As the rest of the city looks forward to New York Fashion Week S/S11, which kicks off today, Dossier Contributing Editor Jenni Avins takes a look back at city’s role in fashion with this short video. Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis guides her through the historic jaunt, but it’s Avins’ own grandmother—affectionately known as Mom Mom—who steals the show.

Below, Jenni shares some favorite fashion outtakes from the family album, with Mom Mom’s captions.

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We had a pair of English bikes that we rode, and we took trips, [my sister] Betty and I, around Staten Island!

This was wartime; and during that time women were encouraged to learn everything there was to know about handling a car. So my father was teaching me how to fix a flat!