Mrs Robinson is four women. Four stories set in the 1960s but actually happening in 2022.

Sometimes the best ideas come to you at most inopportune times…

I have long been a big time fan of Mad Men. I’ve watched the whole thing at least 6 times and am captivated by the inner worlds of the characters, the women who pushed boundaries and the effortless American 60s style.

The idea for Mrs Robinson came to me a few years ago when I was driving past a laundrette in Greenwich. I saw in my mind’s eye a women is full 60’s regalia, with her laptop and thought of how I could create a set of images that highlighted the juxtaposition of women then and women now. How lots has changed, and how very little has changed. The idea revolved around having modern women in a retro scene to magnify how in some ways the passage of 60 years hasn’t changed much in some arenas.

So when International Women’s Day 2022 was coming up, I decided to book a studio, bring together a creative team and tell the unspoken stories of four inspiring and brave women who have been subject to bias, for simply being a women. The intention was to create conversations about these unconscious and subtle biases that are still played out against women whether in the workplace or in their communities as well as empower and heal what has happened to them to some degree.(My photography centres around healing myself and others through my creativity).

I named it Mrs Robinson as this name symbolised the archetypal 60’s women. However unknowingly there was another driving force behind the photos, embodied the unspoken story of how my mum was treated when getting a divorce in the 1970s which mirrored the injustice and social attitudes of the time. My work always has a deeper layer of meaning to my own life.

THE PREPARATIOn

The idea is often the easy bit, gathering your team is not. However there is always a beautiful serendipity to the people who come into my life and for this project I had Michelle (link) who made the outfits from scratch (in quite a short time frame) from vintage patterns and Gina’s (link) luxury timeless scarves gave the finishing touches. My husband JOHN FORD who is a lighting expert brought the aesthetic and Amy painstakingly recreated make-up and hair from the period. I knew without these details the images wouldn’t work. I used my network and some previous Power Portrait clients who I knew had an important message to spread and understood my method of working to be my sitters. They all smashed it and I am grateful for their trust in me 💕

setting the scene

There is a magic that happens when you shoot in a studio. It reminds me of my first love - theatre. There is palpable excitement and anticipation in the wings and once the lights turn on you are transported somewhere else. These women had never met before and yet they bonded deeply over this shared experience. Parisa was whizzing off to speak at an IWD event and Prarthana brought her new baby - my husband was left holding the baby, literally.

photo?

The shoot is always an important part of the process, not because it creates the shots but because of the journey we each go on. We emerge on the other side a different. I’m not sure how it works but i know that it does every time. Whether the creative team or the sitter, I think this is why I love the photographic process so much.

THE STORIES

Although the narratives and their relationship to each women emerged in the preparation process, there is also a lot that comes together on the day. Driven by the concept of women empowerment, the story behind the shoot arcs of the women from Mad Men – “the housewife (Betty), the carefree youth (Megan), the working woman breaking into men’s worlds (Peggy) and the dominant female making things happen (Joan)”.

The stories are all connected to motherhood and work, expectations and lack of choice. Subtly, we can sometimes perpetuate the patriarchy by not saying what we want to happen. Each of these women empowered themselves to be taken seriously and make changes within society. This is something mid-century women would’ve dreamt of, therefore making it so important to start conversations about these issues. Whilst dealing with the discrimination of women, it was also important to me to capture the joy of the feminine spirit, something that always astonishes me!

Here are the four strong women who made the women empowerment campaign possible:

PARISA

Mother & lawyer Parisa refused to succumb to climate crisis overwhelm and suggestions that she was simply hormonal or over-emotional as a new mum. Now she runs a registered charity supporting the sustainable living and community-building efforts of thousands of folk in South East London.

PRARTHANA

When made redundant whilst on maternity leave, Prarthana’s life fell apart. Her confidence and identity shattered into pieces. But now she is a mum to two daughters and is committed to doing her bit to create a future free of gender biases.

YETUNDE

Why are intelligent young women being pressured to settle down? Yetunde is a woman finding fulfilment on her own terms, without a man, trying to ignore the cultural blueprint passed on to and expected of her.

Liz

Liz, sick of the gender pay gap and women’s inequality is now reclaiming feminine power in the restructuring of society. She strives for equality and harmony between the sexes, for a world that honours women and their unique bodies, minds and souls.

OVer to you

I’d love for you to take a few moments and let the images wash over you. How do you relate? What do you see happening in the world today? Where can we make a stand to being TRUE equality? How can we courageously question and reveal unconscious biases? What conversations can we start or what behaviouyrs can we call out to be allies?

So what next? I want to shoot more campaigns and elevate brands who are committed to empowering women’s voices and dedicated to true equality. Huge heartfelt thanks to all the people who made this happen, I’m excited to see what happens next.

Donna x

“The collaborative photoshoot called “Mrs Robinson” is about women empowerment. Four women share their stories set in the 1960s but are actually happening in 2022. The photo shoot is the brainchild of branding and editorial photographer Donna Ford, who wanted to create a “Mad Men” inspired shoot for a while. When the International Women’s Day 2022 theme was announced earlier this year based around ‘Break the Bias’, this gave Donna the perfect opportunity to go ahead and make her idea a reality.” Karolina from Estila