It was the perfect, sunny autumn day to host a Long Lunch at Bivacco on Auckland’s stunning Viaduct harbour. This hot-right-now eatery has all the charm of a rustic Italian restaurant, serving a premium locally grown menu where you can sit and relax, enjoying a gentle sea breeze from our world-famous harbour as a backdrop.
Our guests were greeted with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne on arrival, followed by a selection of entrees to share, with Bivacco’s famous freshly baked sourdough bread with Kingfish crudo, cucumber, green chilli, roasted garlic dressing. Heirloom tomatoes, torn mozzarella, toasted buckwheat, finger lime, basil, and the crowd's favourite crisp rockmelon with prosciutto, white balsamic, and fennel seeds. Our guests were served two wines with lunch: the bold pink, easy-drinking Grant Burge Rose or the summery, peachy Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Gris. The lunch included seared big eye tuna, wood-fired eggplant, green gazpacho, chilli oil, basil, or delicious goat’s cheese and pea risotto, courgette, mint and black olive, with a butter lettuce salad. The sweet treats to round off this Italian feast were the classic tiramisu, coffee zabaglione, and a generous slice of Amalfi lemon tart with rosemary ice cream.
It was a perfect afternoon; as Italians say, "momento a fare tesoro," ‘moments to treasure.’
Scroll on to see all the action on the day.
Autumn Fashion
Our style director, Louise Hilsz, curated two ready-to-wear fashion shows from a selection of New Zealand designers and stores. The first was a working wardrobe, our guests got to plan their new season buys from the comfort of their seats.
Left to right: 1. Karen Walker suit, sunglasses, bag and boots. 2. Karen Walker shirt, knit set, jacket, bag, sunglasses and boots. 3. Juliette Hogan dress and Kathryn Wilson boots. 4. Juliette Hogan shirt and pants. Mi Piaci heels.
Left to right: 1. Caroline Sills suit and Mi Piaci loafers. 2. Caroline Sills suit and Mi Piaci boots. 3. Taylor outfit and Kathryn Wilson boots. 4. Taylor outfit and Kathryn Wilson boots.
Left to right: 1. World suit, Bottega Veneta sunglasses and Novo heels. 2. World suit, Bottega Veneta sunglasses and Novo heels. 3. Trelise Cooper suit and Mi Piaci heels. 4. Trelise Cooper dress and jacket, and Novo heels.
Dr. LeWinns Serum Series
Lumious-looking skin took centre stage at Bivacco. The three new serums on offer are stacked with vitamins, antioxidants, and moisture-boosting ingredients - game changers for skin of any age or concern. This unique serum series offers versatile options thanks to gold-standard ingredients such as retinol, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. As our guests discovered, Dr. LeWinns skincare provides a world of possibilities to improve any complexion.
Schwarzkopf Professional
Backstage the Exile Hair Design team created ready-to-wear styles for our models, while at the pop-up hair bar, the experts offered one-on-one hair consultations. Our guests saw how versatile Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe can be for anyone with lightened hair. From balayage on a brunette to an all-over icy blonde. This collection of unique haircare was created to nurture the most delicate hair despite its condition, with technology powered by a Bond Protection System that repairs, heals and boosts shine on every strand of the hair from the inside out.
Tory Burch, Essence of Dreams
Created to celebrate our innermost feelings and dreams. From those moments of love, joy, freedom, magic, and peace, the five new designer scents allowed guests to take a fragrant journey, including discovering unexpected ingredients, like a cactus flower and blue sage. This pop-up perfume bar offered something for every scent style, helping our guests build a fragrance wardrobe for every mood and every day of the week. To quote Troy Burch herself - “Women aren’t wearing just one fragrance anymore - they’re collecting scents to alternate or even experiment with by mixing and layering them.”
Fashion finale
From a touch of eye-catching sparkle to a classic black and white ensemble, the fashion at our Long Lunch is always styled with our guests in mind. The collection weekend look, day-to-night, curated by Hilsz, is some of the best autumn fashion from some of our most celebrated designers.
See the below links to shop now.
Left to right: 1. Cooper outfit, Balenciaga sunglasses and Kathryn Wilson sneakers. 2. Cooper outfit, Gucci sunglasses and Kathryn Wilson sneakers. 3. Henrik Vibskov dress, Loewe sunglasses and Mi Piaci boots. 4. Henrik Vibskov outfit, Loewe sunglasses and Mi Piaci boots.
Left to right: 1. Adrienne Winkelmann dress. 2. BW shorts and shirt. 3. Hailwood jacket and dress, Mi Piaci boots. 4. Hailwood dress.
Our guests
It’s always a privilege to spend four hours in the company of our guests. We hope we have inspired your autumn wardrobes and given you insight into what a luxurious, targeted serum can do for your skin. Our hair inspiration, both on the runway and off, was created for you to enjoy a good hair day every day. As you can see, the BeautyEQ Long Lunch is a great opportunity to network with like-minded women or take a break from your busy routine in the company of great friends. Thank you for your wonderful company - we can’t wait to host you again soon.
SEE ALL THE ACTION FROM Bivacco at OUr BEAUTYEQ LONG LUNCH HERE
Book tickets for Friday, June 14.