“I think part of the problem with the way people dress nowadays is that it’s too generic,” said American fashion designer Iris Apfel while launching a special collection, a collaboration with H&M. “Everyone looks the same, they wear the same things. They wear what’s in fashion, what’s trendy, what they’re being told to wear. That’s terribly dull. I want to see personality.”
Apfel, famously, has a lot of personality. Strewing quotable quotes wherever she goes – her Instagram page descriptor is ‘More is more & less is a bore’ – she has been a fashion icon all her life, leading an especially rich life as a nonagenarian; in 2019, she signed up with international modelling agency IMG as a model at the age of 97.
Her style philosophy is simple: Wear clothes because you love them, pick out accessories because they make you smile, slip on the shoes that give you joy. Your style is an ever-evolving expression of your truest self, she believes, and each piece you own holds the magic of your experiences, adventures and memories.
“It's not about what or who you wear but how you feel when wearing something,” Iris told H&M Magazine. “Style is about self-expression and, above all, attitude.”
Lounge picks favourite pieces from the collection designed by Apfel in her signature ‘more is more’ style:
Jacquard-weave appliquéd blazer
Single-breasted jacquard-weave blazer with an embroidered pattern depicting pea pods. With notch lapels, pearly buttons at the front, and defined shoulders with shoulder pads.
Available at select H&M stores; Rs.12,999
Flounced jacket
A pouffy jacket covered in pleated, swirling flounces that create volume and movement. The jacket is in a gently flared style and fastens at the front with a rhinestone-embellished button. ₹22,999
Oversized shirt
A straight-cut, oversized shirt in a softly draping jacquard weave with an all-over print reminiscent of Apfel's signature eyeglasses. Has a resort collar, covered buttons down the front and a double-layered yoke at the back. ₹5,999
Rhinestone-embellished clip earrings
A pair of clip earrings in metal with plastic pendants in the shape of pea pods with daisies at the top that have rhinestone-embellished pistils. ₹2,999
Embellished brocade slippers
Elegant slippers in a brocade weave with a slight sheen. Angular toes, a rhinestone-embellished decoration on the front and a decorative tongue with imitation leather piping. ₹12,999
