Vintage Easter photo shoots and bonnet sales come to LI boutique 

Whether you like your Easter fun, stylish or even dark, you can express your brand of holiday spirit at Long Island’s Paper Doll Vintage Boutique and Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe. The vintage stores are offering a bonnet sale and a photo shoot inspired by a 2018 Miley Cyrus fashion spread in Vogue magazine and another posing with Frank, the nightmarish rabbit from the cult classic, "Donnie Darko."

EASTER BONNETS

If you want to follow the old school tradition of donning an Easter bonnet for the holiday or for any day in spring, there’ll be a first-ever vintage hat sale featuring hats dating back to the 1920s that runs through April. It will be held at the Paper Doll Vintage Boutique, 23 Main St., Sayville during store business hours. Prices will range from $20 to $65.

FESTIVE PHOTO SHOOTS

For the Vogue-like shoot, you can get your picture taken standing inside a giant Easter basket measuring about 6-feet-tall and complete with large colored eggs and fake grass resembling Cyrus’ "Easter calendar" feature, or you can go scarier and goth posing with actor Chris Nicola of the Huntington-based company, Big Red Balloon, who will be dressed in a complete "Frank the Rabbit" costume.

The appointment-only photo shoots will take place indoors at the back of the Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe, 33 E. Main St., Patchogue, with Shannon Schaper, of the Patchogue-based, Cakewalk Photography, as the photographer. It will cost $40 for three digital photos and one print. An additional photo may be purchased for $5.

HOLIDAY INSPIRATION

The owner of both Paper Doll stores, Dominique Maciejka, says she’s been offering off-beat photo ops for the holidays since 2017, including one with Krampus the Christmas demon, another with a 1920s-style reproduction of a moon that people could sit on, and there was a wooden heart prop subjects could step through for a Marilyn Monroe-like Valentine’s Day pinup picture.

"I love to offer unique photo shoots because it keeps our customers and community engaged," Maciejka, 37, of Oakdale, says. "The Paper Doll stores are more than just stores. They’re my passion, creative outlet and my art."

Maciejka spent hours making the oversized Easter basket herself, creating the basket bottom and fencing from wood shim material.

"I was inspired by a Vogue photo shoot that featured Miley Cyrus," Maciejka explains. "The photos were very retro, with a 1960s vibe." She adds, "We have been doing Easter photos with Frank since 2019 for our spooky-loving customers, but I wanted to offer something a little more springy, retro and delicate for customers who may not be into the darker photo-op."