#YOUR501STORY
- Role
- Set Designer
- Company
- Levi's × PhotoVogue
- Year
- 2023
my grandmother's dolls
Credits
- Photographer
- Julie Dakwar
- Set design
- Nancy Mkaabal
- Stylist
- Lina Dakwar
My grandmother among the handmade dolls that carried her through grief.
Meet my grandmother. Three years ago, my uncle, her youngest son, died in a road accident. It was extremely hard on her and on the whole family. Her life changed and turned dark. The only colours we saw were the colours of the dolls she made. Making these handmade dolls helped her cope with her grief and loss.
In this photoshoot, my two cousins and I got to see our grandmother in an intimate, different way. For the first time, she let us do something for her and not the other way around. We showed sensitive, exposed sides of her that reminded us of her strength and resilience despite her loss, as she made us believe in the power of womanhood, life and true existence.
The story was selected for Your 501® Story: The Exhibition, published by Vogue and PhotoVogue in May 2023 for the 150th anniversary of the Levi's 501.
The production
PhotoJulie Dakwar
Planning a production, shoot or campaign?
Let's talk