NATASHA POSTILL - MY FAVOURITE ROOM
Natasha Postill lives with her partner Andre, who is training to be a surgeon, in an apartment in Freemans Bay. The couple are originally from England, and lived in Mt Maunganui before they moved to Auckland three years ago.
Andre enjoys relaxing in the space with music at the end of a long day. Natasha employs the space for both living and working on her label Beau, “designing, patternmaking, the works!” She says “this is my favourite room for many reasons. I love how the space allows me to work creatively. I use the wall space as a canvas to play with ideas when designing collections.”
Fashion designer Natasha tells us “Andre came out here on a working adventure but fell in love with the place. I followed shortly after, and a year later decided to move my business with me. I find New Zealand to be a very creative environment and enjoy working closely with local manufacturers and artisans.”
She continues “The home studio, opening up on to a balcony with an inspiring view of the city and a small (grow your own) garden, always makes me feel good.”
Natasha’s favourite room is what she calls her “creative work and living space.” “I wouldn’t like to give it just one name,” she says, “it’s a great space, useful and busy.”
Natasha’s absolute favourite thing in the room is her vintage mannequin. Natasha says “she is nearly as old as me and has travelled just as far from London. A little tattered, she has been loved and cherished.” PN BEAU, T: 021 335 854, www.beau-couture.com
“LEAVE ANIMALS OUT OF LEGAL HIGH TESTING” Martin Leach’s submission in response to the Government’s Pyschoactive Substances bill. I AM SHOCKED, HORRIFIED AND JUST PLAIN DISGUSTED BY TALK OF A BILL, which thinks it’s OK to use poor, defenseless dogs in the way which is being debated. I didn’t leave the UK to return to New Zealand, after 29 years away, to be in a country where even talk of doing this to animals is contemplated.
I understand there are other ways of carrying out the tests without harming animals. So why aren’t we pursuing these non-lethal options? This Government really is going against public opinion, especially now that the EU has banned the sale of cosmetics developed through animal testing.
I am a long-term vegetarian (for ethical reasons) and have been one for over five decades. I am the Editor/Publisher of PONSONBY NEWS, which is an influential monthly 132-page local magazine. We produce 17,500 copies each month, along with our eMag, which are read all over this country and worldwide. Our Nielsen Media audited readership is 69,000 readers per month.
The ban applies to all new cosmetics and their ingredients sold in the EU, regardless of where in the world testing on animals was carried out. Animal rights lobbyists have stated that EU officials “listened to the people”. Something that the New Zealand Government could learn from.
Any contentious issues, which I feel appeal to the majority of our readers, I get behind. I am running a ‘Stop Factory Farming’ campaign at present. However, this issue of testing party pills on animals is probably top of my HATE list. I will be giving this issue significant and regular coverage over the coming months. When my partner and I relocated to Auckland in 2001, we were amazed at the speed with which my British partner’s residency application was processed. (In a staggering FOUR days). No one in London believed the speed and efficiency with which New Zealand Immigration dealt with his application. It felt as if Aotearoa led the world when it came to recognising same sex relationships and I was so proud of my birth country. With this drug testing on animals issue, I am just plain disgusted. Far from leading other countries, we are trailing woefully behind.
106 PONSONBY NEWS+ May 2013
I will be speaking to Nikki Kaye, our Auckland Central MP and Jacinda Ardern, our Labour List MP about this, as both MPs write monthly columns in Ponsonby News. I was the one who asked Nikki Kaye, to get involved with SAFE NZ’s GO VEG campaign. Nikki Kaye became vegetarian for the whole of February – see Michele Hewitson’s interview – link attached. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10865692 I am confident of getting support from a big chunk of local residents in Ponsonby and central Auckland, along with both MP’s Nikki and Jacinda. I am certain they would both vote against this horrendous proposal. MARTIN LEACH, Alchemy Media Limited
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