wellington. For more information go to macherie.co.nz.

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