Behind the Scenes of 2021 Ukrainian Heritage Calendar - Iryna Klymuk’s Story
We would like to take you behind the scenes of the 2021 Ukrainian Heritage Calendar.
Every page of our calendar is more than just a story about vintage Ukrainian clothing (“striy”) or the region and village it came from. Every page of our calendar is also a story about people, people who owned and wore these clothes 100 years ago. Our models gave these clothes a new feel, a new beginning, a new energy - a new life!
Each “striy” was chosen randomly, since all clothes have never been altered. Each model was given clothes to fit her or him the best. Each “striy” was chosen not by a person, but by a mystic sign. It’s a synergy of the past and the present. It’s a synergy of two people. It’s a synergy of their characters. You will feel this synergy on every page of the calendar: happiness, sadness, tears... We are grateful we could experience these clothes, feel the history and share Ukrainian culture with all of you.
It is pleasantly surprising how Ukrainian authentic costumes change a modern person. Today Iryna Klymuk is sharing her emotions and feelings she experienced during the photoshoot. In the calendar, she is featured with Oksana Armand for the month of May.
“I met Oksana two days before the photo shoot,”-says Iryna. “Because of a change in plans, we ended up being together on the same calendar page. The morning of the photo shoot, while everyone was asleep, we were in the kitchen drinking coffee, joking and sharing personal stories. And that’s when the story of a godmother and goddaughter was born. The name Oksana is a very special to me, because it is my mother’s name. During the photo shoot, Oksana hugged me and I felt an ocean of love. We saw in each other’s eyes our own story. At that moment, a very happy memory came back – a memory of my wedding day. Unfortunately, neither my parents, nor my godmother could be present at my wedding. It felt as if Oksana were my mother and my godmother at the same time. The clothes that Natalka chose for us gave us the opportunity to feel a special connection with our ancestors and the pride of being Ukrainian!”
