by Last Friday, the American interior designer Iris Apfel, turned into a fashion influence, died at the age of 102. Her eclectic style of dressing, with a mismatch of colors, patterns and textures, broke all the standard rules of fashion and she and her followers together. Here, some explain how they dress for joy.
Sade Adeyemi, head of people at a technology company/stylist
My father used to work in a textile company. At Christmas he would come home with some yarn and I would pick – I always gravitated towards the very bold and colorful prints. As I got older, I realized that part of the reason I loved them so much was that I could mix and match unexpected combinations to try out. I love orange and neon green right now.
I love Magazine so much. She was fearless, she was bold. She said something that I totally agree with, which is “more and less are boring”. I love that there’s more to it – keep giving it to me and I’ll keep asking for it. I naturally know that some people are basements and I appreciate that. But fashion has confidence in whatever you’re wearing. For me, color is life!
I do a lot of vintage shopping and upcycling. I had a pair of shoes that I never wore and I upgraded them with uninflated red balloons, about 95 per shoe. The balloons cost me £4 and the glue cost me around £3. People thought it was from a high-end brand. I upcycled a blazer I hadn’t worn in over three years. I googled butterflies and found some decorative ones for around £3, different colours, different sizes. I have worn it several times. Another time I bought green pompoms from a local lady who sells sewing materials and attached them to an oversized pink blazer.
I think dressing rules can provide structure and foundation but true style for me comes when I feel like I’m breaking the rules. The way I dress now is different from the way I dressed five years ago. Over time you will evolve and find what is most comfortable. Rules-based attire should be the basis, not the limit.
I grew up with a generation that is used to coloring and this kind of strange outfit – the Harajuku, kawaii movement in mid/late 90s Japan. When I arrived in London in 2000, there was a time when many underground designers were making very challenging designs. I was always surrounded by colors and unique looks.
The way I dress is just having fun! I always have a theme. If it’s Mother’s Day I’ll probably wear something related to mothers; if it’s Pancake Day, I’ll be dressed in an apron or a chef’s suit. If I had to attend a birthday party I would probably wear a birthday cake T-shirt or something.
I am a chameleon. I dress in every color from black to white to silver to orange to green to pink. I don’t wear costumes. You can dress crazy, but I don’t want to end up looking like Halloween.
I get funny comments on social media. Luckily I have a very supportive following; I don’t get any negative comments. Of course some of my outfits are misunderstood by the general public, and some people point at me and laugh. In the fashion industry everyone takes it too seriously or tries to be cool, and I never found that fun. I don’t mind being flagged in the street; I’m not afraid of people laughing at me. Iris brought so much happiness to others through colors and dynamic dressing. I wish I had the same energy.
I am the color queen of the world. My motto is: “Don’t wear beige, it might kill you”, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I was born with a rainbow in my head.
I take care of myself every morning. I love red with anything. With bright pink, with bright orange, with turquoise. I love different shades of red. I love every color as long as it’s not in the beige and brown and tan family – which adds 15 years to my life.
I make my own clothes. I buy amazing African wax print fabrics from female dealers, and vintage fabrics from flea markets. I design the garments and I have a lovely man who does the sewing. I buy my rings and bracelets from the same flea market every Thursday – Old Spitalfields, in east London.
I also make these “neckshrines”. They are cultural mashups, shrines to kitsch, sometimes something deeper. They are very important to me. I’ve been making them for years and probably have over a thousand of them.
I’m 83 years old and have terrible feet, so I wear Crocs. I love Crocs. I have them in different colors and I decorate them myself. So the Crocs become works of art.
People stop me and say: “You look great.” People are very, very nice. Sometimes when I’m walking down Rome Road market, London, some of the young boys say: “I wish my mom was dressed like that.” I will take it. Once in a while some really offensive person, and it’s usually a man, will say: “This is the way to the clown department.”
There is too much chromophobia about it. For heaven’s sake, don’t be afraid of color. It’s so good for the soul, it’s so good for mental health, it’s so good for the people around you. If you dress conservatively in dark colors, start with a scarf, start with a bracelet, start adding colors to your outfit and you will find that you like it.
Don’t worry about what’s in fashion and what’s not. Don’t buy fast fashion that isn’t good for the planet or anyone. Start being a little picky about what you wear. If you can add some art, buy jewelery from an artist. Supporting small businesses makes a lot more sense.
In my 20s, I found myself immersed in a sea of black clothes. Being my bigger size, I struggled to find things I liked, especially on the high street. Now there is much more choice and the Internet has allowed me to find other plus size people who enjoy wearing colors and patterns. So instead of hiding in dark colors and softer tones, I now feel proud to take the space and show that you can be beautiful no matter what size you are.
I don’t feel like me when I see old photos of my natural brown hair. I tried blue and green, but since I tried pink I haven’t looked back. I also wear a lot of wigs. They were a gamechanger because they can change a whole look.
If I have meetings or an event I will pick my outfit the night before. It is the key version. Color and pattern remain constant pillars in my ever-changing wardrobe. I don’t have basics, but I do have a whole collection of colorful tights. Like Iris Apfel, I love the art of juxtaposition, mixing designer pieces with thrift store treasures, handmade delights from Etsy, vintage pieces and high street finds. It’s time for the optimizers to step into the spotlight. This style of dressing is all about fun, flare and expressing yourself.
Zeena Shah, art director and author
In 2020 I started a color challenge on Instagram. Every day I asked my followers to wear a different color – red on Monday, pink on Wednesday. That’s when I really understood that the color is power. Getting dressed in the morning makes me so happy now.
I will lean into what excites me that day in my wardrobe or what the weather is doing. I tend to stick to a formula because otherwise it can go a bit bonkers and look a bit mad. I have a lot of solid color base layers, which are my wardrobe staples. I try to stick to two or three colors. So, say the bright green accordion with blue piping – I’ll wear that with blue trousers and a dark green bag.
There are no rules. It involves less care than others think. One of my pet peeves is when someone says: “Oh, my kid would like that,” and I think: “But I love it too.” Why does the clash of colors and textures have to be just for the kids? You have to think about what makes you happy. It doesn’t have to be overly dramatic either. It’s great fun to switch out basic blue jeans for, say, pink denim. Or you could even start by swapping out your socks for a brighter color. It’s all about building your own color confidence.
I have a bit of a love/love for color analysis as they often eliminate certain colors and that can feel quite limiting. But it can empower you to try something new. Trends can feel out of place, but they give people the confidence to try something different. Everyone is happy. The world is crazy so we have to find it when we can.
