Last Friday, American interior designer Iris Apfel, who became a fashion phenomenon, passed away at the age of 102. Her eclectic clothing style, which included a mismatch of colours, patterns and textures, broke all standard fashion rules and garnered a legion of fans. Here, some explain how they, too, dress for pleasure.
Sade Adeyemi, chief people officer of a tech company/stylist
My father worked in a textile company. At Christmas she would come home with some fabrics and I would choose them; I’ve always gravitated towards very bold and colorful prints. As I grew older, I realized that one of the reasons I loved them so much was that I could experiment by mixing and matching unexpected combinations. I’m loving orange and neon green right now.
I love Iris very much. He was fearless, brave. He said something that I completely agree with: “More is more and less is boring”. I just love more, love more – keep giving it to me and I’ll keep trying. I know some people are naturally minimalists and I appreciate that. But fashion is all about having confidence in everything you wear. 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 upcycled them with uninflated red balloons, about 95 per shoe. The balloons cost me £4 and the glue around £3. People thought it came from a high-end brand. I repurposed a blazer I hadn’t worn in over three years. I googled butterflies and found decorative ones, different colours, and different sizes for around £3. I wore it many times. Another time, I bought some green pom-poms from a local lady who sold sewing supplies and wore them over an oversized pink jacket.
I think rules can provide structure and foundation when dressing, but for me, true style 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 find yourself, grow and discover what you are most comfortable with. Dressing according to the rules should be a basis, not a limitation.
I grew up with a generation that was used to colors and this kind of weird dressing. harajuku, kawaii Movement in mid/late 90s Japan. When I came to London in 2000, it was a time when a lot of underground designers were making very challenging designs. I have always been surrounded by colors and unique looks.
The way I dress is just for 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 wear an apron or chef outfit. If I had to attend a birthday party I’d probably wear a birthday cake t-shirt or something similar.
I am a chameleon. I wear every color, from black to white, silver to orange, green to pink. I don’t wear costumes. You can dress crazy but I don’t want to end up looking like it’s Halloween.
I get funny reactions on social media. Fortunately, I have followers who support me very much; I don’t get any negative comments. Of course, the public doesn’t understand some of my clothes and some people point at me and laugh. In the fashion industry, everyone dresses pretty seriously or tries to be cool, and I’ve never found that fun. I don’t mind being a clown on the street; I’m not afraid of people laughing at me. Iris brought a lot of happiness to other people with her colors and dynamic outfits. I wish I had the same energy.
I am the color queen of the world. My motto is: “Don’t wear beige, it could kill you” and I say this with all my heart. I was born with a rainbow in my head.
I heal myself every morning. I love red with everything. With bright pink, with bright orange, with turquoise. I love different shades of red. I love all colors as long as they are not in the beige, brown and tan family; This adds 15 years to my life.
I make my own clothes. I buy wonderful African wax patterned fabrics from women vendors and vintage fabrics from flea markets. I design the clothes and I have a nice guy who does the sewing. I buy my rings and bracelets at the same flea market every Thursday, Old Spitalfields in east London.
I also make these “neck collars”. These are cultural amalgams, temples of kitsch, sometimes something deeper. They are very very important to me. I’ve been making these for years and there are probably over a thousand of them.
I’m 83 and my feet are terrible, so I wear Crocs. I love Crocs. I have different colors and I decorate them myself. Thus, Crocs turn into works of art.
People stop me and say, “You look great.” People are very, very nice. Sometimes, while walking through London’s Roman Road market, some young men say: “I wish my grandmother dressed like that.” I’ll take it. Every once in a while someone truly insulting, usually a man, will say: “This is the road to the clown department.”
There’s a lot of chromophobia out there. For God’s sake, don’t be afraid of colors. It’s very good for the soul, it’s very good for mental health, it’s very good for the people around you. If you dress conservatively in dull colours, start with a scarf, start with a bracelet, start adding color to your outfit and you’ll find you like it.
Don’t worry about what’s trendy and what’s not. Don’t buy fast fashion that doesn’t help the planet or anyone. Start being a little picky about what you wear. If you can add some art, purchase jewelry from an artist. Support small businesses, it makes much more sense.
In my 20s, I found myself in a sea of black clothes. Since I’m plus size, I had a hard time finding things I liked, especially on the street. There are so many more options now and the internet has allowed me to find other plus size people who enjoy wearing colors and patterns. So now, instead of hiding in bold colors and softer tones, I’m proud to take up space and show that you can be beautiful no matter your size.
I don’t feel like I look like myself when I see old photos of my natural brown hair. I tried blue and green, but since trying pink I haven’t looked back. I also wear a lot of wigs. They were a game changer as they could completely change the look.
If I have meetings or an event, I prepare my outfit the night before. Layering is important. Color and pattern remain the constant pillars of my ever-changing wardrobe. I don’t have basic clothes, but I do have a collection of colorful tights. Like Iris Apfel, I enjoy the art of juxtaposing designer pieces with thrift store treasures, handmade treats from Etsy, vintage pieces, and high street finds. It’s time for maximalists to come to the fore. This style of dressing is all about fun, glamor and self-expression.
Zeena Shah, art director and writer
In 2020, I started a color challenge on Instagram. I asked my followers to wear a different color each day, red on Mondays and pink on Wednesdays. That’s when I truly realized the power of color. Getting dressed in the morning now gives me great pleasure.
I’ll look at what excites me in my wardrobe that day or what the weather is like. I tend to stick to a formula because otherwise it can get a little crazy and seem a little crazy. I have lots of solid colored base layers that are wardrobe staples. I try to stick to two or three colors. Let’s say I’m going to wear my bright green cardigan with blue stripes, with blue trousers and a dark green bag.
There are no rules. The important thing is to care less about what other people think. One of my pet peeves is when someone says, “Oh, my kid would love this,” and I think, “But I really love this, too.” Why does color and texture clash have to be exclusive to kids? You should think about what brings you joy. It doesn’t need to be too eccentric. It’s really fun to swap out basic blue jeans for, say, pink jeans. Or you can even start by changing your socks to a brighter color. It’s all about building your own color confidence.
I have a bit of a love/hate for color analysis because they often ignore certain colors and that can be quite limiting. But it can empower you to try something new. Trends may also be temporary, but they give people the confidence to try something different. Everyone is looking for happiness. The world is a crazy place, so we have to find it wherever we can.