Sonja De Mari: Fashion for a cure
What if you could travel the country celebrating New Zealand’s best in fashion, to save lives? Metropol editor Nina Tucker caught up with Sonja de Mari, the woman behind charitable trust Breast Cancer Cure, who has spent a decade striving to reduce our one-in-nine breast cancer statistic. Sonja de Mari has spent the […]
Jill’s journey with the Christchurch Methodist Mission
“How do we help people who may be struggling to flourish?” That one question has guided Jill Hawkey long into her tenure as Christchurch Methodist Mission’s executive director, writes Metropol editor Nina Tucker. “Who are the people missing out in society? Who are the most disadvantaged or the most marginalised? What actually needs […]
The making of the South Island’s top hairdresser: Sarah McGuigan
What does it take to become the South Island’s top hairdresser? Metropol editor Nina Tucker asks Sarah McGuigan, who was recently crowned with the title at the Australian and New Zealand hair industry’s biggest celebration of creativity and excellence, the 2025 AHIA Creative Awards. Sarah McGuigan’s day will always begin at 5am. That […]
Rachel Sloane’s light-filled legacy
Co-founder of luxury jewellery house Naveya & Sloane, Rachel Sloane chats with Metropol writer Hannah Brown about sentiment, her creative process, and a new chapter in Christchurch. Rachel Sloane’s love of jewellery began with a fascination for how a small object can carry deep meaning. “I was drawn to the emotional weight it […]
Word nerd Tom Sainsbury
Comedian, actor, writer, filmmaker, 80s mum or ward nurse carbon copy – Tom Sainsbury knows how to tell a story. Thanks to Kath & Kim, French and Saunders, and The Office, the comedy star shared with us his satirical sense of humour, and we’ve all been merrier for it. He chats with Metropol […]
Mother of fashion: Dame Pieter Stewart
Dame Pieter Stewart founded New Zealand Fashion Week in 2001 – an event that would revolutionise the local industry and become a creative benchmark. She tells Metropol editor Nina Tucker of its evolution and the satisfaction that comes from watching what she built succeed without her. These days, Dame Pieter Stewart spends less […]









