I’ve been lightweight stalking Iris Apfel all week because I watched her documentary on Netflix last weekend. Before that, I only knew her as “that trendy old lady with the big glasses”. After learning more about her though, I’ve been inspired by how she became such a legendary fashion icon - so iconic in fact, the Metropolitan museum of art had an entire exhibition on her style. After some analysis, I’ve come to the conclusion that what sets Iris apart is that she embeds excellence in the process, not the outcome.
Let me clarify.
Many of the greats (from Myleik Teele to Deepak Chopra) have said over and over again, that what sets you apart and makes you excellent, is HOW you do what you do. It’s the attention to detail, the design choice, the choice of words - the seemingly small decisions. Iris proves this point perfectly. At one point in the documentary, she explains that she doesn't give a damn about the party, it's the getting dressed for it that she loves.
Putting thought into every step in the game is not only what makes you excellent, it is also what makes you unique. This sat deeply with me as someone who is consistently making an effort to live my best life. I have lots of room for improvement in this area because I find myself working for the end product instead of working for the love of the work itself.
In light of this major lesson from the fashion icon, here are three of my favorite Iris styles for #FierceFriday:
image via afrobella
image via mosamuse
image via torieandtristan
PS: Before Iris became a fashion icon, she was an interior designer who worked on design projects in the white house - for nine different presidents. Another reminder that it doesn't matter what you do, it's how you do it that counts.