PREPPING FOR SUMMER

Written By: Leise Trueblood

A quick chat with Design Darling fashion blogger Mackenzie Horan.

N MAGAZINE: How did your connection to Nantucket begin?

HORAN: My great-great-grandfather built a house on Baxter Road in 1889, and my mom’s side of the family has been coming to the island ever since. My “Grandy” now lives in Tom Nevers and my parents own a home in Naushop.

N MAGAZINE: As you planned your recent nuptials in Siasconset, what piece of Nantucket did you feel most important to include in your wedding?

HORAN: We basically recreated my parents’ wedding on the island thirty-one years prior. We had our rehearsal dinner at The Chanticleer where they had theirs and where my dad’s parents had stayed on their honeymoon. We also had a hand-painted bar salvaged from our family’s original home on display at the welcome party in my parents’ backyard, along with the food truck from Millie’s, where my cousins and siblings worked for many summers. Then we got married at the ‘Sconset Chapel where my parents were married and where my Grandy and her friends needlepointed all the kneelers. And we had our reception at the Summer House where my mom worked summers as a teenager back when it was called the Moby Dick. Incorporating so much family history into our wedding made it feel special and timeless.

N MAGAZINE: If you weren’t an influencer, what would you be doing?

HORAN: I really think of myself as a blogger as opposed to an influencer. But I hope I would still be writing and finding a way to enjoy photography in my free time. Or maybe I would have gone back to school for interior design. Who knows?

N MAGAZINE: What do you think is the most important new trend in social media?

HORAN: Authenticity! I think people are a little jaded with hyper-curated Instagram feeds and appreciate seeing bloggers’ personalities thanks to the advent of Instagram stories. I wouldn’t post a video of myself rambling on about book recommendations with messy hair and no makeup in my feed, but Instagram stories are a perfect home for that kind of realness and conversation. Being able to connect with people through video and direct messages makes me feel like I’m chatting with friends, albeit ones I may never meet in real life.

N MAGAZINE: Describe your own blog’s voice in three words.

HORAN: My favorite posts I’ve written read like they’re in conversation with one of my girlfriends, where I’m recapping a trip or talking about my week the way I would over a glass of rosé. So I hope the three words would be something like approachable, fun-loving and relatable.

N MAGAZINE: What’s one thing about Nantucket that might surprise people?

HORAN: That most Nantucketers are extremely down-to-earth. I think the island has gotten this reputation as a fancy summer destination, but that really does a disservice to its history and all the wonderful small businesses that have found a home here.

N MAGAZINE: What is your favorite part about blogging when you’re on Nantucket?

HORAN: Particularly after my parents sold our childhood home in Connecticut, coming to Nantucket really feels like coming home. And since I work from home by myself the rest of the year, spending the summer on the island means I’m suddenly surrounded by family and friends, which is such a welcome change of pace and scenery. And of course as someone who’s constantly taking pictures, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to capture than Nantucket.

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