We recently popped across the ditch to visit our mates in Wellington, New Zealand. While in the land of Gollum, fish and chips and the friendliest folk in the whole entire world, we had the absolute honour of hanging out with five fresh faces—Ayan, Ch’lita, Gemma, Jose and Ella. Cutest human Ch’lita worked her magic both behind the camera and in front of it, proving that her creative genius know no bounds.
Oriental Bay and Kelburn provided a suitably sunny backdrop for our hangs, and in between shots we got to know more about Wellington’s best eats, small but mighty creative industry, and relaxation hot spots, among other things. If you do one good thing for yourself today, it should be acquainting yourself with Wellington and its beautiful inhabitants below, before copping happy snaps of our best day ever above.
Name: Ayan
Nickname: Damn, I wish I had one!
Age: 17
Star sign: Scorpio!
Where are you originally from, and how long have you been in Wellington for?
I’m originally from South Sudan, but was born in Ethiopia and moved here in like 2003—so 15 years!
Where would you take someone to eat, drink and shop if they’d never been to Wellington before?
To eat, Capital Market for sure! And Five Boroughs—they have really good chicken and burgers. To drink, I’d take them to Fidel’s ‘cause they have really good milkshakes! And, to shop, it depends if the person is a baller or not. I’m going to assume they are, so I would say Good As Gold, Emporium and Spacesuit—pretty good mix, and whatever they buy will make them look good.
What’s the craziest thing to have happened to you while you’ve lived in Wellington?
Man, I feel a lot of crazy things happen to me, but one that stands out is when I first got beads in my hair. I would have people just come up and touch my hair and walk away. They don’t ask, they just touch and are like, “Oh wow, that’s amazing and then leave.” [Laughs].
Is there anything particularly challenging about living/modelling in Wellington?
No, not at all. Wellington is amazing, and it’s easy to get around. Plus everyone knows everyone, somehow. Modelling in Wellington is fun, but because it’s small here, and you know everyone, there’s lots of free work for your friends or people you know. But I’m trying to make money, so you know, it doesn’t really work out [laughs].
Name: Josephine Reeves
Nickname: Jose
Age: 16
Star sign: Aries
Where are you originally from, and how long have you been in Wellington for?
I was born in Auckland, but we moved to Wellington when I was 1, so I have been here in the Hutt Valley for 15 years.
What’s the most magical thing about Wellington, in your opinion?
That you can walk everywhere! It’s amazing that there are so many diverse places in such close proximity to each other.
Where would you take someone to eat, drink and shop if they’d never been to Wellington before?
The underground markets at Frank Kitts Park, as it has a good dose of everything.
What do you do to unwind?
Either read or go on my laptop or phone, as sad as that is.
Name: Gemma Orsman
Nickname: I have a couple of nicknames: Gem, G, Gemima and many more.
Age: 15
Star sign: Scorpio
Where are you originally from, and how long have you been in Wellington for?
I am from New Zealand, and have lived here in Wellington for a long time. Extra fact about me: I am half Thai from my mother’s side.
What’s the most magical thing about Wellington, in your opinion?
The most magical thing in my opinion about Wellington is the beautiful nature and city. It’s a really amazing place to spend time with friends and family.
Where would you take someone to eat, drink and shop if they’d never been to Wellington before?
I would take them out to lunch at Mama Brown or Yum Cha, to drink at the Enormous Crocodile Company—a place in Wellington with crazy milkshakes—and to shop, just take them all around Wellington.
What do you do to unwind?
To unwind, I love to crawl into my bed, open my laptop and just watch Netflix or YouTube. Boring, I know, but I do what I do to make sure my mind and my body are at rest.
Name: Ella
Nickname: (don't have one)
Age: 21
Star sign: Libra
Where are you originally from, and how long have you been in Wellington for?
Born and bred Wellingtonian.
What’s the most magical thing about Wellington, in your opinion?
After living in Germany for half a year, I definitely missed the coffee most.
Where would you take someone to eat, drink and shop if they’d never been to Wellington before?
Beachside cafes like Maranui or Chocolate Fish are great, especially when it's fine weather. And the beautiful galleries we have around Wellington are not to be missed.
What’s the craziest thing to have happened to you while you’ve lived in Wellington?
The extreme weather is probably the craziest thing here. We get 200km winds, flooding, earthquakes, and brilliant sunshine. We truly have four seasons in one day, and that's not seen as out of the ordinary for a Wellingtonian!
What do you do to unwind?
A good conversation or book.
Name: Ch’lita
Nickname: @chlita
Age: 18
Star sign: N/A
Where are you originally from, and how long have you been in Wellington for?
Born in Wellington, with a 4 year stint in Thailand.
What’s the most magical thing about Wellington, in your opinion?
Driving around the bays after going for a swim in the sea <3.
Where would you take someone to eat, drink and shop if they’d never been to Wellington before?
I’d take them to eat at my house (my Mum would make them something), to drink it’d be coffee from Customs because they have hasami mugs, and to shop, Hunters & Collectors has the best collection of designer clothes, and the ladies that work there are so stylish and knowledgeable about fashion.
What’s the craziest thing to have happened to you while you’ve lived in Wellington?
There’s always funny stuff happening and there’s always good music that comes through, but [the craziest thing is that] my scooter has been stolen 3 times.
Is there anything particularly challenging about living/modelling in Wellington?
Nobody wants to pay you for modelling and you can't go anywhere without seeing someone you know.
What do you do to unwind?
Lie in bed in the dark and go on the internet.
Words: Maddy Woon Images: Ch’lita Fashion: Chloe Hill & Lydia Hamer
Ayan is represented by The Others Agency
Ch'lita is represented by Clyne
Ella, Gemma and Josephine are represented by KBM
Shot on location around Oriental Bay and Kelburn, Wellington, NZ
