The backdrop of our Autumn campaign, Hollander House in Newport, was designed by architect David Hollander and remains one of the most distinctive examples of Australian organic residential architecture. The philosophy of organic architecture, popularised by Frank Lloyd Wright, proposes that buildings should grow naturally from their environments, shaped by landscape, climate and material rather than imposed upon them as separate objects.
Built from ferro-cement (cement applied over layers of steel mesh), Hollander House was shaped almost entirely by hand, allowing its curved forms to follow the natural contours of the land. From the outside it resembles a rock formation or sand dune, intentionally embedding the house within the surrounding bushland. The technique allowed Hollander to sculpt the structure with folds and flowing surfaces, meaning that almost no wall or ceiling inside the house is straight.
Further Reading:
— Frank Lloyd Wright and the philosophy of organic architecture
— Fallingwater, Pennsylvania; one of the most celebrated organic houses ever built
— Alvar Aalto, Architect; Finnish architect known for buildings that feel embedded within the natural landscape.
I. PLACE:
HOLLANDER HOUSE
The backdrop of our Autumn campaign, Hollander House in Newport, was designed by architect David Hollander and remains one of the most distinctive examples of Australian organic residential architecture. The philosophy of organic architecture, popularised by Frank Lloyd Wright, proposes that buildings should grow naturally from their environments, shaped by landscape, climate and material rather than imposed upon them as separate objects.
Built from ferro-cement (cement applied over layers of steel mesh), Hollander House was shaped almost entirely by hand, allowing its curved forms to follow the natural contours of the land. From the outside it resembles a rock formation or sand dune, intentionally embedding the house within the surrounding bushland. The technique allowed Hollander to sculpt the structure with folds and flowing surfaces, meaning that almost no wall or ceiling inside the house is straight.
Further Reading:
— Frank Lloyd Wright and the philosophy of organic architecture
— Fallingwater, Pennsylvania; one of the most celebrated organic houses ever built
— Alvar Aalto, Architect; Finnish architect known for buildings that feel embedded within the natural landscape.
Founded in 2002, Wonderful Workshops hosts week-long craft programmes in Jaipur where international artists collaborate with local master artisans to teach hands-on courses to participants from around the world. Held in settings ranging from historic palaces to working craft studios, the
experience unfolds both within and beyond the studio, with time spent exploring Jaipur’s old city and bazaars, alongside conversations around craft, heritage and process. Recent courses have included jewellery as sculpture, indigo dye and dabu printing, Rajasthani stitch-work and the creation of
double-weave books, each taught in collaboration with artisans whose knowledge has often been passed through generations. The breadth of disciplines, and the chance to learn directly from these makers, makes this one we’d happily travel for ourselves New programmes are announced throughout the year.
II. PRACTICE:
WONDERFUL WORKSHOPS,
JAIPUR
Founded in 2002, Wonderful Workshops hosts week-long craft programmes in Jaipur where international artists collaborate with local master artisans to teach hands-on courses to participants from around the world.
Held in settings ranging from historic palaces to working craft studios, the experience unfolds both within and beyond the studio, with time spent exploring Jaipur’s old city and bazaars, alongside conversations around craft, heritage and process.
Recent courses have included jewellery as sculpture, indigo dye and dabu printing, Rajasthani stitch-work and the creation of double-weave books, each taught in collaboration with artisans whose knowledge has often been passed through generations.
The breadth of disciplines, and the chance to learn directly from these makers, makes this one we’d happily travel for ourselves New programmes are announced throughout the year.
While in Sydney for our Autumn campaign shoot, our team had the chance to see the Opera House production of Turandot. Puccini’s final opera is famed for its dramatic scale. It’s a story of riddles, devotion and transformation, set to one of the most recognisable scores in the operatic repertoire.
The opera is also known for an unusual piece of history: Puccini died before completing the final scene, and at the 1926 premiere the conductor famously stopped the performance where the composer’s manuscript ended, telling the audience, “Here the maestro laid down his pen.”
For those in Sydney, the current production continues until 27 March.
III. CULTURE:
TURANDOT
While in Sydney for our Autumn campaign shoot, our team had the chance to see the Opera House production of Turandot. Puccini’s final opera is famed for its dramatic scale. It’s a story of riddles, devotion and transformation, set to one of the most recognisable scores in the operatic repertoire.
The opera is also known for an unusual piece of history: Puccini died before completing the final scene, and at the 1926 premiere the conductor famously stopped the performance where the composer’s manuscript ended, telling the audience, “Here the maestro laid down his pen.”
For those in Sydney, the current production continues until 27 March.
Further Reading:
— Tickets, Sydney Opera House
— Listen: Luciano Pavarotti — Nessun Dorma
Riria Smith (1935–2012) was a master Māori weaver from Ahipara in the far north of Aotearoa. Taught by her parents and grandparents, she dedicated her life to the traditional practice of raranga, weaving fibres harvested from native plants into objects that carry both cultural knowledge and everyday function. Working primarily with harakeke (New Zealand flax) and other native fibres, Smith created finely woven forms where pattern emerges directly from the structure of the
weave. The materials are carefully harvested, stripped and softened by hand before being woven while still supple. A process that connects the maker closely to the land. Many traditional forms were utilitarian: bags, baskets and sails designed for carrying and travelling. Their beauty lies in this balance of function and craft. One emarkable project involved studying the only surviving historic Māori sail held in
the British Museum. Smith and a group of Northland weavers used their research to recreate the traditional woven sail of a waka, reviving a technique that had almost disappeared. Her work is now held in the collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, as well as in marae throughout Northland.
IV. PORTRAIT:
RIRIA SMITH
Riria Smith (1935–2012) was a master Māori weaver from Ahipara in the far north of Aotearoa. Taught by her parents and grandparents, she dedicated her life to the traditional practice of raranga, weaving fibres harvested from native plants into objects that carry both cultural knowledge and everyday function. Working primarily with harakeke (New Zealand flax) and other native fibres, Smith created finely woven forms where pattern emerges directly from the structure of the weave.
The materials are carefully harvested, stripped and softened by hand before being woven while still supple. A process that connects the maker closely to the land. Many traditional forms were utilitarian: bags, baskets and sails designed for carrying and travelling. Their beauty lies in this balance of function and craft. One emarkable project involved studying the only surviving historic Māori sail held in the British Museum.
Smith and a group of Northland weavers used their research to recreate the traditional woven sail of a waka, reviving a technique that had almost disappeared. Her work is now held in the collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, as well as in marae throughout Northland.
V. MATERIAL:
LONG PEPPER
Long pepper predates the black pepper we use today and was once among the most prized spices traded between India and Europe. Rather than individual peppercorns, it grows as a small, textured spike, an appearance that gives the spice its name. Native to the Indian subcontinent, long pepper was widely used in Roman and medieval kitchens before gradually falling out of favour as black pepper became easier to cultivate and trade.
Its flavour is warmer and more layered than standard pepper, carrying a gentle sweetness beneath the heat. Today it is often grated or crushed directly into dishes, adding warmth to slow-cooked meats, broths and vegetable stews.
It remains a staple in Ayurvedic cooking and traditional spice blends across South Asia. Whole spikes can still occasionally be found in specialty grocers and spice merchants, with their unusual form making them instantly recognisable.
Long pepper predates the black pepper we use today and was once among the most prized spices traded between India and Europe. Rather than individual peppercorns, it grows as a small, textured spike, an appearance that gives the spice its name. Native to the Indian subcontinent, long pepper was widely used in Roman and medieval kitchens before gradually falling
out of favour as black pepper became easier to cultivate and trade. Its flavour is warmer and more layered than standard pepper, carrying a gentle sweetness beneath the heat. Today it is often grated or crushed directly into dishes, adding warmth to slow-cooked meats, broths and vegetable stews. It
remains a staple in Ayurvedic cooking and traditional spice blends across South Asia. Whole spikes can still occasionally be found in specialty grocers and spice merchants, with their unusual form making them instantly recognisable.
