Ethan Broughton, 16
What are you wearing? A green Zambezi Military shirt, Pink Floyd t-shirt, a Jimmy D shirt, a pair of pants that Catherine made, and Raf Simons platform sneakers that Catherine gave me for Christmas. What’s your secret talent? Playing music. I’ve been in various bands over the last two years. What do you like about living in Auckland? I grew up in many different suburbs around Auckland, now as I make my way across town each suburb reminds me of childhood which is nice. I like I Mart in town, it’s this Korean supermarket and outside they have a balcony with tables and chairs. You can buy two minute noodles and make them and eat them there. Where would you like to travel to and why? I’d like to travel to Samoa because I’m a quarter Samoan and I’ve never been. What’s your biggest hope for the future? That I can pull my school work together and also pursue my creative endeavours at the same time. I want to make an album, that’s what I want to accomplish this year. What’s your worst fear? Probably being so lazy as to let everything just slip, to flunk school and be trapped without a job or without proper education or anything to put my name out there. What’s the last thing that made you laugh? It was like thirty seconds ago. The contents of my fridge.
Catherine Boddy, 17
What are you wearing? The first look was a corset belt by myself, a vintage slip from an op shop, a Zambezi wrap dress and 20 hole Doc Martins. The second was Rick Owens shoes, denim pants by me, top by me and jacket by Zambezi. What’s your secret talent? I like to design clothes, I think that’s my main talent, but I’m also pretty good at Photoshop. What do you like about living in Auckland? I don’t really, I want to move! I like Search and Destroy, the op shop, I would miss that. I do like how there are quite a lot of creative people. What’s your biggest hope for the future? I am really hoping to be a successful designer, to have a brand of clothing that people like. People buy it because they like it, I don’t want to become a hype brand. What’s your worst fear? I’m scared that I will end up working in hospitality because I can’t get my creative work out there enough. I’m also really scared that my skin won’t get better after being a teenager. I’m really scared that my rabbit’s going to die! Who inspires you? I never remember! People on the street who don’t know that they look cool, but they look cool.
Monty Crane, 15
What are you wearing? In the first shot a Gap shirt, Victory Books t-shirt, some pants I bought from an op shop, Raf Simons shoes and the belt I thrifted as well. The second, a VISVM button up shirt, Crane Brothers pants, Raf Simons Adidas slides and a Louis Vuitton necklace, wallet thing. Do you have a secret talent? Creating things I guess, clothes. Not physically creating things, imaging them in a visionary way. Where would you like to travel to and why? Japan, most of what I’ve been influenced by is associated with or from there. BAPE, Undercover, Fragment, there’s a Japanese brand called Needles that I did a shoot with a few months ago, they are amazing. Oh and Japanese food is my favourite too. What’s the last thing that made you laugh? Probably my little brother, he’s two. Just him as a person, he doesn’t try to be funny, he just is. His voice, his smile, his everything. Who inspires you? My dad, my mum, my brother. Kanye West if I’m being honest. Seb Hunt and Dylan Richards, they give me hope being in New Zealand. Everyday people, everything, seeing what people wear even if they’re not trying to look good inspires me. I’m always seeing old people wearing stuff, they’re not trying to be on trend, but it looks really cool. Everything really, I see potential in most things.
Poena Yi, 18
What are you wearing? Three quarter length jeans that I painted, I used masking tape to make the different patches, the shoes are Vans and the top is from Eugenie. Then a Eugenie dress, sweatshirt and Van sneakers. What’s your secret talent? I don’t actually know, I like to dabble with a lot of things. I’ve been modelling for two years. Acting is something that’s always up there, little kid’s dream. Tell us about living in Auckland? I was born in Wellington but moved here in 2008. Living in South Auckland there are lots of creative people. With school I met so many talented people, but found everyone supported the sports teams rather than the arts departments. Rugby is not the only thing New Zealand has, but it is what we’re known for. It can be a bit shit, but there’s so many people you can get inspiration from. What don’t you like about it? The atmosphere is very dense, literally and metaphorically. There’s a lot of energy, but you can still feel the dullness. I personally get drained a lot being around so many people. Who inspires you? People around me. I enjoy watching how hard people work and the processes of things — the end result is just a bonus.
Zed Williams, 16
What are you wearing? Lanvin runners with black shorts from an Army Surplus store, a 032C jumper and a Stolen Girlfriends Club lightening ring. What’s your secret talent? Not necessarily secret talent, but my ability to apply my creativity to any area — fashion, art, stuff like that. I like styling, conceptualising garments. I like working with different people and seeing fashion from different viewpoints. What do you like about living in Auckland? It’s not very big; if you do stuff for people you get known quite easily because it’s a small world here. What’s your biggest hope for the future? To go overseas and meet new people and have my ideas and work looked at. Who inspires you? It’s not necessarily a person, just stuff I see on online, I’m constantly online just looking. Not just biting from other people, taking ideas from my surroundings.
Panashe Onwell Matadi, 18
What are you wearing? Nike Command Air Max, with Friends and Enemies track-pants, a Misbehave crew neck, a Huffer t-shirt and an Adidas side bag. What’s your secret talent? My main talent is art and drawing, then football and I can dance. What do you like about living in Hamilton? My friends, mainly my friends. Where would you like to travel to and why? France, mainly for the fashion, the culture, Paris. What’s your biggest hope for the future? To make this (his and Mungo’s label Friends and Enemies) successful, the next Palace, the next Supreme. What’s your worst fear? Not being stable in life, money wise, having a family. Who or what inspires you? My dad, icons like Kanye West, Justin Bieber — like his fashion — my friends, Alex, Frank, Mungo.
Mungo Bates, 16
What are you wearing? A beanie from AS Colour, a camo jacket, Friends and Enemies track-pants and Misbehave t-shirt and Adidas Stan Smiths. What’s your secret talent? I do the brand Friends and Enemies with Panashe. What do you like about living in Hamilton? My friends, don’t think I could leave without my friends, school, school’s alright as well and it’s close to my family. Where would you like to travel to and why? I want to travel to Japan just because the fashion is pretty big, I don’t actually know why, I’d like to go to some thrift stores there and enjoy the sushi. What’s your biggest hope for the future? In terms of my brand I’d like to unite people, there’s so much conflict going on, why can’t we just be friends, or enemies, or come together like frenemies, combined. For myself just to be stable I guess. I went through a hard patch when I was young with my parents separation, so I guess just be stable when I grow up so my children don’t go through that. What’s your worst fear? Something really stuffed up. I don’t like people touching my belly button.
Credits
Text and Photography Rebecca Thomas