Tag: The Colombo

Just browsing…yeah, right!

I met a former colleague for coffee and had my first crookie (combined cookie and croissant). I could manage only half of it, but it was yum.

The cafe closed early, so we went browsing around The Colombo, a mall I love because it has Nordic Chill (Moomins and Ikea), Trade Aid, French Connection, Industria and The Collective.

One of the wooden toys in The Collective

I have hovered on the threshold of Annah Stretton but my glamorous friend boldly went in, so I did too.

Very floral and lush
Exuberant wrapping
What I brought home

It is nice to browse with a friend who is into browsing and who can draw your attention to details you might have missed. She knows what’s on trend, what has been fashionable and come around again, and is both sensible and encouraging (in my opinion). I really did need that etched glass jug (French Connection), and a test run has proved the glass with pattern in relief (Industria) does add pizzazz to a gin and tonic, as I expected it would.

Art Takeover

The Colombo is a small shopping mall with interesting retail shops and cafes. There are several empty spaces which have been taken over as a series of galleries by artist Philip Trusttum. Each gallery has a title, such as ‘Urban Kinesis’ and ‘Manufactured Whimsy’.

The art works are for sale. There were price lists inside each gallery. Eye-watering prices – and some works had sold.

I browsed in several shops, especially my favourite, Nordic Chill, and also Trade Aid which is open until October when it, sadly, goes online only. The Trade Aid chocolate maker is also closing, so I bought some of their dark raspberry chocolate while I still can. Perhaps the empty spaces taken over for art are a sign of the struggling small business retailer, like Trade Aid. I’m doing my best to make sure Nordic Chill doesn’t go under. I love their Icelandic socks.

At the end of the mall I was startled to find the sparkly, opulent, colourful shop of Annah Stretton, a NZ fashion designer. This is art, too. I hovered on the threshold but did not go in. Later, I discovered her strapline is: Any woman, any time. So much for that!