Welcome to the first “Women Who Inspire Me” of 2019. Today’s Woman Who Inspires Me is someone that I first encountered on instagram and then I saw popping up everywhere a few years ago.
Iris Apfel
“Why not wear something that says ‘Here I am today!’ “
Iris Apfel
Iris Apfel is an American interior designer, businesswoman and fashion icon. I stumbled across her instagram a few years back and fell in love with her style and spirit. It truly jumps off the screen. Iris is (at this moment in time) 97 years old and her fashion icon status was only cemented in the last decade or so.
Though Iris’ iconic status has now been cemented, she’s been a powerful business woman for years. From 1950-1992 she worked on many high profile design projects, including the restoration and changes to the White House under 9 different presidents. (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton)
Iris is an inspiration for me because she turns the fashion status quo on its edge. She perfectly illustrates how ridiculous the slogan “dress for your age” is. Iris dresses exactly how she wants and her style is big and colourful, always paired with her signature thick rimmed glasses.
She mixes thrift-store finds with designer goods, and maintains that personal style is about knowing yourself, staying curious, and having a sense of humour. I know that I want to channel a bit more “Iris” into my life and if I only have half as much fun in my old age as Iris is having in hers than I’m sure that life will be delightful.
Iris had a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015 (at age 93) and there’s an absolutely brilliant documentary about her called “Iris” that is both heart-warming and inspiring.
What I truly love about her is that she is utterly herself and her fabulousness stems from the fact that she’s confident, fierce and not afraid to be different. It’s so refreshing to also see a strong woman who openly declares that she’s not scared of ageing. She once called her wrinkles “a badge of courage”. I also adore the fact that Iris proves that age is literally just a number and ageing doesn’t have to dull down your personality and life.
“When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.”
Iris Apfel
I think we could all channel out inner Iris a little bit more. What about you?
Read similar posts:
Women Who Inspire Me #1: Joan Didion
A Christmas Gift Guide for Your Favourite Feminist
Women Who Inspire Me #2: Sylvia Plath
Feminist Reads for Every Age
Women Who Inspire Me #3: Georgia O’Keeffe
Women Who Inspire Me #4: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
My Feminism Journey
Women Who Inspire me #5: Audre Lorde
Women Who Inspire Me #6 Roxane Gay
Women Who Inspire Me #7 My mom
Women Who Inspire Me #8: Frida Kahlo
Women Who Inspire Me #9: Lindy West
Women Who Inspire Me #10: Margaret Charles Smith
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Women Who Inspire Me #12: Ibu Robin Lim
