Winona forever

and ever and ever and ever

I loved her then (the pic above is from 1991) - and I love her now.

My admiration for Ms Ryder is deep and layered. I think she’s a fantastic actress and a human of extraordinary dignity and modesty.

I hugely admire the way she came back from a tricky time in the early 2000s which would have killed many stars off - from within. And she totally rocked it in Stranger Things.

She is also inexorably connected with - what are to me - the glory days of the 1990s.

My true youth was in the late 70s and early 80s, when I was a teenager and then at uni, but the 90s is the decade I remember with joy. I still love the style of that era and while it’s adorable to see it back in with the young as a cool retro era, to my eye none of it looks dated yet.

I was able to reflect on this as I scrolled through this very satisfying Winona Ryder Look Book from The Cut (the online style portal of New York magazine).

Scroll up from the bottom to see her looks evolve over time. I feel like I wore all of them myself.

The 1990s basically was one giant cardigan. I think I had this exact one and a long narrow skirt with a smart flatform is still my go-to evening look.

This is basically me at the fashion shows in London, Milan and Paris from 1989 onwards. Mark Connolly, Melissa Hoyer and Jane de Teliga - my partners in crime from those days - if you are reading this, please can you confirm this statement?

Only the Prada messenger bag is missing.

I spent the entire 1990s trying to look like this. I still have the denim jacket, the studded belts and the Jamin Puech beaded bag (which were such a thing) and I still wear them all.

I still aspire to the look in the top photo as well, with an ever expanding collection of vintage band T shirts. Indeed I never feel more like myself than when I’m wearing a band t shirt and a studded belt.

The thing that got me thinking about Ms R today, was this My Life in Looks from US Vogue, which showcases not just her style - but her humour, humility and gratitude.

I also found this recent profile from Esquire which I haven’t read in full yet, but I salute them for the perfect title.

Because what really struck me as I looked back over Winona’s life with her, was how incredibly young she was when she started. A true ingenue, who has grown up into a magnificent woman.

And while we are talking about Winona, we can’t pretend this didn’t happen…