LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE

Photo: Neil Kendall

It will be a full moon tonight and if the sky is clear I know I will most likely be woken up by it, as it stares straight into my window around 3am with a light strong enough to penetrate my sleep. But I still don't want to close the curtains because there is just something about being woken up by a bright full moon, so I most often tend to stare back at it for a while and ponder the universe.

So in honour of that I'll post a picture from a photo series inspired by Méliès 1902 film La Voyage Dans La Lune – taken at the end of this summer, when I had the chance to shoot with amazing vintage style photographer Neil Kendall in Chester and I got to be the first one to try out his new moon set!

Not to be shared without proper credits.

LUST

Late last summer we shot a series of editorial photos with Karl Vilhjálmsson for a feature article series for Hufvudstadsbladet.  The series is about lust and how it has been depicted and received in film, literature and society in Finland.

The articles talk about censorship of erotica and sex and Finnish film history related to that, how a famous daring film affected the actress, and also about the many faces of porn, the small domestic industry as well as research around the subject.

Modelling with me were Ruska Schönberg and Sampo Marjomaa. Some of the images we shot in our back yard, I guess the views are familiar to some of you already.

The images play with the mindscapes and clichés around the themes. We had a lot of fun shooting these!  (And some people were, of course, offended by the whole thing). 

Photos by Karl Vilhjálmsson.

WINTER WONDERLAND

After a weeks of rain and mush we got outselves a crisp white and sparkling winter! Here's an old postcard-inspired photo Asko Rantanen took and made of me in honour of that.

Well, two years ago actually. Today it's -20C, no one would go out and pose in the woods like that now, that'd be insane. Painfully insane. This was taken on a nice and snowy -1C day that was perfect for shooting, especially since we'd planned a snow queen shoot for weeks but it had kept on raining and we had decided on the date for the shoot and to just go with what the weather offered and ta-dah! In the morning everything was white and beautiful.

And now it's also breathtakingly beautiful. Quite literally, go beyond minus fifteen and it actually hurts to breath. (But to be honest I am enjoying it when it last three days or less. You got to have yourself a little winter every once in a while.)

CASUALLY HANING OUT ON THE FAINTING COUCH

Some time back we had a photoshoot at home with Asko Jonathan Rantanen. (It's convenient when you have a house that can double as a suitable set for a photoshoot. Although for the nearest future it cannot, as there are moving boxes everywhere)

Here are a couple of photos from the first series -

I've worked with different things with Asko and his partner Nadja for years and it's always fun to come up with new themes and settings to shoot!

POSING FOR AND BLENDING INTO ART

Maria Stereo: Maisema 3 

Clothes and accessories:

IvanaHelsinki – Nudge / YCM – Hoochie Mama Jane – OVVN / Uhana Design

Earlier this fall I modelled for an art project between Tabulaland Art Store, stylist Nina Erkkilä and photographer Marko Saari, for which Erkkilä styled artworks by different artists on display and sale at Tabulaland with Finnish design and vintage.

Sami Viljanto: Tell Us About Your Worries
Jacket: Vuokko, dress and skirt: Poola Katryna Acessories and hat: Hoochie Mama Jane

MUAH for these photos are by me.

It just so happened that I posed with the smallest and the largest pieces of the project.

You can see all the other great photos from the project at Sylvi.fi. I think the interpretation is really interesting.

The Finnish Fashion Loves Tabulaland Art- exhibition is on display at GLO Hotel Art Kitchen until mid-January next year.

WHITE ON WHITE WITH SPARKLE; WINTER PHOTOSHOOT

Today I had a ice queen-themed shoot for my winter act with Asko Rantanen. We had been waiting for a suitable day with the right weather and amount of snow for some time already and today everything was just right! It was a productive day and the results will be great. The act itself has not been that special, one of my so called "dinner numbers" (i.e. one that you can easily do anywhere, mainly just an aesthetic act that perhaps has more surface than depth to it. Which is totally alright.), but I started been developing it bit by bit this year and also adding to the costume, making the whole thing evolve into something more one day. And well now I better work on it because I'm getting awesome pics, heh.

I only used part of my costume though; I had a modified sheet for the skirt instead of the actual sateen one (it will thank me later, I am sure).

A big part of shooting is just setting it up and preparing and, when outdoors especially, correcting the clothing and props and and and... This time we shot without an assistant so there was a lot of concentrating going on.


Everything is not serious business though, especially not after a couple of hours in the snow.

As you can see... well, who could resist not doing this anyway?
(Me, actually. I did learn some things as a kid.)



Our last location was just around the corner of our house. Dag joined us and we took the sledge there.
(Note my very gracious winter queen boots and xxx-layers of socks underneath.)

Behind the scenes shots also by Asko.

NOVEMBER ROSES

A few pictures from one of the shoots I had earlier this year with Asko Rantanen.
The dress is made by me, it's for one of my acts.

CHLORIS

One of my pictures from the shoot in our studio I had with Asko Jonathan some time ago.

The headpiece is the one Fiona Timantti made for me, which you could see her working on earlier this year (in this post). It is part of my flower nymph costume for my Chloris act.

SHOOTING

Our dance studio sometimes also doubles as an impromptu photography studio.
Some days ago I had a long shoot with Asko Rantanen (who shot in our tree a few weeks back :) in some of my stage costumes, the results to be seen at some point later!
Nadja Mikkilä took the backstage shots.

WEDDING DRESSES

On the coldest day of this winter -which apparently is not over yet thank you very much god damn second round of snow!- I drove up to a pretty location in Tampere to shoot some of my friend's Olivia Rouge's vintage - and rockabilly inspired wedding (& bridesmaids) dresses.

Thankfully I was not part of the ice cold outdoor shoot... although the pictures do look beautiful!

All photos by Anna-Liisa Nikus.
You can browse Olivia's made-to-measure wedding dresses in her shop.

ENTREPRENEURS AND LIVE MANNEQUINS

Last week I, for different reasons, visited a few small businesses. Small businesses that are all doing great, all of them started by people -in this case they all happen to be women - with a strong will to do something they really like, starting from scratch and making it work. I started thinking about this and it made me happy -it's great to see people I, in one way or another, know succeeding!

First my colleague Ruska and I stopped by Vertical Club, which is a studio for, well, all things vertical - pole dancing and aerial classes like aerial yoga, -hoop etc. One of the owners used to share rehearsal studio space with us before. Now they are doing so well they are expanding into more studio space in their building! We'll be doing some collaboration with Vertical Club , with the possibility to book private dansative burlesque workshops with us there.

I also popped by Jolie for some cosmetics shopping. Jolie is a wellness concept founded by two friends a couple of years ago, with the dream to build up something totally new in Finland; a media portal and shop around healthy lifestyle and natural luxury cosmetics. As some may remember it became a rather special business for me as I was at their launch when my water broke and I had to head straight to the hospital and give birth :) Jolie is also growing has now opened up their own spa at a separate address from their shop; Jolie Spa. Well done!

Then we did some collaboration with PinUp Garage, which is a lifestyle and fashion store for all things related to the modern pin-up culture. (I added some photos I shot at the store to illustrate this post - because who doesn't like fancy dresses, high heels and fluffy petticoat lamps?)

PinUp Garage has moved from a location rather far away into a big space in the city, also fitting their own photography studio and a sewing atelier, so it's going really well for this store as well!

We were invited to do a humorous little live mannequin fashion show with their range of What Katie Did lingerie in the store window last weekend after closing time. It was part of the store's pre-Valentine's Day shopping event.

 
PinUp Garage is the only brick and mortar store selling WKD in Finland. On a side not, I have had What Katie Did as an affiliate of mine for a long time as I really like their vintage repro underwear. Apart for stockings I haven't bought any products myself for a few years though but now got to try out a whole lot because of the show! When ordering online I never managed to find out which size of the bullet bra would fit me best and tried a few different sizes but now came to the conclusion it just does not suit my shape that well, but found a great fit with the Dot bra instead! I can also recommend the Morticia corset which pretty much as good as one that I have had custom made for myself. (You can see both products on my instagram picture here.)

(Btw you can spot a poster in the window for the Kustom Kulture show which is next weekend at Kaapeli. We'll do a show there in the evening, and we'll be hanging around the event during the day too. So come and say hi if you stop by!)

PS. Nothing in this post was in any way paid for or sponsored.
Tuomas Lairila and Maria Kimalle took the pictures of the WKD show.

SHOOTING IN THE LIL' PALACE

Today I did the well familiar -I go there often to perform- two hour drive  up to Tampere trough white powdered and beautifully sparkling but oh so cold landscapes. (Too cold to take pictures in, fingers freeze.)

I went there for a photo shoot;  to shoot some wedding dresses for and by a friend of mine. The shoot was in an amazing old house that is still in private ownership (the old lady lives upstairs) but which lower floor can be rented for events.

 It's called the "Little Palace" which it pretty much is.

The schedule was super busy and fast so I didn't have the time to walk around and take any well-though photos but I snapped a few ones with my phone.

And perhaps we'll get to take a look at the wedding dresses some time later.

CHEESE! / PINUP HELSINKI

I did some posing for PinUp Helsinki earlier this year.

PinUp Helsinki is the first neo pinup studio in the country. It's run by some friends of mine and they organise shoots quite regularly that anyone has the possibility to book and become a classic pinup for a day.

Photo by PinUp Helsinki / Jirina Alanko

Hair & styling : Fiona Timantti

Make up : Miia Magia

PS. you have the chance to win a photoshoot by liking the PinUp Helsinki facebook page; enter their competition here!

And, the best dressed spectator at Suomi Burleski Gaala; the Finnish Burlesque Gala will win a 100€ gift card for a shoot at the studio. We (The Itty-Bitties) will be performing a classic routine of ours there and the group we have been coaching trough weekly classes with Tinker Bell will premiere their first number, which makes me all excited and proud.

The gala is on October 19th, get your tickets form Tiketti in time not to miss out!

IN THE BLACK WIG

Photo by Adam Monaghan 2012.

MORE CAPES FOR THE PEOPLE!

Beret & cape by Fiona Timantti.
Photo by Saara Salmi.

IN THE GARDENS

 The Itty-Bitty Tease Cabaret photographed by Kaylin Idora at the Botanical Gardens in Helsinki, February 2012.

(All images (c) Kaylin Idora. Mention source & photographer if linked or pinned. You can click the photos for a bigger view and  you may of course not use them without permission.)