Steve Braunias, one of New Zealand’s most versatile and acclaimed writers. A journalist, author and longtime literary editor at Newsroom, Braunias has won more than forty national writing awards across crime, food, travel, arts and commentary. He’s renowned for his sharp intelligence, dry humour and a knack for capturing the quirks of New Zealand life.
So, when we heard Steve Braunias was to review Central Otago Couture, we waited with bated breath. Braunias can be sharp with his insights and harsh with his criticism. But in his ReadingRoom review, he was clearly captivated—calling the 330-page hardback “the best and most striking illustrated coffee-table book of the year so far by a long stretch.”
With his trademark mix of wit and admiration, Braunias wrote: “The book is at once totally pretentious and very beautiful, a dazzlingly original idea cleverly executed.” Later he added, “You turn the pages in a trance, you allow colour and texture to work their magic, and you stand in awe of the collection … that unteachable quality: taste.” His verdict? A work of art that transcends fashion to become something far rarer—a book of pure visual and cultural delight.
Read the full review here
