Sunday 3 July 2011

Alex for Grazia.it


Aleksandra Boyarskaya-Waitt for Grazia.it.

Alex had me with her E.T. necklace which she wore to London Fashion Week in September 2010. Any girl who wears an E.T. necklace, feather headband and a skirt printed with fairy tale images is a girl I definitely want to get to know. So when the opportunity came up with Grazia.it to take some portraits, I knew I wanted to photograph Alex. You can find the full interview and feature on Grazia here.
Alex is a journalist and personal assistant to brilliant Norwegian photographer,Sølve Sundsbø. She also has a blog where she combines beautiful photographs she has taken of things which inspire her (on one of her many film cameras-helllooooo I ♥ this girl even more!), with modern poetry. You can find her blog, Sashabo.tumblr.com, here. You must read the post (currently) at the top of the page as it is a little bit about our shoot but more importantly, it tells the extraordinary story of how Alex and her husband, Chris, met.
Yes. Alex had me at her E.T. necklace but when she told me the fascinating love story (when we were at Paris Fashion Week in March) between Chris and her, I was hooked. Chris, a film director and writer, was making a documentary called A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (which was selected for Sundance and the Sydney Film Festival) about, well, his sexual failures and disastrous relationships with girls. Basically Alex, who was visiting London from Moscow, randomly bumped into Chris while he was filming in London, becomes part of the movie (you have to watch it to find out more), and eventually they fall in love and get married in real life!I am not sure how much I am allowed to say, but filming is about to start for the Hollywood remake of the film! So excited for Alex and Chris.

Oh yeah, and apart from everything else Alex does, she cooks. Really, really well. The afternoon I was at her house, she whipped up a delicious plum cake for me. Actually the cream dress that Alex is wearing (from H&M) in the photos above is her baking dress! It wasn't one of the outfits she had planned to wear for our little shoot but I loved how pretty it was, and convinced her I needed to photograph her in it. Plus is reminds me of warm plum cake on a sunny London afternoon ;)
Alex's dress in the first photos is vintage Pleats Please Issey Miyake, her heels are Marc Jacobs and her cardi is from a charity shop. A lot of Alex's clothes are gifts from friends and family (even her granny and Chris's mum): pieces they no longer wear, that they have gifted her for modelling their collection for them. Because everyone's style is so different, Alex's style is prettily eclectic. But always she accessorises with a smile :)
Alex's beautiful head scarf is from Russian designer Denis Simachev, her t-shirt is from Hurwundeki and her pants are from Uniqlo.


We walked to the park for these shots (and ice-cream). Alex has just completed a marathon (walking) and man, she walks fast. In heels! I felt like a little hobbit, laden with cameras and bags, trying to keep up! Alex's dress is by Russian label Mrs Pomeranz and her heels are from Nine West.
p.s. You can click on the collages to make them bigger.

29 comments:

  1. the first dress and last dress are my favourite. but where is the ET necklace???
    beautiful photography as always

    http://i-want-doesnt-get.blogspot.com/

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  2. Her colourful printed dress is stunning!

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  3. These are stunning pics. And I love the little scarf tied on her head!

    http://ficklesense.blogspot.com/

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  4. @Laura- hey Laura, you prob can't see it but it is actually hanging on the board with Alex's other things. I was happy to see it again! Otherwise you have to hunt through my archives for the photos from last September...

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  5. I cannot believe that a)that is her baking dress! (who even HAS a baking dress? What a wonderful joyous idea!) and b)it is from H&M! Beautiful photos, as usual!

    http://nomadic-d.blogspot.com/

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  6. fantastic eye!

    http://lovesprettythings.blogspot.com/

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  7. WOnderful pics.... beautiful work .D



    Charlene de MONACO: The 2 ARMANI Privé Wedding dresses
    http://magmoiselle.fr

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  8. Amazing feature Vanessa! I am loving these photo shoots and mini bios you are sharing with us. It's true fresh and original content and I love it. Just checked out her blog and I'm hooked!

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  9. She's so genuine and beautiful! Perfect!
    I've seen the film and I really loved it. :))

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  10. White shirt and khaki's - so simple yet so stylin!

    Instylation

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  11. A very beautiful lady who looks like the women we could see in 30's.

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  12. she is really beautiful and so authentic. i feel she reflects real women and real beauty.

    www.greeneggsandglam.blogspot.com

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  13. i am in big love with pleated dress :)

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  14. The idea with the baking dress is the best thing I have every heard... and it's so beautifull !!

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  15. Thanks everyone for your kind comments about Alex.
    @Nomadic D, @Anon,- ha! I am loving the baking dress comments :)) Alex will probably kill me for telling you all ;) I don't even wear an apron while I am cooking (I think I have several tucked away in a draw as I love the look of them when they are hanging in the shop....I just forget to pull one on when I cook ) so I heart Alex for having an actual dress.The dress is H&M circa 2004 or 2005.

    @Ginta- hey, that is so cool you have seen the film Ginta! I can't wait until the Hollywood version comes out :) Chris reassured me after he and Alex gave me a copy of the dvd that he has completely reformed his ways since Alex came into his life ;)

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  16. like the hairband and the bicycle.

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  17. Dear Vanessa,
    Thank you so much! That's a really nice story you wrote about me and my dress. You see, I hate flour getting everywhere when you beat the batter with the mixer - so white dress is perfect for it (especially since Chris is not that keen on it anyway, hehe)

    Thank you!

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  18. Well you have done it again. I really love these stories you are telling. Beautiful. You are going from strength to strength. Xxxx

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  19. What is it with bicycles and fashion blogs these days?

    http://somefashionclout.blogspot.com

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  20. She's look like Garance Doré but in better.

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  21. @anon- omg!!!! I thought she looked like garance as well! But I didn't want to say anything in case I was just in total brain-freeze land! There are a couple more photos I have where she looks even more like Garance.....

    @Alex-xox

    @fashionistable- thank you xx It is a steep,steep learning curve for me but in the right direction hopefully!

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  22. ♡ Very beautiful!!!!
    kisses from your follower! ♡
    www.welovefur.blogspot.com
    With love Little Sablehttp://littlesable.tumblr.com/

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  23. oh Vanessa! I love Sasha Bo. She has to be one of the most photogenic people i've ever met. beautiful shots as always x

    stateofsunday.com

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  24. That's a cute story -will watch the movie- love the dress she's wearing in the last set of pics.
    Beautiful pics as usual :)

    xx
    MarielsCastle

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  25. finally I got her name!
    I've read her blog for a long time.
    love her look!
    she's so pretty!!! :):)

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