We live in a world of instant imagery, taking pictures of food, snapping pictures of every outfit we wear, all to memorialize moments in time. But those digital memories just go in files on our phone, tablets, and computers. They sit there until we are reminded of them by some random photo-sharing app that pings us with an album. It’s time to take memories back and honor those images with intimate art forms like portraiture and paper dolls.
Memories used to be proudly displayed in picture frames on sofa and library tables, bookcases and dresser tops. Every time you would walk by a photo, you could smile, remembering the event, the place and the loved one pictured. There is a movement afoot to tangibly display moments as cherished keepsakes. In the recent Veranda magazine article Portrait Mode Revisited, Meg Noonan celebrates a new crop of portrait artists in the UK who are capturing contemporary faces and figures in a very modern realistic fashion. What a great way to keep your family and friends, close and alive, by hanging them prominently in a place in your home.
As Noonan writes, traditional portraiture fell out of favor with the emergence of photography and abstract art in the 1900’s. Paper dolls, a staple from the 1800’s in England through the mid 1950’s in the US and abroad, slipped into anonymity with the introduction of dolls like Barbie and American Girl. But paper dolls are making a comeback. My Paper Dolls capture a special moment in time without the endless sittings needed to complete a portrait. All that is required is a photo, and the subject is memorialized for all time, as a paper form to be displayed and then shared with future generations. Moments like weddings can be cemented through a Bridal Wardrobe, and birthdays, Mother’s Day, and any holiday for which there is a Hallmark card, can be celebrated with a personalized My Paper Dolls.
Memories can be triggered by sight and sound, smell and food. But fashion is equally as dynamic a memory driver. We can all remember the moment of Janet Jackson’s nipple-reveal during the Super Bowl and the gown Princess Middleton wore to King Charles’ coronation. Clara Perlmutter, @tinyJewishgirl on Instagram, screamed when she saw her 2022 NYFW fashion week outfit replicated in her custom My Paper Dolls wardrobe. Not only did the dolls look exactly like Clara, but the added touch of the personalized wardrobe made for a wonderful memory callback. Bride Lexi was surrounded by a Party Pack of her personalized My Paper Dolls at her wedding shower, ensuring she was not only the center of attention but also the center of every table scape. These and other buyers have all experienced that “OMG, that’s me!” moment upon opening their custom My Paper Dolls. It doesn’t get better than a gift that’s a moment and a keepsake at the same time.
Memories are not to be kept on a hard drive or in the cloud where they are forgotten. Stand them up, hang them up, stare at them. Because today’s moments should remain today’s memories and not forgotten yesterdays.
