Happy Sunday Lizteners,
It’s been over two years now that I made the big move to NYC. I’m not gonna lie, coming here my expectations of finding another Luxemburger at FIT (or just by walking the streets in the city) were pretty slim. Would I fit in? Would I get accepted by my peers? Am I gonna find people I’m gonna connect with, despite of our potential cultural differences? All of that and a million more thoughts were racing through my head at the time I boarded the aircraft in Luxembourg, as my two best friends were waving me goodbye with tears in their eyes. No matter how scary the unknown was back then, it also was exhilarating. Although Luxembourg will forever be where I consider home, the opportunities and friendships I’ve made in New York (so far) will allow me to follow my dreams and for that I am eternally grateful. I am excited to share with you this post as I got to collaborate with one of the amazing people I’ve met here (& trust me when I say that I’ve always been a shy person before coming here and the thought of meeting new people just terrified me but hey, luckily I overcame that fear): Astrid Van Nevel. Now if you don’t find that name to be very American then you are absolutely right, because Astrid is a fellow European. Not any European though… She’s from Belgium! Yes, Luxembourg’s neighbor (I cannot tell you how often people think that Luxembourg is a city in Belgium but for anyone who’s still unsure about that, I’ll gladly give you a brief geography lesson) and fellow member of the founders of the EU. Connecting with people who have similar mindsets and cultural backgrounds feels comforting and makes you feel a little closer to your 3700 miles (6000 km)-away home.
After showing me her work, I knew I had to collaborate with Astrid. What I like about her photography is that it’s all shot on 35mm film. Since I’ve only shot on b&w film once for a class in high school, which turned out to be disastrous on my part, I wanted to let someone do it who actually knew what they were doing since I appreciate the sort of vintage-y, high grain element that film photography provides to the overall aesthetic of the finished product. The theme of this shoot was pretty straight-forward: Funky glasses and statement jackets. Thank God those two fashion items are amongst my top 3 so I whipped out my closet’s greatest and went to Brooklyn. Again, I am so beyond inspired by the talented people I meet here. Make sure to show Astrid your love on Instagram as well: @astridvn
(PS: you guys I’m by no means a model so because these were shot on film and not digitally, there was no going back and forth between poses so I tried my best. So just grab a drink and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!!)
Check out Astrid’s website for more 35mm film and polaroid photography: http://www.thegoldenthirteen.com/
Love,
Liz ♥