Finance Minister Nicola Willis faced criticism for wearing a British dress instead of a New Zealand designer at the 2025 Budget announcement, with industry figures asserting the importance of supporting local fashion. The dress, believed to be from The Fold London, drew negative reactions, including from Caroline Marr of The Carpenter’s Daughter, who described the choice as a “total disrespect” to the local fashion sector. The New Zealand fashion industry significantly contributed $7.8 billion to the economy in 2023, employing 76,000 workers, highlighting its vital role.
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Clarks Beach boating tragedy: Coroner calls for lifejacket use to be compulsory nationwide
Ten-year-old Ryder Ferregel, who was initially wearing a lifejacket on a scalloping trip, was allowed to remove it due to its ill fit. Tragically, after the boat capsized in Auckland’s Manukau Harbour, both Ryder and his mother, Gemma Ferregel, drowned despite clinging to the overturned hull and reaching a sandbar. Need More Context? 🔎
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