Gothenburg is one of my favourite cities in the world, so its probably not too surprising that Miss Victory Violet and I decided to head back there for a second visit in October, offering several days of Vintage Makeover Photoshoots at the beautiful Hotel Pigalle. One of our wonderful clients on this trip was Mona, aka BadHairGoodShoes on Instagram. Having spoken to Mona online for many years, it was such a pleasure to finally meet her in person and be trusted to take her photograph!
Mona Skaaraas / BadHairGoodShoes
Occupation: Senior executive officer in a research council
How would your best friend describe you? Funny, energetic and bubbly. And that I talk a lot, but I’m also a great listener.
Name three things that you always carry with you? Lipstick, my phone and knitting.
What was the last book you read? Hvitekrist by Tore Skeie. It is about the christening of Norway and the last viking kings.
What inspired you to book a photoshoot? I love Tigz’s work and I wanted to see myself through her lens. I have followed her for a while and, having seen how beautiful her models look in her pictures – and finally being in a place where I embrace my body instead of loathing it – I took the chance when she came to Gothenburg.
Who would play you in a movie of your life? Ingrid Bergmann [Editors Note: VERY good shout!]
What’s the most interesting thing about you that the internet doesn’t know about you yet? I have quite a good insight
Tell us about one of the outfits you wore for your shoot – why do you love it? I wore lingerie from What Katie Did: the Cone Bra, Glamour Longline Girdle and the Harlow Nouveau Knickers – all in peach – with contrast seamed stockings. I visited London for the very first time last Easter and visiting the What Katie Did boutique in Portobello Road was high on my list. They were so helpful and sweet and I got the whole lingerie outfit that I wore in the shoot when I visited the store. I’m a full-figured woman and I think vintage style lingerie makes my curves look beautiful and sexy. The peach colour also makes it look classy and elegant.
Describe your shoot experience? I must admit I was very nervous beforehand, so much that I couldn’t eat (and ended up eating chocolate while getting my hair and makeup done). I was also quite starstruck at first meeting Tigz and Miss Victory Violet… but after the first few minutes I was quite relaxed. They are both so sweet, nice, and very professional.
When I arrived, the lady in the timeslot before me was ready for her shoot – and since I’ve never done a boudoir shoot before, it was very interesting to watch the shoot and how Tigz and her worked together. It was also a treat to get my hair and makeup done by Miss Victory Violet; she is so talented and I’ve never felt so beautiful before! I felt a little self concious when getting ready for my shoot and wandering about in my underwear amongst the three ladies present, but as soon as Tigz started shooting I forgot all about it.
Tigz has a keen eye to detail and gave me instructions on what to do with my chin, hands, feet, lips, eyes, how to adjust my posture… It’s quite hard work, and I wished I had worked out more beforehand. Your core muscles gets a good workout! We worked through different poses and angles at different locations in the beautiful room, using the daylight from the windows and shooting two different outfits. I felt that Tigz saw me and how I wanted to look and worked according to that. She gave me advice along they way and, even though I’ve never done a professional shoot before, I never once felt like I was failing – and that really sums up how good she is!
What song gets you on the dancefloor? I do swing dancing and boogie woogie, so any type of swing dance music will get me up and about. I also love Abba!
What are you most proud of in your career so far? Although I don’t do any research myself, it still feels like I take a small part in the projects I work with, and knowing that they develop medicine that will cure people with cancer makes me proud. The work I do will make a difference in peoples lives!
What is your top body confidence tip? Instead of looking in the mirror, you should touch your body with your hands and feel how smooth and soft it is. Who doesn’t like smooth and soft?
What will your autobiography be called? Mona – Mask By Mask
If you could be a model for any brand, which brand would it be and why? Oh, this is a hard one! But I must choose Emmy Design. Their clothes fit my body so well and I love the cut, the colours and the fabrics! But If I could also match the outfits with shoes from Royal Vintage that would be perfect!
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about booking a session of their own? Book now! And do some core exercises in the weeks before your shoot. Drink a lot of water in the days before, and eat before you show up. And wear something that you’re comfortable in! And most importantly: Enjoy!!
What exciting project are you working on right now? I’m in a play we (a group of parents) do for my daughter’s school at camp each spring. We’ve just started on this years show, and it’ll be so much fun. My daughter will probably be sooo embarrassed! I’m also thinking about some new ideas for my Instagram.
Ready to book your own boudoir shoot? Boudoir bookings are available Tuesday to Friday every week. Simply sashay into my inbox with any preferred dates and we’ll get you booked in. I can’t wait to work with you!
0 Comments