Dressing up whilst staying home for the holidays.
The SALONI spirit of playful elegance has always made it the perfect choice for the holiday season. Our sumptuous silk dresses in classic shapes, bespoke prints and vibrant hues provide the perfect palette for dressing up in celebration of all we hold dear.
For its Holiday 20/21 edit, SALONI conceived a beautiful photoshoot not as a fantasy concept but as a reflection of the times, perfectly capturing the era of global lockdowns. We wanted to explore reality with diverse families from New York. We invited them all to share their festive plans and their thoughts on the renewed significance of holidays during a global pandemic.
Holidays are a time for celebrating the special bonds of family, friendship and love with the people closest to our hearts. During 2020, with lockdowns occurring across the globe, national and festive holidays have taken on extra significance as an opportunity to reflect and cherish being together with loved ones more than ever.
At SALONI, we celebrate the spirit of togetherness in the toughest of times by highlighting three beautiful families from our global community. Kai, Tina, Sylvia and her son Vegas all shared their thoughts on what holidays mean to them.
Together with them, SALONI explores what glamour and celebration mean and look like when confined to our homes. If being home means navigating a new dress code that foregrounds comfort, how can this relate to the joys and novelty of dressing up; and the power of clothes in celebrating who we are?
Shot at Creative Director Julia Wagner’s homely studio in Brooklyn, we gave the families enough time to get comfortable being in front of the camera and with the crew in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. A favourite moment for everyone present was when the SALONI team brought out a birthday cake for Tina’s daughter Prima. It was her 4th birthday on the day of the shoot, and she lit up when the pink cake arrived.
Kai, Tina, Sylvia and their families celebrate the holidays in very personal and different ways, but what we learned from them is clear. What matters most are the shared family rituals, joyous moments and special memories that last a lifetime. All agreed that this year more than ever, the holidays are a time for reflecting on the things that are most important to us as we take time to pause and look ahead.
Kai
Together with their family and friends, Kai, her husband Nathan and their son Ché celebrate holidays in a way that reflects their deeply held beliefs and values. Kai says “My family and I have always created our own holidays that represent our own beliefs and values. Now that I have a son it's important to me that he knows he has the freedom to choose what he ritualises - so around Indigenous Peoples day we pour libation, leave an offering to the ancestors, and give thanks to them for their work and sacrifices. This month was Black Solidarity Day and we honoured our heritage by sharing readings from past freedom fighters like Malcolm X and Amos Wilson.”
She adds “This year has been a wonderful time for stillness and introspection so I will continue to live mindfully and intentionally. I'd like to instil more sustainable practices into our lives - being conscious of the earth.”
Sylvia and Vegas
Sylvia and Vegas have a deep mother and son bond evident in the beautiful portraits of them together. Sylvia reflects, “My favourite holiday memory would be cooking a Thanksgiving meal with my family and watching the parade on TV. It makes me feel happy and excited to do it again this year.” Vegas adds “This upcoming holiday season is a reminder of how my family is my rock. The people who are always there for me. I’m fortunate to have been put here with people who truly care about my wellness, health, and success. I’ll be spending all my time with them celebrating our love with food and music.” Sylvia emphasises “The upcoming holiday makes me grateful for all the memories I’ve shared in the past with my family and happy that we can all be together in the safety of our house.”
Tina
Tina and her husband Ethan were photographed with their son Lucian and daughter Prima, who celebrated her 4th birthday with a pink cake on the set of the shoot.
Tina reflects “My favourite holiday memory to this day is when I was about 4. My mom had gift wrapped up in a cage and inside was a bunny! I named it Thumper. That year, in my stocking was a Pinocchio pen and an ET finger. (you would slide it over your finger and when you touched stuff the end would light up) It didn’t work very well.”
She adds “This year I expect the holidays to be quite different. There won’t be much in the way of friends or family which is usually what this time of year brings. My youngest is 4 and in a peak Christmas enchantment phase so I want to provide some experiences for her but there won’t be any Santas to meet or parties to attend or shows to see. So it will be pared down of course, and we will be going to look at lights outside. Beyond that, I don’t really know yet!”
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