Chronicle of a campaign (and not exactly an electoral one)

Five o'clock had not yet struck and they were already in front of The old Iriarte, waiting because on Saturday afternoons we don't open, some of the models we had scheduled for the session. Elena and her daughter, Patri, looking to the sides of the street in case they saw us appear. Ana, scrutinizing the shop windows with interest. And Marianne, stationed, without further ado, next to the pharmacy. As soon as Vane and I showed up, the party started. We opened the door of the store and started handing out dresses. In the morning, we had ironed them and hung them on separate hangers with the names of each one. We made the appropriate introductions to each other and began to parade through the fitting rooms to get dressed. Meanwhile, my mother arrived. The idea was to change in the store and go towards Botanical Matter, the florist Dani Pando where we would take all the photos, ready. A beautiful day had dawned, sunny, but cool. By the time we were ready, we put on the boots that most of us were wearing and put on our coats again to face the icy walk. Our glamor went to hell in no time, which caused a lot of laughter and more harmony. We immortalize the moment.

Sunlight, our photographer and model, and her daughter Elena showed up in a hurry, picked up the dresses they were assigned and rushed to the flower shop.

"We're already changing there and I'm taking photos of Elena, who has to leave soon," Luz announced.

María, the only model we were missing, called to say that she was arriving from a trip and that she saw us directly at Materia Botánica, and that we should bring her dress.

We went out towards Fruela Street completely immersed in the atmosphere, laughing along the street, talking to each other, giving ideas for poses, asking for the time, because some wanted to leave earlier because they had commitments, making fun of our appearance, dressed in summer with parkas and shoes of winter.

When we arrived, Luz and Elena were already dressed and moved lightly through the flower shop. “Stand here”, “do like this”, “smile”, “look this way”, “now to the other”, “pick a flower”… Luz gave instructions firmly and pressed the shutter decisively. Soon she went from photographer to subject and posed with the same mastery for her daughter, who now carried her camera. Meanwhile, the rest of the models took off our coats and boots and milled around that wonderful Botanical Material choosing plans, taking photos with our cell phones, passing lipstick on each other.

-Vane, get on the couch. "I'm going to do light tests," I asked my sister.

She posed in the dress and jeans underneath. “Wow you look”

-It's just that I'm frozen-

-Okay, back off-

Ana liked the decor and took over from Vane on the couch. With great mastery, she supported her head and stretched out her arm, diva-like. “Click.” Brilliant.

-Let's see, Elena, mom, Ana, sit on that other sofa. Not better! Lean back and look at me. Now, Ana, blow me a kiss and you look at Ana. Like that, great. Beautiful, another. Wow! Photon! - I was coming up.

Luz came up and started her session with Ana. She was in a hurry and was speeding up the work.

-Sandra, take a photo of me on the stairs- my mother asks me.

María, who arrived a while ago, looks out of the bathroom door, already dressed. “I need you to pin my dress on, it's something big for me.”

-Oysters! "I forgot the pins," I exclaim.

"I have safety pins," says Marta, a friend of my sister who was passing by and stopped by to greet her.

At the same time, some girls come in who came to a workshop that Dabi Pando was giving upstairs, in the small room they have set up in the attic.

Botanical Matter It was beginning to look like the Marx Brothers' cabin.

The safety pins come loose in Maria's dress. We asked Cova, Dani's wife, if she has any pins. "I don't feel it". As I'm about to head off on a run to the store, my sister suggests we ask around at a clothing store across the street. Bingo! The girl leaves us her pincushion and my mother adapts the garment to María's fine waist.

Luz continues to air models. When he has “the photo” he changes girls. I take great care with the making off. I ask Patri to do something and she dances, spins, smells, laughs. What a good time we had.

Cova takes us beautiful bouquets of flowers from the cold storage to coordinate with our dresses. Luz continues to move us all with military discipline but with a sweet smile. He solves with ease because he is dying to go to his daughter's house to enjoy his newborn granddaughter.

Vane has tremendous back pain and announces that he is leaving, his photos are ready. My mother accompanies her. Patri and Elena also leave us. Dani starts his workshop in the attic and we hear him, in the background, telling secrets about flowers.

The photos of María, on the door, are looking very cool. I take one against the light with my cell phone. She looks very pretty. My turn.

-I want it on the ground, between pots. What do you think here? Do you see it? - I ask Luz.

-Clear!-

Cova takes out more flower pots and some bouquets. Luz places them. It places me. And I laugh, with the “imposed laugh” as my daughter calls it, but which ends up being natural from the good vibes that are breathed. The session is coming to an end. Ends.

Luz collects the belongings and says goodbye. Greta is waiting for her. Those of us who remain also get going. Putting on boots and coats again (for Botanical Matter we were walking barefoot) and returned to The old Iriarte. We take off our wonderful summer dresses and rush off for a warm coffee. We are frozen! How hard it is to be a model and go against the grain. But we are radiant, happy, enjoying ourselves. It has been a great afternoon and very fun. A lot of ideas arise and new proposals are made. It will be for another campaign, and not exactly an electoral one. This has been the chronicle of one that we have loved and that we liked very much, Beautiful flowers. Two neighborhood stores, one for flowers and the other for clothing, and a lot of clients collaborating and working together to promote the small business.

Thank you, it has been a pleasure.