mother & daughter:
a story of endless love
Models- Mother & Daughter: Oxana & Renata
From St-Petersburg to Los Angeles
Location: Malibu, California
Photography: Benjamin Hoffman
From St-Petersburg to Los Angeles
Location: Malibu, California
Photography: Benjamin Hoffman
*Oxana is wearing Sage (olive green) Trenchmono and Renata is wearing Midnight in Paris (navy blue) Trenchmono
Renata, age 31
What do you love most about your mother?
Her courage, honesty, nobility of heart and behavior, strong spirit & deep almost subconscious wisdom. The kind of wisdom one lives by in their every day life, without talking much about it. Just being it.
What do you love most about your mother?
Her courage, honesty, nobility of heart and behavior, strong spirit & deep almost subconscious wisdom. The kind of wisdom one lives by in their every day life, without talking much about it. Just being it.
Oxana, age 52
What are you the most proud about your daughter?
I honestly think that the biggest accomplishment of my life - is my daughter.
I’m proud of everything, all her skills and talents.
The way she treats life and people, not just family, but friends as well. I see the way people treat her and i admire all of that.
What are you the most proud about your daughter?
I honestly think that the biggest accomplishment of my life - is my daughter.
I’m proud of everything, all her skills and talents.
The way she treats life and people, not just family, but friends as well. I see the way people treat her and i admire all of that.
R: Describe what your heart feels when you think of your mother
Lightness and strength of the most pure form of love & acceptance.
Lightness and strength of the most pure form of love & acceptance.
O: Describe how your heart feels when you think of your mother- how she inspires you today.
I endlessly love my mother. It (this love) takes a huge space in my heart. For her I’m ready to do anything.
I’m so grateful to my mother for the fact that my entire life she was close, but always as close as it was needed, she never tried to impose anything on me, but when I needed help she was always ready to be there for me
I endlessly love my mother. It (this love) takes a huge space in my heart. For her I’m ready to do anything.
I’m so grateful to my mother for the fact that my entire life she was close, but always as close as it was needed, she never tried to impose anything on me, but when I needed help she was always ready to be there for me
*Oxana is wearing Gold and Renata is wearing the SIlver 'Liquid Mercury' Playmonos
R: What do you want your mom to know about you that you have never expressed in words?
That for as long as I live I’m happy to share anything I’ve gained or created with her. That knowing and having an experience of who she is in her core as a person for so many years, I think I would’ve loved, respected and wanted to be close to her even if we weren’t related, even if she wasn’t in a role of my mother to start with. That I consider her truly inspiring strong woman
That for as long as I live I’m happy to share anything I’ve gained or created with her. That knowing and having an experience of who she is in her core as a person for so many years, I think I would’ve loved, respected and wanted to be close to her even if we weren’t related, even if she wasn’t in a role of my mother to start with. That I consider her truly inspiring strong woman
R: What qualities do you have that were inherited by your mother’s essence?
Generosity, ability to be compassionate. Resect the difference of people’s choices and behaviors. We have a saying in Russia, that I heard a lot from her “do good and through it into the river”. It’s about giving sincerely without any expectations to receive anything back, do good wholeheartedly just for the sake of doing it.
Good taste, appreciation of natural beauty and importance of self care to preserve what was given by nature.
Respect of other people’s time, another saying that I like and heard a lot from her is that “punctuality is a grace of the kings”
I always joked that I was raised by a queen.
That’s how I personally experience her essence
Generosity, ability to be compassionate. Resect the difference of people’s choices and behaviors. We have a saying in Russia, that I heard a lot from her “do good and through it into the river”. It’s about giving sincerely without any expectations to receive anything back, do good wholeheartedly just for the sake of doing it.
Good taste, appreciation of natural beauty and importance of self care to preserve what was given by nature.
Respect of other people’s time, another saying that I like and heard a lot from her is that “punctuality is a grace of the kings”
I always joked that I was raised by a queen.
That’s how I personally experience her essence
O: What was she like as a child? As a teenager?
She was an absolutely wonderful child, quite troublesome teenager, but that’s ok. Because maybe when she was a teenager I was young and not as experienced of a mother and maybe couldn’t understand a lot of things then. We were fighting a lot, but I would say those fights were resolved mostly thanks to Renata’s wisdom. I know that. When she became older she was able to explain it to me, for example she would say “mama, remember yourself in this age” and I would stop and really think about it. She was not confrontational, not looking for a fight for the sake of a fight, she treated it with what I would call “a child’s wisdom”. She still behaved as a child, but with a lot of wisdom.
She was an absolutely wonderful child, quite troublesome teenager, but that’s ok. Because maybe when she was a teenager I was young and not as experienced of a mother and maybe couldn’t understand a lot of things then. We were fighting a lot, but I would say those fights were resolved mostly thanks to Renata’s wisdom. I know that. When she became older she was able to explain it to me, for example she would say “mama, remember yourself in this age” and I would stop and really think about it. She was not confrontational, not looking for a fight for the sake of a fight, she treated it with what I would call “a child’s wisdom”. She still behaved as a child, but with a lot of wisdom.
*Oxana s wearing 'Le Boyfriend' Denim Chambray Trenchmono and Renata is wearing the Grayson Trenchmono
R: What was it like growing up with your mom - were you always this close?
We spent a lot of time together and a lot of time apart. I always felt her presence and love regardless. In my childhood she was a single parent so she had to fight for our lives, thus I haven’t seen her as much, but I felt her presence and care always. Later during my teenage years I was going through a period of rejection and reconstruction of my own character, so we both had to learn how to deal with that. Once I ran away from home, but called her every day to say that I’m safe, but I’m not coming back. I would say we were always close and it was a result of mutual work based on deep love, respect, acceptance and tolerance of our differences. Small and big ones. I always felt that my opinion mattered, any time I asked for advise I never received a ready solution but a thoughtful compassionate conversation, where she would offer her trust in me, no matter what decision I’m going to take. Now I understand that that trust was priceless. It allowed me to truly believe in myself.
We spent a lot of time together and a lot of time apart. I always felt her presence and love regardless. In my childhood she was a single parent so she had to fight for our lives, thus I haven’t seen her as much, but I felt her presence and care always. Later during my teenage years I was going through a period of rejection and reconstruction of my own character, so we both had to learn how to deal with that. Once I ran away from home, but called her every day to say that I’m safe, but I’m not coming back. I would say we were always close and it was a result of mutual work based on deep love, respect, acceptance and tolerance of our differences. Small and big ones. I always felt that my opinion mattered, any time I asked for advise I never received a ready solution but a thoughtful compassionate conversation, where she would offer her trust in me, no matter what decision I’m going to take. Now I understand that that trust was priceless. It allowed me to truly believe in myself.
O: How has your relationship changed from child to adult relationship?
Well that’s easy. The turning point happened in that moment when she told me to remember myself in the same age. I really took it to heart and understood that I should go back and remember myself, how I was behaving and so I was able to understand my daughter better. I think for a parent it’s always important to understand sooner rather then later that it’s not just your child who should behave the way you want them to, but it’s another person with their own character, their own perspective and vision of the world and respect their point of view. There is a saying “every person to their mind is right, but to my mind - is not ” Make peace with that.
Coming back to the question about my relationship with my mother, I remember I was 24, I already had my own daughter and my own family and my parents came to live with me. Neither my mother, nor my father never imposed their opinions on me. They were close and ready to support me, but no one would tell me what to do and how to do it, respecting my own decisions.
I appreciated it then and still appreciate it very much. I tried to transfer that into my relationship with my daughter. I always share and express my opinion and respect her choice to follow it or not.
Well that’s easy. The turning point happened in that moment when she told me to remember myself in the same age. I really took it to heart and understood that I should go back and remember myself, how I was behaving and so I was able to understand my daughter better. I think for a parent it’s always important to understand sooner rather then later that it’s not just your child who should behave the way you want them to, but it’s another person with their own character, their own perspective and vision of the world and respect their point of view. There is a saying “every person to their mind is right, but to my mind - is not ” Make peace with that.
Coming back to the question about my relationship with my mother, I remember I was 24, I already had my own daughter and my own family and my parents came to live with me. Neither my mother, nor my father never imposed their opinions on me. They were close and ready to support me, but no one would tell me what to do and how to do it, respecting my own decisions.
I appreciated it then and still appreciate it very much. I tried to transfer that into my relationship with my daughter. I always share and express my opinion and respect her choice to follow it or not.
R: What do you want your mom to know about you that you have never expressed in words?
That for as long as I live I’m happy to share anything I’ve gained or created with her. That knowing and having an experience of who she is in her core as a person for so many years, I think I would’ve loved, respected and wanted to be close to her even if we weren’t related, even if she wasn’t in a role of my mother to start with. That I consider her truly inspiring strong woman
That for as long as I live I’m happy to share anything I’ve gained or created with her. That knowing and having an experience of who she is in her core as a person for so many years, I think I would’ve loved, respected and wanted to be close to her even if we weren’t related, even if she wasn’t in a role of my mother to start with. That I consider her truly inspiring strong woman
O:What do you wish Renata to know when she is far away from you?
That I endlessly love her and that I’m there for her no matter what, like my mother was there for me any time I needed help or support. I would want her to know that I’m always there and I will always be on her side
That I endlessly love her and that I’m there for her no matter what, like my mother was there for me any time I needed help or support. I would want her to know that I’m always there and I will always be on her side
R:What is something she has taught you that you cherish?
A lot of things. Above all, I would probably choose that trust in myself, being true to my own essence, built my life in harmony with that.
A lot of things. Above all, I would probably choose that trust in myself, being true to my own essence, built my life in harmony with that.
O:What do you hope for your beloved daughter?
Of course I wish for her to be happy, for her to have peace in her soul and love in her heart. To live every day of her life with joy and pleasure.
I wish for her to feel happy and I know that she would feel that when there is harmony inside her. When she is where she wants to be, with who she wants doing what she loves. It’s very sincere and I know that she knows that too.
Of course I wish for her to be happy, for her to have peace in her soul and love in her heart. To live every day of her life with joy and pleasure.
I wish for her to feel happy and I know that she would feel that when there is harmony inside her. When she is where she wants to be, with who she wants doing what she loves. It’s very sincere and I know that she knows that too.