"Personal style is something that you should evolve for yourself", stated a well-dressed Iris Apfel at last Sunday's discussion at The New York Metropolitan Museum titled Good Taste/Bad Taste: The Evolution of Contemporary Chic.
For the first 10 minutes of Tavi Gevinson and Iris Apfel's moderated chat, I sat 2nd row, in awe of the fashion industry's most progressive minds on one stage tackling big questions around the fashion biz and style. Sixteen year old Tavi started her blog, The Style Rookie, at age 11 and Iris is a bonafide fashion icon, business woman and designer who's career has spanned oodles decades. I never noticed the 70+ year age difference between them, their comments were so on.
Here are some of my favorite takeaways:
Tavi Gevinson
"Be interested in the fun side of fashion. Fashion should not be stressful."
“I wish people thought of taste and style similarly to what people think of what it means to have a sense of humor.”
”Fashion is so much about fantasy and that’s why looking at runway collection or photo editorial can feel so isolating. But personal style is an opportunity to kind of create your own fantasy."
Iris Apfel
"I see no sense in paying a fortune to look like a freak. I can look ugly on my own and it won’t cost me a penny.”
“I was the oldest living broad to be given a cosmetics contract; and my collaboration with MAC was hideously successful.”
“People suffer from too much good taste and look uptight as a result”.
At the end of the lecture, press were invited to the stage with their questions, and I asked Iris what her advice was on aging gracefully and she gave a fitting response, "Always do what you want and be creative!"
Love it!
photo: Lesley Ware © 2012
This cross-generational dialogue is further proof that good style has no age requirements or bouanries.
Click here to view past posts featuring Tavi & Iris on The Creative Cookie.
