30 September 2011

It's been so nice to come back and find Manchester in the sunshine, makes the holiday feel like it was not on such a distant land. I can't pretend though that San Francisco was not everything I had hoped it would be and plenty more.. There really is nothing that the city does not have to offer and I'm happy to say we enjoyed it to the full. We even managed after days of wandering and soaking up the sights to meet up with a very fine Ashley Ording for some night time play.. Karaoke, Tiki cocktails, Vintage dress up and plenty of blog chatter where enough to make me want to stay in San Francisco forever..
I took heaps of pics with my new shiny camera of the trip which I'm sure I'll be sharing with you all soon. Just slowly working my way down the to-do list after getting back, although I can feel my body giving way to a nasty cold that's going around. For now I'm excited to share with you this dreamy little video by Jo from Lost in the Haze, wearing her recent I ♥ Nadinoo giveaway dress.

Lost in the Haze

So nice to think that all the way across the world lovely ladies like Jo are putting on their cotton dresses and dancing amongst the blossom trees excited that Summer is round the corner... Aaaahh I hope you enjoy!

Behind the scenes of AW11 shoot

On Tuesday we shot our AW11 collection at I heart studios in London. With a HUGE sigh of relief it all came together nicely at the very last minute.. Don't want to bore you with the ins and outs of organizing a shoot but I will share a few pics we took during the day. It was a delight to work with such lovely people, Luke (Photographer), Sandra (Hair & Make up), Fifi (Model) and my best and dearest friend Lizy (Styling assistant) who all made it a fun and relaxing day.

Photography by Nadinoo

Nadinoo Summer Muse- The Vintage stylist/seller

I can't imagine a cuter way to end the Summer season than by re-visiting our very first Nadinoo Muse Rhiannon from Liebe Marlene Vintage for a much needed catch up and to see her skipping through the US countryside in all her favorite Nadinoo's from our Summer collection.

Pixie Counting Planes dress

Since our last chat you have been a busy bee and opened up your own online boutique ‘Silent Sundays’, how did this come about?

I sold vintage on Ebay and Etsy for years and loved it, but over time I started to love new clothes by independent designers just as much as vintage, and people around me convinced me to just go for it and open a shop that could sell both. Things didn't really start happening until I got Jamie Hopper on board. She's the best photographer in Atlanta (my words, not hers!) and we worked together a lot on shoots and really had a similar aesthetic, and I knew she'd be perfect to open up an online store with.

I love your concept shoots for Silent Sundays, do you have a mood or theme each season when you buy pieces for the shop?

Thank you! Usually it's just based around the clothes we already picked. We tend to subconsciously pick similar new pieces to sell, though . . . . last season it was a lot of blues and yellows and whites, and this fall we have a lot of darker colors and separates, lots of things in silk . . . It's pretty much just inspired by whatever we want to wear at the moment.

What has inspired you this Summer, either work or play?

Play, for sure. I had kind of a lousy summer, breaking my arm at the beginning of it and getting surgery and being stuck in the house a ton, so I was always wanting to get away somewhere. Vacations are my favorites for choosing outfits for anyway . . . I actually saved up my Nadinoo pieces for the first trip out of town we could take--they were too pretty for everyday Atlanta outings.

Fleur's Untie me tee & Fleur's Summer Breeze skirt

Looks like you had so many fun days out taking these photos, can you share a little about where you visited?

My parents live in Tennessee just outside of Nashville, and it's so gorgeous there in the countryside that every time we visit we get tempted to move there. On our first day we went to an old 19th century plantation home called Elm Springs that's always quiet and peaceful whenever we visit it. It's situated on rolling hills and fields, and there's even an old cemetery on site. Then we took some photos in the countryside just a mile or two away from my parents' home in Columbia, Tennessee. My dad and Drew ride their bikes all over the area, so Drew always knows the best farms and fields for photo-taking. On our last day we went to a place in Nashville called the Loveless Cafe, which is an old motel/cafe from the 1950s that lots of country music stars have visited over the years. I ate biscuits and wore the Pixie Counting Planes dress and got to spend some more time with my mom before we had to go back to Atlanta.

What has been the highlight of your Summer or a something you are looking forward to?

The highlight had to be the trips out of town I took. In July Jamie and I went on a big vintage-hunting trip through Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and I got to see New Orleans for the first time, which was exciting. I loved going to Tennessee since it was the first trip I took once my arm was healed, and it's always great to see my family. Drew and I are getting married in October, so that's what I'm looking forward to the most--getting married in the countryside and then going on a California honeymoon.

Fleur's Blossom and Thistle dress

You always have such wonderful style, is there anything special on you Winter wish list this year?

Thanks, Nadia! Right now I'm obsessed with tracking down silk blouses and things with '30s/'70s elements to them. I'd also like to find a good light coat since our falls here in Georgia tend to last for a long time and most of my coats are winter and wool . . . And I definitely don't need any new shoes, but a new pair of ankle boots wouldn't hurt.

Can we expect any new projects from Liebe Marlene Vintage or Silent Sundays in the next year?

Right now we're getting ready to shoot our fall/winter lookbook, so we've been scouting locations and trying to track down models for that. We'd also like to start working with new designers once our store gets a bit more off the ground. It would be a dream to stock Nadinoo!

Photography by Liebe Marlene

Thank Rhiannon for once again being a delightful Muse and for taking us with you on such fun and inspiring adventures. When designing the Summer collection these were the very type of outings I had in mind for Pixie Fleur and Lula. It's no wonder you are always just right for Nadinoo..!

Untie me Adventures

One of the most exciting parts of designing your own collections is getting to see your dresses on cute gals like Ashley. All the better if they are having fun twirling around in exciting cities. I couldn't resist sharing these pics with you posted by Ashley's on Fancy Fine of her and friend Emily exploring the streets and parks of New York. Makes me want to pack a bag with my Untie me dress and jump on the next plane to New York.

Photography by Fancy Fine

But knowing that this time next week I will be on a plane to San Francisco with possible meetings of the girl herself is keeping me put for now..

A welcome visit

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a special visit from two of my faiv ladies; Genevieve of Rose a Petits Pois and Ale of Rosaspina Vintage. It was so nice to meet them both in person and get to know them a little more after the many emails which have been exchanged over the months. We had a whole day to chat, drink tea and see them try on every Nadinoo garment in the room. It really made me wish we had our own boutique as I rarely get to see girls try on our creations and see how they respond to the fabrics and silhouettes up close.

I used it as a chance to show them the new AW11 collection and see how they liked the new designs and fits we have been working away on. Ale was ready with her camera to snap away sneaky pics for her blog, here are just a few which I picked out. I hope you enjoy the little teaser from our new collection and a further glimpse into our studio. You can see the full range of pics over on Rosaspina Vintage and hear lovely Ale tell of her visits to sunny Manchester.