It was an absolute pleasure shooting with amazing photographer (and my good friend) Koray Hussein whilst we were both out in Cyprus this month.

We spent an afternoon on the streets of Famagusta/Magusa shooting several different looks which you soon see popping up on the blog very soon.

Famagusta holds great importance for both of us. It’s the town that Koray’s family is from and also the town where I grew up. We therefore felt the need to do our favourite city justice with our little project. I will explain more about how much this shoot meets to me very soon.

For now, let’s talk about this dress.

I affectionately call this my “grandma” dress. Not because it makes me look like a grandma and also not because it is unflattering in any sense. Quite the contrary, the waist is nipped to create a really flattering and feminine shape.

I call this dress my grandma dress because it reminds me of the floral dresses that you often see many Turkish Cypriot grandmas wearing in their villages. With the flowery fabric, capped sleeves and a a hemline that passes the knees but doesn’t quite hit the ankles, it makes me happy every time I wear it as I feel as though I’m paying homage to all of those strong women I know and I have seen whilst I lived in Cyprus.

There is something about this dress that gives me a warm feeling of nostalgia… despite only owning it for a few weeks.

Shop the dress here.