Nora Frank

   Nora is a jewelry designer, educator, artist and a true minimalist. She a jack of all trades and a bit of a nomad at the moment. Taking a break from the upstate New York chill, where her other half attends grad school at Bard, she's a self proclaimed early-in-life snowbird. Nora's the sort of lady that you want to be. She's incredibly warm and full of interesting stories. She never backs down from a challenge. She interested and interesting. She's always unearthing some incredible find at your local thrift store (perfect 70s clogs, little leather clutches, classic denim) and then, if she catches you eyeing it, she'll occasionally hand it over to you! Oh, and she's a knock-out to boot.

In keeping with Nora's nomadic nature this Rad Lady shoot has taken a slightly different form. Nora gathered up all of her treasure possessions -- denim, classic boots, journals, gorgeous wooden brushes of both the tooth and dish variety, minimal jewelry, her collection of knitting needles --  and brought them to a local gallery (thanks MASS) for a little shoot. It was amazing to watch her flit around and expertly arrange each item. We chatted about her constantly growing collection of sunglasses, her gorgeous knitting needles, her newly dyed indigo dress, her latest thrift store scores and where she's off to next (Berkley, Hudson, who knows..). Where ever this beauty lands it will certainly be on her feet.

My personal style is... Simple/practical shapes. Muted/neutral colors. Pockets. Un-fussy. Seasonal.  Lots of denim. 

My style icon is... Mary Badham as Scout Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird.

I am inspired by... comic subtleties, open-ended queries, serial-dreams, distance, temporary circumstances, distraction, dynamism.

If I lived in another era I'd choose... the future -- the next renaissance. 

The last book I read was... Clarice Lispector's The Passion According to GH (again), and a Whitechapel series book -- The Everyday (this whole series is great -- Education, Failure, The Sublime, Utopias, etc).

Right now I am obsessed with... today?  Exfoliation, Cara Cara oranges, tarragon,  the friendship of Sol Lewitt and Eva Hesse, Arts+Letters Daily & The New Inquiry, Sal Suds for cleaning everything, renovation, systems of organization, cognitive flexibility, confessions, acts of endurance, sturdiness, moving forward. 

Lately I've been listening to...  iTunes says: Holy Other, Belong, Can, Bridget St. John, Connie Converse, Andy Stott, CFCF,  Aphex Twin: selected ambient works 81-92, early electronic music by women artists-- Eliane radigue, Elsa Marie Pade, Laurie Spiegel, Ursula Bogner, Daphne Oram, Caroline K.

When I'm at home I love to... re-arrange the furniture and  eat cold cuts in my underpants. 

If I were in a movie I'd be in...one of Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales or a summer camp movie from the 70's.

When I walk up to the bar I order... gin & grapefruit juice or scotch & soda.  Any alliterative drink. 

My favorite thing to cook up is… anything that involves a runny egg yolk or a fluffy egg white.  

My go-to beauty product is… sea salt & water (+ or - lemon, honey, amber oil).

I’m crushing on… Eileen Myles, Amy Revier, IKO IKO, Bertrand Fleuret, and many friends and acquaintances. I could go on -- I'm very prone to crushes. If you are reading this, I probably have a crush on you. 

On a sunny afternoon I love to... put on spf 30+.

When I’ve got money to burn I head to... my savings account, fast. But actually more like: Printed Matter, the shoe repair shop, Muji,  anywhere to source materials. 

The last time I surprised myself I… did a headstand in a parking lot before climbing a rock wall. 

Five things I can’t live without are…

open communication.

laughing with J. Cisneros.

clothes pins.

public libraries.

white sheets.

I feel most myself when I am… working with my hands, seeing new landscapes/terrain for the first time, making breakfast, having a 1:1 with an old pal, teaching/learning. When I am in the thick of it.