103-year-old woman drew fashion sketches as a teen—family’s one gesture helped her get recognition 9 decades later
Several artists don't get a chance to showcase their talent to the world, or simply don't get one immediately. One artist's chance was 90 years in the making. The 103-year-old woman, Violet LaVigna, aka Aunt Vi, hadn't expected that her sketches from the 1930s would get so much love in this era. It all started when her great niece, Alicia Martinez, saw her Aunt Vi's drawings during a family gathering and decided to share her talent with the world through TikTok, where she goes by @numberonedaughter. The video received over 449,400 views on the platform.
"Looking back at the magic she created 90 years ago," the text overlay of the video read. The sketch file had the year 1935 written on it when Violet was only 13 years old. There were sketch after sketch of elaborate gowns and dresses with hats, gloves and stylish coats. All of them had been made from the woman's imagination and were quite modern for the decade they were created in. "103 years old and reminiscing back to when she was 13 and drew the most beautiful and modern (for that era) designs for her art class. I wish she had someone to bring these stunning looks to life," the caption to the video read.
@numberonedaughter 103 years old and reminiscing back to when she was 13 and drew the most beautiful and modern (for that era) designs for her art class. I wish she had someone to bring these stunning looks to life 🥹 #art #design #fashion #1935 #fyp ♬ Beautiful Memories - Lux-Inspira
Thousands of people gathered in the comments section to appreciate the woman's talent. A user wrote, "This is why the older generations of women tell us to get an education and have our own money. I wonder who she would have been if she were born in a different lifetime." @orangecrush333 remarked, "I got chills...Seriously, I was overwhelmed with emotions. Partly out of sadness that so many women full of talent were never seen. The other part was just all admiration for her talent." @borderlineiconic remarked, "Not only does she look incredible at 103, but those designs are truly beautiful. I’d love to hear the stories she could tell. Living through a century of change, she must carry so much wisdom and history."
Alicia discovered the sketches during a visit and was immediately in awe, per PEOPLE. "I always knew my Great Aunt Vi was artistic, but during this most recent visit, I discovered something I had never seen before — her fashion design collection. My mom pulled out a portfolio and said, 'Look at these' and I was completely in awe." She added, "The sketches dated back to 1935, which meant Aunt Vi was only about 13 years old when she began creating them. I couldn’t believe the talent, the detail and the imagination she had at such a young age." At first, Alicia just got the sketches on video for her family. But when she showed those designs to her mother-in-law, a local seamstress, she knew they were special and decided to post them.
Violet was also excited about the love her drawings received. "I can't believe it! Can you imagine that? It makes me feel good, oh my god! I had these drawings here and we never [thought] much of it, until someone commented on it," she told the outlet. In another video, Violet shared that she took a fashion design course in high school and made designs on her "own." Alicia explained, "She did attend an art college in Brooklyn, but her dad said it was too far of a drive and made her stop going. Then she got married and had her beautiful children." Violet pointed out, "I have always loved sketching, but that's it."
You can follow Alicia Martinez (@numberonedaughter) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.