What One Photographer Learned While Shooting Stylish Russian Babushkas

Anyone who prefers their street style a little less glossy and label-centric (a.k.a. a little more human) will find a lot to love in Igor Gavar's Oldushka Project. The 28-year-old Russian photographer started a street style blog in his hometown of Omsk, Siberia, but quickly found himself drawn to photograph the senior-citizen set rather than the student crowd. And so, with the goal of showing the world the “diversity of the sunset years,” Oldushka was born.

The project features a dazzling array of senior style, from jaunty and well-groomed gents of a certain age to artfully layered ladies with a flair for color (and often, major skill with a headscarf). On Instagram, it's an addictive follow, but on the project's blog, Gavar shares his subjects' stories, which are funny and arresting (even via Google translate).

In an email interview, we spoke with Gavar about the meaning behind his project, how his subjects have surprised him, and the fascinating true tale of how one of his impressively coiffed models became a Russian movie star. Fans of Humans of New York and Advanced Style, your next follow is here.