Hopkinson Cundy

Meet Sarah Hopkinson, Owner of the Auckland based gallery Hopkinson Cundy.
If you haven't been to this off the beaten path gem, point yourself to Cross Street and look for a rolled up garage door. Inside you will find the stylish and charming Sarah, bringing you some of New Zealand's more interesting artists.

We caught up with Ms. Hopkison and asked her a few questions about her day-to-day approach to dressing.

Q. Owning your own gallery must involve a mix of being in the gallery during the day, and social engagements in the evenings. Do you find yourself dressing for day into night? Is that something you think about when buying a new addition for your wardrobe?

A. I do, yes. Usually I just change my shoes at 6pm.

Q. In terms of your personal style, are there two sides to Sarah? "Gallery Sarah" and "Weekend Sarah"?

A. I am not very good at dressing casually, so I try to avoid doing so in public. If I am doing something practical, like gardening or installing a new show at the gallery, then I revert to jeans (or jean shorts) and a big shirt.

Q. You are an avid basketball player. What are your favorite sneakers, and do you wear sneakers off the court?

A. Basketball is supposed to be my secret life… but at the moment I am wearing Kobe Zoom IVs on the court and Nike Lunarglide+2 (I just got a new pair in peach and grey) for running. I don’t wear sneakers unless I am exercising - I admire people that look good doing it, but I find it confusing.

Q. You travel quite a bit with your gallery. You just returned from London, where Hopkinson Cundy participated in a new art fair called Sunday. How do you pack for trip like this? Is there one shoe or clothing item that can carry you through the whole trip?

A. Art fairs, especially in Europe, have a very high concentration of very well dressed people. When I go away for work I always take outfits that I know I like and feel comfortable in, and lots of them. My suitcase is usually full of Miss Crabb dresses, a trusted pair of Karen Walker suit pants, and cotton t-shirts.
In terms of shoes - on my recent trip to London I relied heavily on a pair of Dieppa Restrepo Oxfords made of cork (beautiful, if not completely practical), and when I went to Basel in June it was my sky-high Hasbeen clogs in natural leather.

Q. What is the last pair of shoes you bought?

A. Minnetonka Kilty Moccasins from Papershoes.

Q. What font do you use on your business card?

A. The Hopkinson Cundy font was custom designed for us by Warren Olds. He built it around an old typewriter font from Fluxus pamphlets. It is called HC Medium and we use it in dark plum.

Hopkinson Cundy
1/1 Cross Street, Auckland.
Hours:
Tuesday–Friday 11am–6pm
Saturday 11am–3pm

Sarah Hopkinson, photographed in front of artist Ruth Buchanan's "Furniture, Plan, Rival Brain", the current exhibition at Hopkinson Cundy.