Senior Snaps - Studio Nicholson x Gramparents

Taking place in the vast and open light-filled space on the edge of London Fields, this carefully curated selection of Senior Snaps slots perfectly into the Studio Nicholson ethos of ageless wardrobe modularity. As long time supporters of Kyle Kivijärvi and his hugely popular @gramparents movement, a collaborative venture made total sense for Studio Nicholson founder, Nick Wakeman – a woman whose collection moodboards regularly feature candid shots taken from the @gramparents feed. 

With a shared love for the nonchalance of the elderly, it made sense to bring both brands together to celebrate the timeless elegance, zenergy and self-assured style that getting older can bring. With zero self-confidence and total finesse, @gramparents captures pensioner folk enjoying a slower, more fruitful pace of life, wearing clothes they feel 100% comfortable in.

This attitude is the ultimate cool. Since 2016, @gramparents has been showing us how the generations above us rejoice in the simple things. A reductive repertoire of outfits that work – for playing dominos, gentle walks in the park, painting by a lake, plucking fruit from stalls at a nearby market, re-reading a book, completing the crossword, eating a baguette or smoking a cigarette. 

The exhibition will feature a variety of @gramparents images, chosen by Nick Wakeman. Taking the leap from hand-held digital scrolling to A3 sized gallery prints, Senior Snaps salutes the joy of dressing for yourself. In a world obsessed with youth, this promises to offer a fresh insight. Every photograph cements the notion that growing old is a privilege, radiating life and the strength of being alive, with humour, wisdom and grace. 

Speaking about the ethos behind @gramparents, founder Kyle Kivijärvi explained, “I rarely turn my head for a trend and these days it's hard to find people committed to classics as the elderly. When I see them I just enjoy documenting them and I guess the Instagram page was my way of showing my appreciation for an under-appreciated age group – but particularly ones with a bit of style (whether or not they knew – or even cared to know that). Their perfection is in the imperfection; that nothing needs to be buttoned up all the way, that things do get better with time and when you sit down and slow down, you enhance your ability to put things into perspective. And that if you take care of something, whatever it is, it will last a very long time.”

As a self-confessed appreciator of our elderly citizens, Nick Wakeman commented, “When I look at images of people in their golden years, I see people wearing garments that are beautifully kept and carefully looked-after. They have been washed and pressed on repeat and loved beyond their natural life. In reality, that’s what we mean by wardrobe modularity; it’s the effortless style that comes with not having too many things and a sense of knowing what really works for you.”

Prior to teaming up with Kyle Kivijärvi, Studio Nicholson have featured friend and collaborator Hironobu before, who first became aware of Studio Nicholson when he was 88 years old. Now in his nineties, he’s arguably the world’s oldest modular wardrobe fan. 

The exhibition will be open to the public from Friday 2nd June - Sunday 4th June 2023 from 11am - 5pm.

Exhibition Address: Studio Nicholson, 9-15 Helmsley Place, London, E8 3SB.