As the count down begins towards seeing out the past year and welcoming in the new, my thoughts turned to the origin of word 'January' which is taken from the the Roman God 'Janus' - God of gates, doorways and new beginnings. Within Roman mythology, he is often depicted with two heads in opposite facing directions. This symbolises his ability to look simultaneously to both past and future. And thus an idea - one that has been brewing for a while.
I mention my extended family (both living and deceased), often in my descriptions of clothes either inherited or given. So I thought it was only fitting to eventually do a homage to one of my most stylish relatives - namely, my very lovely Grandma (Babi). I love my conversations with her, as they will range from philosophy and art to tales of her extraordinary life (especially her and her family's experiences fleeing Czechoslovakia in the late forties) or anecdotes about her acting career. I adore looking through her archive of photos and scrapbooks, and so thought that in the spirit of looking both forward and back, I could emulate one of my favourite images of her.
I assume the original photo of her (second down) was taken during her brief time modelling, or as a professional shot for her acting portfolio. I would love to know more about the origin of it, but I will have to ask her and clarify here if necessary.
To recreate her look I used my favourite vintage suit - bought from an amazing vintage shop over eighteen months ago. It was the most money I have ever spent on clothing, but was worth every penny. I have used the two parts separately on the blog several times, but this is the first occasion the jacket has been united with the skirt! I love the beautiful collar and cut of the suit - sheer quality. I added a little thrifted belt, vintage pearls and brooch and a hat inherited from one of my maternal great-grandmas. The vintage shoes were bought by my mum from a market stall and the vintage umbrella also belonged to my maternal great-grandma.
My dad and I spent a lot of time this morning setting up the shot and getting the pose just right. But I was thoroughly happy with the result. My fascination for images from the past is still strong, and it was an interesting exercise to create a 'new' image in the style of an old one.
I know this New Year post is technically a day early, but I am going to be without the internet for the next three of four days. And besides, all the bells are ringing in my local church (albeit because Thursday is practise bell ringing night!), which makes it feel just as special as if it was already tomorrow night! Happy New Year everyone, and may your 2011 be fruitful, inspired, stylish and full of adventure.
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