Last week it was Georgian shenanigans in the Wairarapa, this week we’re up to Rococo ridiculousness right here in Wellington!
These photos are proof that sometimes taking things seriously definitely isn’t the right way to go.
When Nina and I scheduled our francaise photoshoot with her photographer friend Leon of @apped_as I wanted photos in the gardens with the spring rengarenga lily bloom. He wanted photos in the Wellington train station with its fabulous ceilings.
So, we did both!
The serious costume photos? Eh, they are OK. I’m stiff and posed, and you can tell we’re very cold.
My favourite photos? The ones where we’re just being silly and playing with the preposterousness of our Francaise and the modern world interacting.
And my absolute favourite photos? Those happened after we’d spent a bunch of time freezing our paniers off standing in front of the open doors of the train station so Leon could catch our dresses billowing in the wind. We were cold and tired and hungry, and still had to take garden pictures.
But you know what the Wellington train station has?
A supermarket!
Drinks and chocolate to the rescue!
What are paniers for if not to fill with chocolate?
Did we bemuse the other shoppers and staff? Umm…yeah… But this is Wellington, so everyone just pretended that they were much too cool and cosmopolitan to be surprised by two ladies in full 18th century regalia stocking up on coconut water and Whittakers!
So they basically ignored us. Except for the little girl who wanted to know if we were princesses…
I told her we were even better – we were teachers and costumers! (I’m not sure she was convinced).
All photos by Leon, colour balance and post-processing by me.
“Freezing your paniers off” deserves to become a costuming watchword.
What are Whittakers? A chocolate bar, a bon bon? Oooh, I just looked them up. Hazelnut? Almond Gold? Yummm. May you have enjoyed them fully.
Very best from another blustery place, although it’s midwinter here.
Natalie in cloudy KY, where the sun is a pale orb we don’t see much of these days,
Natalie
so much fun! i love interacting with children when in costume. shame their only template these days for unusual/beautiful attire is disney princess… ah well, at least they enjoy seeing pretty frocks, whatever they may think it is. i’m sure you brightened the day of everyone who saw you.
What fun! What pretty pretties! Looking forward to seeing the more formal pictures, too, since 18th century is perfect for mannered poses.
It is, indeed, sad that beautiful clothes are equated with princesses in the mind of small girls. With out own kid, no redirection worked, so we hopped onto the idea by equating princess with world leaders. Princesses know languages. Princesses know math and finance and geometry. Princesses know how to talk to all sorts of people. Princesses can communicate boundaries. Princesses practice anti-racism.
Well, competent princesses whom people respect do all of that. I…admit that our family used a certain T—- daughter as an example of a know-nothing, do-nothing princess. We’re still deciding what to say, when kiddo inevitably asks if Kamala Harris is a princess.
I think I’d say she’s a queen â£ï¸
Agreed!
Oh, the supermarket photos are a delight! The others are lovely, even though you are poor cold people. (I, too, love ‘freezing our paniers off’! )
Such happiness! And you both look wonderful.
These are just fabulous, I always love the juxtaposition of historic against modern, dainty and frilly against plastic, glass and steel! And the genuine smiles on your faces are a treat too.
This so lovely to see. Hello from a very cold and icy Yorkshire!
There’s definitely a colour missing from these gorgeous photos . Beautiful photos my dear ladies!
Next time we’ll be a trio with pink!