ZOLTAN TOMBOR & NELLI TOMBOR
Photographer and chef, husband and wife, an iconic couple, and partners in crime. ZOLTAN and NELLI TOMBOR relocated to Budapest from New York after nine years in the fashion capital where Nelli, a retired model, earned a diploma at the Institute of Culinary Education while Zoltan completed major projects as a photographer. He picked up his father’s Minolta in his late teenage years and since then he continues to take pictures every day. “It’s good to be back” the couple adds about moving home, who are the last creative duo in this first chapter of AERONOGRAPHY to answer our questions about the shifting world.
IMOGEN coat, Resort ‘20 collection
IMOGEN coat, Resort ‘21 collection
How the current situation is affecting your profession, what kind of new opportunities you see and how can you adapt?
NELLI: I can finally spend more time in the kitchen and work on my recipes. Writing a cookbook has been a long term dream of mine, and I always blamed the circumstances or my environment why I didn’t start writing it, so being able to try certain recipes twenty times in a row without any interruption is a huge thing for me. We did have some interesting projects, photo shoots, that I can’t wait to share with the world! I’m extremely adaptive, and I occupy myself all day every day. I have about twenty books on my nightstand that I wanted to read forever.
How do you relate to the environment and to a more sustainable lifestyle? How can you realise this in your everyday life?
I’ve became more and more conscious about my choices in the past few years. I check brands before I buy their products, I want to know that they cause no harm to the environment and don’t take advantage on developing country’s laborers. I collect hazardous materials, drugs and I make sure it is taken to the right place where they handle it properly. I use food scraps to make my own stock, I rarely throw out food, I’ve been carrying my own water bottles for years. I’m very proud of Zoltán, because he’s finally started reducing his footprint as well. He has his own shopping bag now and his water bottle. It took me about 7 years to get to this point. Hard work pays off.
What are the habits you reconsider or would like to change in your life?
I started following a schedule recently: I go to bed around 10-11pm, read, fall asleep and have a good 8-9 hours of rest every day. I eat dinner between 6-7pm, and my body loves these changes, so I want to stick to this schedule for as long as possible.
I want to spend more time outdoors, I want to return to running, which has always kept me in a good shape and was the best type of meditation that I practiced almost every day for a long time.. I try to eat less refined sugar, but I have sweet tooth, so it is a little harder than I thought it would be.
What were you grateful for in recent times?
I know it is a cliché, but I felt very fortunate and grateful for the fact, that me and my loved ones are safe and healthy, that we are financially stable and have a roof over our head. I have everything I need. For the past 5-6 years not a day went by when I wasn’t recognizing all the incredible people and opportunities around me. I try to welcome every single obstacles. Just think about it, if we wouldn’t know what pain, struggle, discomfort is, we would never be able to appreciate all the good stuff in life!
BREEZE jumpsuit, Spring/Summer ‘20 collection
What was read & seen? Propose a few books and films you consider worthy to watch.
I love me some good movie night! I admire the Cohen Brothers, Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Fincher to name a few. I watched the Bourne movies at least ten times, and I’m a big fan of the Pretty woman as well. Pulp Fiction, Fargo, No Country for Old Man and Seven are definitely on the top of my list.
Books… I loved The Bone Fire by György Dragomán, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, the Wabi-Sabi, the School of Poor by Sándor Márai and I’m about to start The Body by Bill Bryson.
SYLVIA dress, Spring/Summer ‘20 collection
What questions do you raise for yourself over and over?
I tend to compare myself to others, which is a very bad habit. I’m trying to change the “am I good enough?” question to the phrase : I am enough. And I also ask myself often: what can I do to make this world a better place?
MELANIE microbag, Spring/Summer ‘20 collection
PAM dress, Spring/Summer ‘20 collection
Photography: ZOLTAN TOMBOR
Concept: AERON TEAM
Model: NELLI TOMBOR