Goodbye 2011
12/31/2011

Goodbye 2011

You've been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! 2011 was definitely a year of triumphs and tribulations, losses and gains, but as crazy as this will sound I am grateful for it all. It is only through living that we truly learn.


Anyway enough about me! I just wanted to wish you all the best for 2012. I hope it is a year of enjoyment and success beyond your wildest dreams.


Much love, Nana Wintour xx.




Photo by Autumn De Wilde
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Mid-Week Music!
12/28/2011

Mid-Week Music!

Good evening followers! Here's another Mid-Week Music installment for you.






I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth,
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you.





This is one of my favourite Lady Gaga songs of all time. The song and video are both so upbeat, and there was many a time this year when listening to this song helped me reinforce positive thought and maintain motivation.


-Photo from 'Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson'.
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Monday Muse
12/26/2011

Monday Muse

"The cats are in the flower beds,
A red hawk rides the sky.
I guess I should be happy, Just to be alive.
But, We have poisoned everything,
And oblivious to it all,
The cell-phone zombies babble,
Through the shopping malls."



Those words come from today's Monday muse who is a painter, a poet and an extremely gifted musician. Joni Mitchell is one of those people who's name you'll often see in interviews where artists are asked to state who inspires them. That was where I remembered her name from, but it wasn't until I heard 'A Case of You' that I began to really take an interest.








Joni is truly one of those artists who doesn't have a line of carbon copies that have followed after her, which is part of what makes her music and creativity so special. Also as a result of childhood polio, Joni couldn't form traditional guitar chords with her hands so a lot of the chords in her songs have been made up. This is most likely why there are few successful imitators of her music!




'A Case of You', my all-time favourite Joni Mitchell song. 




Another favourite, 'Both Sides Now' performed by Joni on the Johnny Cash Show.
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It's that time of year.
12/24/2011

It's that time of year.

Nana Wintour wishes you a Merry Christmas, wherever you may be in the world.

I'm off to play Christmas music, watch 'Love Actually' and spend time with my family.


See you all again Monday!



















-Isn't Lady Melbourne's tinsel top lovely?? She made it herself. While it may be a bit late to try making my own now I am going to be wearing a tinsel bracelet tomorrow in tribute.





-Rodarte's Christmas Illustration. 
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Fashion-A Year in Review. Part 1.
12/23/2011

Fashion-A Year in Review. Part 1.

As expected, the fashion world was definitely not let down in 2011. Designers did not let the economic climate affect the runway schedule, with Marc Jacob's final show for Louis Vuitton being presented around a merry-go round display. There have been so many highlights over the year in Fashion that I've decided to split this post into two parts, with the latter coming next week.

So, without further ado, here are the first five moments of 2011's fashion calendar.


1) Kate Moss' Wedding.

-The fashion event of the year, conveniently documented for Vogue's September Issue was what we all waited with bated breath to see. Thankfully Mario Testino delivered, as realised in his beautiful photographs of the magical day. Props must also go to John Galliano who designed Kate's stunning wedding gown, featuring embroidered phoenix plumes and layers of tulle.










2) Savage Beauty.

-Alexander McQueen's passing last year left an enormous hole in the heart of the fashion world. The 'Savage Beauty' exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art earlier in the year was the perfect opportunity for us all to marvel at his exquisite designs. Those who weren't able to get there in person needn't fret, a book was published in conjunction with the exhibit, and can be found here or in the Met's official online store.







3) Youthful Fashionistas.

-2011 was the year of youth as muses, particularly among designer look-books and editorial spreads in the fashion glossies. With the likes of Elle Fanning for Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Vogue and Lula as well as Hailee Steinfeld for Miu Miu, a fair number of feathers were ruffled and many of these adverts were banned around the world. However, for the less fashionably conservative, it was purely about the clothes and accessories, as it should be.






4) Rodarte Reminiscing. 

-After starting the year with designs for Natalie Portman's costumes in 'Black Swan' and a colloboration with Opening Ceremony, 2012 will no doubt be another extremely promising year for Rodarte.The Mulleavy sisters never cease to disappoint, and their latest collection is proof of that. With inspiration being drawn from Van Gogh and Sleeping Beauty (the Disney film), prints were then screened and digitally altered making them almost unrecognisable.







5) Trips to the Seaside.

-It seems a lot of designers may have been spending some time at the beach, or perhaps indulging in Disney's 'Little Mermaid' films. Either way, seaside hues and symbols from the deep were appearing on the likes of Elie Saab and Chanel's runways. Florence Welch of 'Florence and the Machine' fame even serenaded fashion's elite at Chanel's show from the comfort of a clamshell. Nautical nonsense? I think not!



-Image Credits:

Vogue, September 2011, Fashion Gone RogueStyle.comTumblr and Metropolitan Museum of Art.








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Just a short post today. Elle Fanning and Karlie Kloss are two of my favourite editorial girls of this day and age. Elle, because there's just something so ethereal and magical about her which I love and Karlie, for her natural American charm, whilst refraining from becoming too commercial.




Elle photographed for Rodarte's SS '12 Look-Book. 




Karlie Kloss photographed by Mario Testino for Vogue US, January 2012.












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12/21/2011

Quotacious Quotations.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."


This gem comes from Roald Dahl, one of the greatest children's authors of all time, in my opinion. 



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Mid-Week Music!
12/21/2011

Mid-Week Music!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Let's hope the chaos of the season will die down for all of us soon. If you have any last minute shopping to be done, NOW is the time to do it!!


Christmas music is one of those things which you either love, hate or tolerate. In fairness it only needs to be endured once a year.


Fear not though dear readers, I am not the person who proclaims their love of Christmas songs from the rooftops. In fact, that's never been me, up until now. She & Him, fronted by Zooey Deschanel and M Ward, are one of the Indie scenes greatest bands so when I heard they were releasing a Christmas record,  I was a little bit skeptical about how it'd end up.






'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' is a classic, and She and Him's take on it is nothing short of extraordinary. Best enjoyed with some tinsel, dancing and a marshmallow Santa for energy. 






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Monday Muse
12/20/2011

Monday Muse

The observant reader will note that it is no longer Monday where I am, or possibly anywhere in the world. Christmas, being the blessing in disguise that it is has gotten in the way along with spontaneous decisions which have seen me going out and about at very short notice! Never fear, I am back now.


My very first magnificent Monday Muse is none other than the infamous Lady Melbourne. I'd heard of Lady Melbourne a while ago, after she was featured in this video here on 'Girl with a Satchel's blog, although it wasn't until I picked up my very first copy of Peppermint Magazine, with her on the cover and featured in the magazine that I began to take a keen interest in her blog.










Lady M's blog is a constant source of inspiration for me. She has the most impeccable fashion sense and transforms affordable clothes and accessories into ensembles which always manage to look effortlessly high fashion. Without fail. I love visiting her blog to view her fashion posts first and foremost, but also to look at any book suggestions she might offer, handy hints in her Etiquette section or even a browse of her video links which she updates regularly. If I'd never discovered this virtual tome of Fashion wonderment, chances are my blog would not be here right now. So thank you Phoebe for being fabulously fashion-forward!  Nana Wintour salutes you. 







For more Lady Melbourne click here for her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter here and to see a selection of her looks from the blog you can visit my Fashion Pin Board here.  



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The Week that Was
12/17/2011

The Week that Was

Undoubtedly one of the best things about owning an iPhone 4 is being able to utilise the fantastic Instagram app. For those of you who aren't familiar Instagram is basically a digitised film camera. It takes photos using a square format and then allows you to apply numerous filters, frames and effects such as blurring to your images. You can then upload these images to Facebook or Twitter and share them with everyone else.

Why I love it so much is that you don't need to carry around a digital camera, which let's face it can be annoying. Instagram is great for when you're on the go and need to document something quickly. I'd be very lost without it.


Here are some snapshots I took this week. Apologies (in advance) for the Christmas theme emerging! At least it's only once a year no?








1. My trusty umbrella which I picked up at Mary Poppins in Sydney last month. It's been raining all week where I live, despite it being Summer. Nonetheless I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd enjoyed bringing this out for a spin!

2. Christmas Cupcakes. These were made and hand-delivered by a friend of mine this week. So lovely to come home to after a stressful day out and about.

3. Dog paws.

4. Our Christmas tree up close. My brother made those blue and red lights you can see. Pretty darn fancy if you ask me.
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Midweek Music
12/14/2011

Midweek Music


To be honest I'm not one hundred per cent sure why I chose this song. This week however I have been feeling a bit "down" so perhaps that's why. Rest assured dear followers that not all my music is as ghostly & gloomy as this!

I do hope you enjoy this track. Joni Mitchell is one of my favourite songwriters and poets who unfortunately doesn't get a great deal of airplay nowadays. Although in my opinion she definitely deserves it.
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12/13/2011

What's in store:

What can you expect from Nana Wintour? Given that I am currently on summer holiday I have the luxury of being able to post a lot more frequently than I would otherwise be able to during the year. Rejoice!


Aside from spontaneous posts which will appear over the week, expect to see posts relating to each of the following:


Monday Muse: I love inspiration, without it we wouldn't be able to grasp aspects of life we like and reshape them to form our own identity. So it is with that idea in mind that these posts will be shaped and embraced around. Muses from all walks of life will be presented to you, along with reasons as to why they are the muse of the week.

Mid Week Music: In order to survive I need the following: Food, Water, Shelter & of course Music, without it life would be pretty unbearable. Each Wednesday expect to see either a song clip or music video of my favourite song of that week, or perhaps even just a song which I will never tire of.

Quotacious Quotes: Aren't quotes just fabulous? Whether they make you smile, nod & silently think to yourself "That is so true, why was I not the one to say that??" or, just make you want to write down or memorise what you've just read, quotes add value to everyone's lives. Every couple of weeks I'll share one of my (numerous) favourite quotations with you, and if I'm feeling really intuitive there might be some analysis of said phrase.

The Reading Pile: A monthly look at what books or magazines I am currently reading, along with recommended reads which you might enjoy.

Brilliant Blogs: There are literally thousands, if not millions of blogs out there. Each month my aim is to present at least one of the blogs I either read regularly (religiously) or that I stumble across over the month.
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Something is brewing, and 'bout to begin.
12/13/2011

Something is brewing, and 'bout to begin.

Greetings to you dear reader. I'm Nana Wintour. Right now, you're probably asking yourself just who exactly that is. So I will now take this opportunity to answer that question.


That's me, engrossed in Anna Wintour's autobiography. Anna is someone I have incredible respect for.

Nana Wintour is a girl who loves Fashion, Art, Musical Theatre and above all writing. She is never without a notebook and pen, and can often be found scouring countless fashion blogs and magazines for inspiration in her spare time. She possesses certain viewpoints and interests of days gone by, and will look to the past for creative insight and influence which she can then bring forward into the present.

I hope you enjoy my blog. I'm really excited to start this journey and share it with my readers.
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