Happiness squeal! For the first Meet a Fellow Vintage Blogger post of 2016 I'm giddy with excitement to announce that this month's interviewee is none other than the one and only Nora from the beloved vintage fashion and lifestyle blog Nora Finds.
For many in our vintage adoring circle, Nora needs no introduction. Her eye-catching, decidedly chic sense of style, love of colour in her outfits, frequent blog posts (and comments on other peoples' sites), strong social media presence, and joie de vivre shine through in all that she does and have helped to establish her as one of best known vintage bloggers on the block.
Last year Nora and her husband packed up their lives and moved half way across the world from sunny Australia to the history rich nation of England, where they now call London home.
Nora and I have known each other online for years now and have developed an even deeper friendship over the past year or so thanks to many wonderful messages back and forth. As such, I feel all the more honoured to have had the opportunity to interview and get to know this smart, stylish lady better.
Whether you've been following Nora's blog since its debut five years ago, are meeting for the first time today, or fall somewhere in between, read on to find about more about what drives Nora's immense passion for mid-century styles, how she's taking to life in the UK, what her dream companies to work with would be, and oodles more!
Your blog is elegantly titled simply "Nora Finds" can you share with us more about what inspired that moniker?
When I first started the blog I wasn’t quite sure where I was going with it. I knew I wanted to “find” my style, “find” bargains, and “find” inspirations from other bloggers. In a sense, the blog is a visual scrapbook to document all these finds. I also wanted a name that will allow for changes or improvement so I picked something quite simple.
Your site launched in 2011. Congratulations on five exciting years of blogging! What are some of the key transformations that your blog has experienced over the years?
The blog originally focused on fashion and finding my style and soon enough I did actually learn that I wanted to commit to vintage fashion. So the key transformation to the blog is it went from general fashion to exclusively vintage and vintage-style fashion.
With the continual rise of social media and microblogging, fewer and fewer vintage adoring folks are still blogging (either regularly or point blank). It's both refreshingly and inspiring that you're amongst the devoted group of us who are still doing as much at present. What are the key reasons why you've opted to do so (to keep blogging, that is)?
I have noticed this change as well and I am quite saddened by it! I love social media because I can easily find other vintage lovers from all over the world. But the blog is my first love and as you know I am quite a chatty person so social media aren’t quite enough for me to express myself.
My love of vintage stems from my love of history and stories behind every piece so the blog is dedicated to telling stories and connecting with people who want to know about me and my outfits.
Your blog is heavily (and beautifully!) fashion focused, but that certainly isn't the only topic that you cover on Nora Finds. For those who may be new to your blog, can you please highlight some of the other types of subjects that you've delved into over the years?
It is rare that I talk about non-fashion topics, but I have occasionally discussed mental health issues, bullying, and multiculturalism. I only speak about topics I have experiences with but I am passionate about encouraging others to talk about things they have gone through.
Speaking of style, how would describe your present fashion sense?
Vintage and practical.
What are some of the biggest changes in the vintage fashion world that jump out you personally over the course of the past five years?
Vintage is definitely at the height of its popularity, but I notice that vintage-inspired designs are possibly more popular than genuine vintage clothes. I guess accessibility and price mean that more people can adopt the vintage lifestyle without actually wearing vintage.
Your ensembles are always exciting, dynamic and chock-a-block full of great details. What are some of your favourite ways to take an outfit from merely nice/pretty to head-turningly-awesome?
I don’t wear a lot of accessories but I love my earrings and my hats. I think I always try to embellish my short hair and it always make my outfits extra vintage.
Are there any colour pairings or combos that you return to time and time again?
Brown and green. I discovered that green is the color that never fails to make me happy. And I guess it is my way to blend with the nature.
You've had the joy and honour of working with a wide array of vintage, repro, and similar fashion brands over the years, are there any such collaborations that really stand out in your mind and if so, why?
My most exciting collaboration is with the milliner Tanith Rowan. To be able to get a custom-made hat to match one of my favorite dresses is just amazing. As a vintage lover who often spends hours and hours trawling the internet for the perfect hat I have to admit that I am now a convert. The time and effort I spend can easily be diverted towards designing the perfect hat with Tanith.
Can you share with us some brands that you'd love to work with in such a capacity, but that you haven't yet?
I would love to work with Christian Lacroix and Schiaparelli. Hey, if I was going to dream I better dream big, right?! Hehehe, I’d love to work with Emmy Design, Pin Up Girl Clothing, Daisy Dapper and Lena Hoschek.
How important is social media to you in the context of your blog?
Social media is definitely important for my blog. It helps me reach more vintage lovers from all over the world, and even though only a small percentage of these people end up on my blog it is still worth doing. For me the social media complement my blog but they will never replace it.
Where to do you see the vintage fashion world going in the next few years (e.g., trends, preferences for certain decades, a continual rise of pinup style brands, etc)?
I think 50s style will still be the most popular, and 40s fashion will follow right behind. The 1920s fashion will hopefully be less costume-y and more genuine. There will definitely be more and more vintage-inspired brands and hopefully they can better harmonize different styles of vintage (New Look meets pin up, or WWII meets steampunk).
Your blog is heavily (and beautifully!) fashion focused, but that certainly isn't the only topic that you cover on Nora Finds. For those who may be new to your blog, can you please highlight some of the other types of subjects that you've delved into over the years?
It is rare that I talk about non-fashion topics, but I have occasionally discussed mental health issues, bullying, and multiculturalism. I only speak about topics I have experiences with but I am passionate about encouraging others to talk about things they have gone through.
Speaking of style, how would describe your present fashion sense?
Vintage and practical.
What are some of the biggest changes in the vintage fashion world that jump out you personally over the course of the past five years?
Vintage is definitely at the height of its popularity, but I notice that vintage-inspired designs are possibly more popular than genuine vintage clothes. I guess accessibility and price mean that more people can adopt the vintage lifestyle without actually wearing vintage.
Your ensembles are always exciting, dynamic and chock-a-block full of great details. What are some of your favourite ways to take an outfit from merely nice/pretty to head-turningly-awesome?
I don’t wear a lot of accessories but I love my earrings and my hats. I think I always try to embellish my short hair and it always make my outfits extra vintage.
Are there any colour pairings or combos that you return to time and time again?
Brown and green. I discovered that green is the color that never fails to make me happy. And I guess it is my way to blend with the nature.
You've had the joy and honour of working with a wide array of vintage, repro, and similar fashion brands over the years, are there any such collaborations that really stand out in your mind and if so, why?
My most exciting collaboration is with the milliner Tanith Rowan. To be able to get a custom-made hat to match one of my favorite dresses is just amazing. As a vintage lover who often spends hours and hours trawling the internet for the perfect hat I have to admit that I am now a convert. The time and effort I spend can easily be diverted towards designing the perfect hat with Tanith.
Can you share with us some brands that you'd love to work with in such a capacity, but that you haven't yet?
I would love to work with Christian Lacroix and Schiaparelli. Hey, if I was going to dream I better dream big, right?! Hehehe, I’d love to work with Emmy Design, Pin Up Girl Clothing, Daisy Dapper and Lena Hoschek.
How important is social media to you in the context of your blog?
Social media is definitely important for my blog. It helps me reach more vintage lovers from all over the world, and even though only a small percentage of these people end up on my blog it is still worth doing. For me the social media complement my blog but they will never replace it.
Where to do you see the vintage fashion world going in the next few years (e.g., trends, preferences for certain decades, a continual rise of pinup style brands, etc)?
I think 50s style will still be the most popular, and 40s fashion will follow right behind. The 1920s fashion will hopefully be less costume-y and more genuine. There will definitely be more and more vintage-inspired brands and hopefully they can better harmonize different styles of vintage (New Look meets pin up, or WWII meets steampunk).
You and your husband recently relocated to England all the way from Australia. Having been in that country for a few months now, what are you finding to be some of the most striking differences between the vintage scene in each country?
The most striking difference is the large number of vintage events here in UK. In Australia we probably have less than 10 events per year but here you have several vintage fairs on one weekend and many vintage events all across the country that you are spoiled for choice.
England is the world's undisputed capital of vintage style and I can imagine that has been awesome getting to emerge yourself in such. What are some of the ways that you've been doing so thus far?
I have to admit that I haven’t done enough to immerse myself in the vintage scene. Unfortunately the husband isn’t into vintage and I've yet to make many vintage friends, so I am still too intimidated to go to the big events. I definitely have visited some vintage markets and met up with some ladies from a vintage forum. These events are much smaller so I can combat my social anxiety and get to know people properly.
Any vintage (or repro) shops or events in particular that you'd really like to visit/attend that you haven't done so yet?
I would love to go to Twinwood and Goodwood Revival one day, as well as Viva Las Vegas! I’m not sure when that will be, but one day!
And last, but certainly not least, can you please give us a taster of what folks can look forward to on Nora Finds throughout 2016?
I have some plans for the blog but the main thing is to include more lifestyle and travel posts. I want to highlight some vintage-inspired product and graphic designers, and showcase some vintage shops and vintage-related traveling posts. I really want the blog to showcase more of who I am and what I love.
You can connect with Nora on the following sites:
Meet the past interviewees who have taken part in this delightful ongoing post series:
♥ ♥ ♥
Thank you so much for the awesome interview, Nora, and for the continual source of inspiration that you, your blog, and your terrific fashion sense impart to the vintage community day in and day out. It was such a treat getting to know you even better!
Next up, in the month of love, as things stand now, it looks like we'll be hopping back in our swanky mid-century jet and bee lining it back to the good, ol' U-S-of-A to chat with another devoted vintage fan, avid blogger, massive pet lover, and classic cinema buff who I'm equally excited to learn more about - as I bet you are, too!
