September 29, 2020 – People often come up with original ideas, but this one certainly steals the show: you can now return to the past with Zagreb Vintage Photo Souvenir.
As 24sata.hr reports, their idea started primarily as a tourist offer for visitors to the city of Zagreb, who wanted to offer a touch of old Zagreb from the time of Marija Juric Zagorka.
In Tkalciceva 7, time returns without any problems. There is a small but cute vintage studio, Vintage Photo Souvenir, where the owners, Dino and Andrea Gulic, and their lovely worker Marija, transform and photograph you in the style of the last century.
“Vintage photo souvenir is a combination of love for Zagreb, history and, above all, authentic costumes with which you can dive into the past and create a dear memory with family or dear friends,” said Dino and Andrea.
The studio opened in June last year, and when you walk inside, you feel like you’ve stepped into the past. From antique dresses, hats, and gloves to fans, umbrellas, and music that completes your experience. As Dino and Andrea say, the trips inspired them the most.
“While traveling, we had the opportunity to experience such a similar experience. Almost every European metropolis has one such photo studio where users can dive into the past and find themselves in a different time for a moment. We thought that our Zagreb deserves such an attraction,” they said.
Their idea started primarily as a tourist offer for visitors to Zagreb, to whom they wanted to offer a touch of old Zagreb and from the time of Marija Juric Zagorka and characters from her novels.
“We are extremely pleased with the good response of locals who want to give themselves and others something different and unusual. All generations are coming – the youngest client was eight months old, and the oldest 85. There is great interest from young couples who give each other romance photography for a birthday or wedding anniversary, and there are more and more inquiries about bachelorette parties and collaborations for vintage-style wedding invitations, ” said Dino and Andrea.
Dino leads the technical side of things in the studio; the creative part that deals with decoration and costumes is organized by his wife Andrea, and on the first line in contact with clients is their worker, the always in a good mood Marija.
In the studio, you have the right to choose the desired dress, and if in the sea of beautiful costumes you do not know what to choose, they will be delighted to help and advise you.
“Every client who comes to Vintage Photo Studio first starts choosing clothes in which they want to be photographed. There are about 20 costumes from various historical periods and, of course, in various sizes. The clothes are simply tailored, with rubber bands or velcro, to wear them over your own clothes, so it is unnecessary to take them off. “All options are possible, clients choose themselves, but there is also Marija, who is very happy to help with her experience and advice so that clients can easily choose a costume that will meet their expectations,” said Dino and Andrea.
Of course, it all depends on the wishes of the clients, and the scene sets up very quickly, within minutes. The whole process of dressing, posing and taking a photo takes about 30 minutes.
Most of the costumes were sewn by their friend, the designer Nikolina Ribarić, and some came from England and America. In some cases, the props were bought at antique fairs and were also gifts from satisfied customers.
“At the beginning, we focused primarily on the period of Marija Juric Zagorka, so the first dresses were made. There are also dresses with inserts in the form of a pillow placed on the back so that the dress protrudes. Since the girls were interested in other periods, we later expanded the range and started with crinolines and historical figures. We combined the costume of Francis Joseph and Empress Sisi. Some original details were added to his costume, such as original Austro-Hungarian medals,” said Andrea.
“One of the more sought-after dresses is the dress we procured from the street closet, but since it’s an original from the old days, it’s size XS,” Andrea says.
The next dress sought is from America and is worn on a six-reel crinoline. She is more inspired by the American Civil War period as in the series ‘North and South’, the films ‘Gone with the Wind’ and similar.
You will receive the photos as a souvenir, and you can also get them by e-mail. Prices depend on the number of people who come for the photoshoot, and the cost of one photo with one A4 person in the passe-partout is 150 kuna, and up to 350 kuna for more people.
“Photo Session clients often give us as a surprise gift, so the most demanding person is the one who doesn’t know what to expect and pleasantly surprise. We are happy that so far, all the reactions have been positive. We are no luckier than clients’ satisfied faces when they see themselves in crinolines and costumes and finally enjoy their vintage photography,” said Dino and Andrea.
For the future, they say, they continue on the path they set out on and hope to strengthen the tourist season in the city of Zagreb again.
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