Who’d have thought that a 90+ year-old I’d never even met could make my life more fun? Sometimes we can all bask in the reflected rays of another’s grand life adventure.

I was feeling that my life was a little humdrum after a long winter, saddened by watching my beloved Tibetan Terrier, Samson, age. Then I happened upon the story of Iris Apfel and my life took on a new luster as I began to see new possibilities.

The documentary movie, Iris, about an amazing woman, then age 93, was released in 2015. Iris Apfel, in her latter years, has become a style icon and fashion inspiration with her individual voice and her interesting color choices and eccentric layering of outsized jewelry. Her strong presence in the New York fashion scene is a result of her genius for dressing in a captivating way, which was celebrated in an exhibition of her clothing and accessories at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, titled Rara Avis (rare bird) – the Irreverent Iris Apfel.

Since then, Iris has launched lines of accessories, such as handbags, eyeglasses, and jewelry as well as make-up inspired by her unique style. How marvelous to be starting new collaborations at that age!

I started to wonder, which of her style features can give us pointers to shape the way we dress and accessorize in a new and fabulous way at any age?

A Unique And Visionary Style

The answer that jumps out at you is her genius with accessories. Her keynote accessory is her large, heavy-framed round glasses that give her face definition and lift. They may look Minnie Mouse on a lesser figure, but they give her a remarkably distinctive presence. To call attention to your eyes, look out for bold, large-rimmed sunglasses and bold-statement eyewear in the coming months.

Iris has a way of sculpturally layering special pieces of jewelry to make a focal point for her outfits. She combines different colors, textures and sizes in a fun and imaginative way. Try wearing more than one of your necklaces or pendants together for an innovative effect. Iris uses bracelets and bangles of all shapes and sizes together. She has a knack for wearing expensive pieces along with cheaper costume jewelry and ethnic collectables, all combined in a symphony of color and texture that is fun and unexpected. Get out some bracelets and try wearing more than one color together. If you are wearing bold necklaces at the same time, make sure the bracelets are complimentary or subsidiary.

Her color palettes are bold and sophisticated. She has been known to say that color can raise the dead. She is unafraid to combine unusual pieces in wonderful colors. She can work with bright or muted colorations to create a new look every day. Be fun and playful. Experiment with the items in your closet as if you were a child.

Through her work as a decorator and sourcing fabrics internationally, she has a wonderful eye for texture and craftsmanship. She wears jackets with architectural lines as a foil for her sculptural, layered jewelry. She is mad about ethnic prints and weaves. Look out for interesting jackets and ethnic prints. Check out your flea market for interesting fabrics and have them made into simple jackets.

Her silhouettes are streamlined to create a longer line. She favors sculptured jackets, both playful and ornate, and straight jeans. Some of her clothing has an architectural emphasis in the seams and shapes. She loves jackets made out of ethnic fabrics and colorful appliques. Get some appliques or embroidery for a favorite jacket.

Finally, it is Iris’ zest for life, her attitude to embracing new experiences, her collector’s eye, her playfulness and her fiercely individual voice that distinguish her. All of these qualities are conveyed in the way she presents herself to the world. She is never afraid to stand out or be different. We should also try to mirror our strongest, most individual and unusual qualities in the way we present ourselves fearlessly to the world – whatever our individual qualities happen to be.

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