\u201c[2025] was a year where a lot of hard work paid off,\u201d Libby tells Society Insider.<\/p>\n
Michael Boxall is looking forward to competing with the All Whites in the Fifa World Cup in June. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Michael has played for the All Whites for 14 years, and this June will represent New Zealand in the Fifa World Cup. He was instrumental in getting the team to qualify after scoring his maiden international goal<\/a> at the OFC Qualifiers Final against New Caledonia at Eden Park in March. The match ended in a convincing 3-0 win for the All Whites, placing them in the starting line-up for the World Cup in June.<\/p>\n \u201cNZ has a lot of young, talented players, so we\u2019re excited about pushing ourselves and competing on the world stage in 2026,\u201d Michael says.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also looking forward to continuing his career with Minnesota United, who he has played with since 2017.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Libby, a qualified nutritionist and naturopath, will be expanding her Milou Beauty range this year<\/a>, after its 2025 launch in both New Zealand and the US.<\/p>\n The new brand follows on from her successful supplement range Dose & Co, which launched in 2019 and, after teaming up with Zuru Edge and Nick Mowbray in 2020, enlisted Khloe Kardashian as global spokesperson.<\/p>\n Dose & Co was available in seven countries with more than 5000 distribution points. It was sold last year to the UK\u2019s Vector Consumer Ltd for an undisclosed amount.<\/p>\n \u201cI started Milou after years of working in beauty and helping women with skin health,\u201d Libby says.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to create skincare that actually transforms skin but comes at an accessible price point.\u201d<\/p>\n Libby will look to expand the brand this year, with a beauty supplement range alongside new skincare innovations. <\/p>\n The couple has escaped the freezing Minnesota winter for a family holiday in Mexico with their two children, 9-year-old daughter Maxwell Milou and 5-year-old son Beau Beckham, before Michael starts pre-season training this month. <\/p>\n \u201cWith Michael travelling so much last year, it\u2019s been a real reminder to slow down and make time for each other as a family,\u201d Libby says. \u201cOur kids have thrived at school and sport, which has been a real joy to watch. <\/p>\n \u201cThis year, we\u2019re focused on being present, enjoying the everyday moments and spending more quality time together.\u201d <\/p>\n Edna Swart: A year of expansion<\/p>\n Former Shortland Street, Celebrity Treasure Island and Boss Babes TV star, entrepreneur Edna Swart<\/a>, is another beauty business founder expanding her reach this year, with the help of one of New Zealand\u2019s most-connected consultants.<\/p>\n The 35-year-old plans to launch her beauty and skin care range Ed&i into the US with the help of expat creative director Steven Fernandez<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US market is a huge focus for us as we look at more international growth this year,\u201d Swart tells Society Insider.<\/p>\n New York-based Fernandez, who will be working with Swart on brand advice and exposure, has developed a vast celebrity network, including the likes of the Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez, Miranda Kerr and Hailey Bieber. He has worked with brands including Olaplex, Amazon and Virgin Voyages, and helped AF Drinks founder Lisa King with her US expansion. He previously worked for Zuru out of Los Angeles as global content director.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are working closely with Steven to land the right retail partner alongside the presence we already have on Amazon,\u201d says Swart.<\/p>\n Swart expanded the Ed&i range in 2025, introducing additional beauty products to complement the existing skincare range.<\/p>\n She plans to develop more innovative products and create more beauty and community events around New Zealand.<\/p>\n Outside of work, Swart and her husband of three years, Hirepool hub manager Reid Stephen, are planning to add to their family and give their 1-year-old son Astyn a sibling.<\/p>\n \u201cI always said one and done, but after having Astyn, having a second won\u2019t be just for us; it will be for him,\u201d says Swart.<\/p>\n Leo Takahashi and Alexandra Corry: Helping Sail GP take flight in Auckland<\/p>\n Sail GP sailor Leo Takahashi<\/a> tells Society Insider he has loved his first season as flight controller for the Black Foils competing around the globe for New Zealand.<\/p>\n Next month, he\u2019ll be competing in his home city as the Sail GP<\/a> returns to Auckland after its successful debut in 2025.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old Aucklander was the youngest flight controller through the 12 grand prix last year and was named in the SailGP dream team as the flight controller of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made some great progress at the end of the 2025 season as a team with some solid results,\u201d says Takahashi.<\/p>\n \u201cI am looking forward to a number of the returning stops on the schedule this year, including heading back to Bermuda before New York and Halifax on the North America leg of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n After holidaying in the Coromandel, Takahashi will be back with the Black Foils to compete in the Perth Grand Prix this month. He can\u2019t wait to compete at home in Auckland in February.<\/p>\n \u201cI might be accused of some bias here, but I genuinely think Auckland offers one of the best experiences you can have at a SailGP event,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n He says Auckland has the biggest public grandstand of the Sail GP circuit, and with the teams racing directly in front, the spectators get an amazing perspective on the racing and just how fast an F50 can move.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up sailing in Auckland, I never imagined that one day I\u2019d be racing in front of a stand filled with 10,000 people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Takahashi says he intends to keep learning and challenging himself this year to become the best sailor he can be, and he looks forward to pushing for podiums and event wins as a team.<\/p>\n Outside of SailGP, Takahashi will push himself with a couple of side quests this year, running in competitive trail events and continuing to work towards his pilot\u2019s licence.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Alexandra Corry has been head of event for SailGP New Zealand<\/a> for more than two years, overseeing the event in both Christchurch in 2024 and Auckland last year.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always worked in the events industry, driven by a love of live sport, large-scale delivery and creating unforgettable experiences,\u201d Corry tells Society Insider.<\/p>\n \u201cWith a brother who was a professional sailor and having been to other sailing events around the world, stepping into SailGP felt like a natural next chapter when the opportunity came up.\u201d<\/p>\n Corry says next month is all about scaling up this year\u2019s ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix by adding 30% more capacity to the grandstand.<\/p>\n \u201cThat extra capacity doesn\u2019t just mean more people \u2013 it means an even bigger atmosphere, with a wall of noise coming from the shoreline and amplifying the drama out on the water.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the sailing action kicks off, Corry will be in the Marlborough Sounds getting her own children out on the water, water skiing, sailing and making the most of some proper family time together.<\/p>\n Lisa King: Taking sobriety to the world<\/p>\n Lisa King, the founder of AF Drinks, is the third female business entrepreneur we\u2019re expecting big things from this year.<\/p>\n King, who last month secured a deal <\/a>to launch AF\u2019s premium range of alcohol-free cocktails in the UK, says she\u2019ll be exploring more opportunities in global markets from her adopted home base of Miami.<\/p>\n \u201cMaking the UK a success is key this year, as it will set up a great foundation for that part of the world,\u201d she tells Society Insider.<\/p>\n The drinks will be sold in the UK through supermarket giant Morrisons.<\/p>\n King says she sees a gap in the UK\u2019s rapidly growing alcohol-free RTD market, which already offers non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits. The UK\u2019s low\/non-alcohol category is worth \u00a3413 million ($951.5m) according to research firm Mintel.<\/p>\n King, 48, launched AF in 2020<\/a> and expanded into the US in 2023. Not long after, she and her husband of two years and partner in AF, Matt Johns, relocated to Miami.<\/p>\n In early 2024, AF struck huge nationwide deals with Target and Walmart.<\/p>\n AF sold 3.5 million cans of sober-friendly beverages in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year, we will be exploring more opportunities in the US with two new big retailers to be announced, and we will also be making an inroad into bars and restaurants,\u201d says King.<\/p>\n When the couple moved to the US, they wanted to live on the East Coast.<\/p>\n \u201cWe chose Miami as Matt also doesn\u2019t like the cold,\u201d says King.<\/p>\n The couple, who enjoyed the festive winter wonderland in New York last month, say living in Miami has been an enjoyable culture shock.<\/p>\n \u201cSeventy per cent of the people here are Hispanic, so you hear Spanish being spoken all the time, and there is a very fun, energetic vibe,\u201d says King.<\/p>\n She says entrepreneurs looking to export should never underestimate how expensive it is to expand overseas. But the most important thing is to \u201cget going\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know until you get in there and start.\u201d<\/p>\n Annabelle Burke: The woman behind NZ\u2019s biggest festivals and events<\/p>\n Annabelle Burke, the general manager of festivals at Live Nation, will no doubt be recovering today after the wrap-up of two of her biggest events of the year, Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne<\/a> and the Lakes Festival in Christchurch.<\/p>\n But she won\u2019t be resting for long, as she says this year is about \u201cscaling, refining and being bold with what comes next\u201d.<\/p>\n She tells Society Insider the year ahead is about \u201cpushing boundaries while staying grounded\u201d.<\/p>\n Burke has worked in live events for more than a decade and has been the general manager of festivals at Live Nation for two and a half years, working on Our: House Events and Synthony<\/a>. During that time, she\u2019s also been a Live Nation touring and festival manager.<\/p>\n On an international level, she says Ireland\u2019s arts and music festival Electric Picnic was a standout for her last year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Irish truly know how to put on a party,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat really resonated was how deeply they support their own artists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe crowds show up in force for local acts, and that\u2019s something I\u2019ll always admire.\u201d<\/p>\n The most fun Burke has had with international acts, she says, is a toss-up between Becky Hill and Skrillex.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are both incredible humans who genuinely wrap their teams around them and create a family environment, which matters so much when you\u2019re on the road for months.\u201d <\/p>\n Burke says the last year was about building momentum at Live Nation. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had the opportunity to put my stamp on a few things, to lead with confidence, and to see ideas turn into action,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n She is proud of how New Zealand festivals punch above their weight on a global scale. <\/p>\n \u201cRhythm and Vines is the most iconic Kiwi youth experience, and I\u2019m really proud of how it\u2019s grown this year,\u201d she says. \u201cElectric Avenue is genuinely anyone-and-everyone\u2019s best weekend out, and I would pitch either of these against some of the big global festivals.\u201d<\/p>\n Live Nation has big names coming this year, playing Auckland\u2019s Spark Arena \u2013 US rock band Linkin Park in March and English folk-rock stars Mumford & Sons and Californian alternative metal band Deftones in May.<\/p>\n Two Dudes\u2019 Michael McRae and Tomas Tappin: Eyeing Australian domination<\/p>\n New Zealand men\u2019s grooming range Two Dudes<\/a> is slowly breaking into the Australian market and its founders say they\u2019re \u201clearning fast\u201d and ready to make a \u201creal and lasting\u201d impact this year.<\/p>\n Michael McRae and Tomas Tappin founded Two Dudes from their small Auckland flat in 2020, selling their products on social media.<\/p>\n The boys were last month in big but confidential negotiations to repeat in Australia the success they have had in New Zealand.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re already seeing really encouraging traction in Australia, which has given us the confidence to lean in,\u201d Macrae tells Society Insider.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a market that makes sense for Two Dudes, and we\u2019re being deliberate about how we grow there, focusing on the right partners and the right pace.\u201d<\/p>\n Sydney-based Tappin explains that Australia has been on their radar from early on.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re already in the market … We\u2019re having some very promising conversations and for us, expansion is about setting things up properly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Two Dudes \u2013 naturally formulated, NZ-made products, including face wash, moisturiser, beard care and body essentials \u2013 has sold more than 200,000 units since its launch. It\u2019s stocked nationwide in Woolworths, New World, PAK\u2019n SAVE, Fresh Choice and Chemist Warehouse.<\/p>\n The company already gives 10% of its profits to men\u2019s health charities and in November, raised more than $145,000 for Movember\u2019s fundraising campaign, the biggest donation the charity has received.<\/p>\n Tappin and McRae met more than a decade ago while they were completing their law degrees at the University of Canterbury. They first had the idea for their business in 2018 while working together for Heineken in Singapore, after noticing how well Asian men groom themselves.<\/p>\n Roxi Bull: NZ\u2019s next big movie producer<\/p>\n Dark comedy thriller God Bless You, Mr Kopu is expected to be NZ\u2019s next big movie hit when it premieres this year.<\/p>\n Its lead producer, Roxi Bull, came to the project fresh from maternity leave, after her mentor, Emma Slade from Velvet Moss Productions, challenged her with the opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cEmma has well and truly pushed me forward and given me a huge opportunity,\u201d Bull tells Society Insider.<\/p>\n Bull was working nights right up to Christmas, filming in Auckland on the debut feature of the film\u2019s writer-director Alex Liu.<\/p>\n The movie stars Kiwi actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi<\/a>, who has had massive media attention on the Predator: Badlands international press tour<\/a> with his co-star Elle Fanning.<\/p>\n Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Mafu, a meek and desperate Tongan man, who is drawn into a high-risk partnership with a charismatic, yet nefarious salesman played by Hollywood veteran, Simon Rex (Scary Movie franchise, Red Rocket).<\/p>\n Also in the cast is Kiwi acting star Grace Palmer<\/a>, who has found fame Stateside on the sitcom Animal Control, with its fourth season debuting this month.<\/p>\n As lead producer, Bull says she feels privileged and lucky to be working with the cast, Liu and executive producers Rex, Slade and Ant Timpson.<\/p>\n \u201cA huge thing producing has taught me is that you are constantly facing the unknown and are out of your comfort zone,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is where the magic happens, and it\u2019s incredible to dig deep and see what you\u2019re capable of, which is so much more than you might think.\u201d<\/p>\n Weddings and new arrivals to watch<\/p>\n Society Insider will also be watching for some of the year\u2019s biggest weddings<\/a> and new arrivals<\/a> in the coming months.<\/p>\n First up this month, Mikayala Haycock, the talent manager of motor racing superstar Liam Lawson, will marry robotics engineer and rich list son, Toby Baker. The wedding will be at Toby\u2019s parents\u2019 motoring rich-listers Grant and Donna Baker\u2019s magnificent St Heliers home, with Lawson said to be attending.<\/p>\n Also marrying in January are Pals co-founder Mat Croad and his fianc\u00e9e, creative director Rachel Needham. Among their A-list guests, former Victoria\u2019s Secret model, London-based Kiwi Jessica Clarke and her fianc\u00e9, star sports agent David Gardner, the best friend of Sir David Beckham, are expected to attend.<\/p>\n At the end of this month, former Black Cap Adam Parore and property manager Libby Price will have a three-day wedding celebration at their compound in Koutu in the Hokianga.<\/p>\n We will also be watching to see if the third All Black wedding of the season happens. After his All Blacks teammates David Havili and Tamaiti Williams had their weddings last month, there is speculation that All Black Jordie Barrett may marry his fianc\u00e9e Alice Marshall this year.<\/p>\n There will be a raft of celebrity babies arriving soon too. <\/p>\n Expected to welcome their new arrival soon are rugby league great Shaun Johnson and his wife, former Silver Fern Kayla, who are adding another daughter to their family of two girls. <\/p>\n In February, All Black Damian McKenzie and his partner, marketer Georgia O\u2019Sullivan, are expecting their first child. <\/p>\n McKenzie\u2019s teammate Beauden Barrett and his wife Hannah are expecting their third child this summer, as is Shortland Street star Rebekah Randell and her husband, Bevan, a builder, who are expecting their second child. <\/p>\nLibby Boxall sold her Dose & Co collagen brand and has now launched Milou Beauty.<\/p>\n
Michael and Libby Boxall with their children, Maxwell and Beau.<\/p>\n
Edna Swart is taking her beauty brand to the US. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
Reid Stephen and Edna Swart.<\/p>\n
Leo Takahashi, flight controller of Black Foils SailGP Team.<\/p>\n
Leo Takahashi. Photo \/ Tania Whyte <\/p>\n
SailGP New Zealand\u2019s Alexandra Corry. <\/p>\n
Drinks AF founder Lisa King. Photo \/ Jed Bradley<\/p>\n
Lisa King and Matt Johns.<\/p>\n
Annabelle Burke has worked on various New Zealand festivals, including Rhythm and Vines. <\/p>\n
Two Dudes skin care owners Michael McRae and Tomas Tappin.<\/p>\n
Michael McRae and Tomas Tappin at their Mochella party at Kenko Studios. Photo \/ Trent Hall<\/p>\n
God Bless You, Mr Kopu lead producer Roxi Bull.<\/p>\n
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi and Elle Fanning during the press tour for Predator: Badlands.<\/p>\n
God Bless You, Mr Kopu stars Simon Rex, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi and Grace Palmer with writer-director Alex Liu, right. <\/p>\n
Toby Baker and Mikayla Haycock are due to marry this month.<\/p>\n
Libby Price and Adam Parore will have their wedding at the end of January.<\/p>\n
Jordie Barrett and Alice Marshall.<\/p>\n
Kayla and Shaun Johnson.<\/p>\n