A young woman drawn to vintage clothing was inspired to try on her 84-year-old grandma’s clothes and created a series of videos that have gone viral.
Twenty-nine-year-old Robbi Jan is a fashion and lifestyle content curator who grew up in a small town called Harvey Bay on the east coast of Australia but now calls the beaches of Miami, Florida, her home.
In Australia, Ms. Jan owned a dentist practice and did dentistry full-time. As part of her role, she was also in charge of marketing.
“I started posting before and after [photos] of patients I was seeing,“ she told the Epoch Times. “I loved the creativity that social media allowed ... and the community aspect of it.”
She was inspired to create a personal YouTube channel, geared toward travel and lifestyle content. Her channel grew organically from the questions she received from the online community, and in 2019, content creation became her full-time job.
“I’ve been doing it since then, and then last year I launched my own brand called Lumier,” Ms. Jan said.
Over the last few years, Ms. Jan has had to navigate shifting tides in her life, whether it was moving across the world, changing careers, or dealing with painful events.
“My dad is actually American, and my mom’s Australian,” Ms. Jan said.
Having dual citizenship, she lived in the United States for a year when she was 13 and developed lasting relationships, particularly with her grandmother, who has had a deep and positive impact on her life.
After her move to the US in 2018, Ms. Jan continued to deepen her bond with her grandmother, Roberta Jan.
Growing up as the oldest of six kids, Ms. Jan was named after her grandmother and always gravitated toward her, despite living continents apart.
“I think there was just a special bond there,“ she said. ”She’s always been my closest familial relationship.”
Her grandmother also played a pivotal role in many different areas of her life such as teaching her to cook. But her lessons went well beyond what is skin deep.
“She just loved the Lord,” Ms. Jan said. “She was just so on fire for God. She does have a huge heart for Him.”
When Ms. Jan was 13, she had an experience that led her to believe that there was power in God. After getting into a serious car accident, doctors told her she should have been paralyzed. They told her it was a miracle that she was fine, which got her thinking more about faith. She was grateful for what she learned from her grandmother.
In addition, Ms. Jan has always admired her grandmother’s fashion sense.
“I started a series about a year ago, and it was a style change. Basically, I was swapped out with somebody else,” Ms. Jan said. And, this year she did one of these with her grandmother.
“We went into the attic because she’s got the older pieces there, from the 70s and 80s,” she said.
“It was a really fun experience.”
Ms. Jan wore three dresses: a beautiful dark mauve velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline, a colorful dress with puffed sleeves, and a white formal dress.
Sharing her experience donning these outfits, she said: “It kind of made me feel like I'd stepped into a movie that was very romantic and timeless. It was just very different than anything that I’ve ever worn. ... I just stepped into another era.”
Since sharing her videos on social media, they have gone viral, amassing many positive reactions from netizens, with many stating that it made them nostalgic or reminded them of their grandmothers.
Despite being born in the ‘90s, Ms. Jan has a strong affinity to the styles of her grandmother’s era.
“There’s something about the classic style, the craftsmanship, and the stories behind each piece that really speaks to me,” she said. “I see a lot of elegance and sophistication. The attention to detail, the quality of materials, and the overall sense of grace in the designs—it’s truly inspiring. It’s like each garment carries a piece of history.”
It’s no surprise that Ms. Jan’s wardrobe carries some timeless classic pieces such as a black blazer with shoulder pads and stunning dresses with dropped waists and statement sleeves. Her jewelry collection comprises clip-on and pearl earrings.
