The editorial "Tamara Alexeevna Plakinger" in PONNY Magazine Melanated Melancholy issue. 

This project celebrates my Babuschka`s Tamara Alexeevna's 90ths years of life, highlighting her life journey through an all female photoshoot. It captures her dignified spirit, resilience, and timeless beauty through symbolic looks, emphasizing her eternal beauty: The luminous and perfect skin, wise eyes, and the stories etched on her face. The project, is a tribute to her matriarchal strength, showcasing her enduring spirit despite a life of hardship.

A silent testament to ninety years, Tamara Alexeevna is attired in a patterned, purple trench coat that seemed to absorb and radiate the depths of her wisdom. A black hat lent a dramatic frame to her face, a silent prelude to untold stories. Her hands, delicate yet strong, were veiled in tulle, a whisper of vulnerability contrasting with the resolute spirit within. But it was her gaze, piercing and direct, that truly commanded all attention, cutting straight above the rim of her purple sunglasses. A flash of gold caught the light, a tiny anchor in the vastness of her experience. It wasn't just sight; it was pure knowing, a lifetime of navigating storms and basking in sunshine, all distilled into those luminous azure eyes. This wasn't a pose; it was her essence, captured.

We wanted to create a vision in a boundless cloud of softly draped bouclé, the voluminous wool bouclé not only a beautiful aesthetic but a symbolic embrace of the warmth that once shielded her during her time in Siberia. This wasn't mere clothing; it was an embrace of her ninety years. The luxurious softness contrasted beautifully with the intricate map of fine lines etched across her face – each one a story. These weren't wrinkles to be hidden, but pathways of resilience forged in the harsh Siberian woods where she worked as a young girl, under endless skies, warmly draped in soft wool, never denim.

Her hands, visible beneath delicate azure blue tulle, moved with an inherent grace, adorned with subtle pink crystal earrings that caught the light, a gentle sparkle against the profound narratives held within her gaze. The touch of pink within her hat and the crystals whispered of a quiet joy, a celebration of womanhood, which was not quite allowed and possible through her years in a communistic time in Siberia.  And in this expansive, enveloping texture, there was a subtle nod to the denim she now wears, a material she never encountered in her youth, yet it speaks to a contemporary comfort, a bridge across time.

Her final look was a burst of sunshine, an ode to her ninety "young" years. Enflamed in a vibrant yellow mohair trench coat and matching linen pantsuit, she radiated an optimism and energy that defied time itself. A coordinating yellow hat framed her face, drawing attention to its beautifully wrinkled topography. Each line, a testament to a life deeply lived, seemed to glow under the brilliant yellow, hinting at growth and abundance of spring, not decline.

In her hands, a symbolic bouquet of mimosas, their delicate yellow and hints of green echoing the sensitivity and gentle strength she cultivated, during her time in the Ukrainian Carpathians in the 70s. This entire vibrant yellow ensemble, from the outfit to her hat, was a poignant nod to the bright future she always envisioned, even amidst life's challenges. For Tamara Alexeevna, born on April 1st, this wasn't just a birthday photoshoot; it was a celebration of spring, of recurring renewal, and the profound wisdom she carried, proving that true beauty, like spring itself, only deepens with time.

Creative Team:

Model Tamara Alexeevna Plakinger

Photography Daria Volkova

Co Styling Tatiana Hipp

Designer Galina Plakinger

Creative direction, co styling, designer Svetlana Ziggel