Ageing with attitude

CAROLYN ENTING

At the age of 90, New York socialite and stylista Iris Apfel is the face of MAC cosmetics' latest makeup line. Bold red lips and nails are a focus of the campaign, for which she poses in her own clothes and accessories, arms laden with ethnic bangles and eyes framed by her trademark owl-like spectacles.

The image is magnificent, and inspired us to search out New Zealand style doyennes and photograph them using Apfel's new makeup range. Meet Anna Hesp, 70, of Wellington; Barbara Brinsley, 73, of Dunedin; and Janey Grocott, 63, of Wellington - three women who share Apfel's unique sense of style, and love of accessories and bright lips.

"I've always had a big red mouth," drawls Apfel, who calls me from the MAC New York office.

It's early morning but I've grabbed the opportunity to speak to her after reading it took journalist Helena de Bertodano, of The Age in Melbourne, six months to secure an interview.

Apfel is a busy woman. She's currently designing multiple lines - eyewear, handbags, scarves and jewellery - as well as selling pieces from her extensive personal jewellery collection. "It's great fun to start all these new careers at this tender age," she says. "I'm having a great time. I have a few other things on the fly, but I can't talk about those yet."

The self-described "designer at large" has always been a collector of accessories, and recently she's begun designing them too, kick- started by an exhibition of jewellery and accessories from her own wardrobe, initiated by the Costume Institute of New York in 2005.

Now she sells her designs as well as some of her vintage pieces on Yoox.com. Her personal collection is too big to quantify.

"I can't count that high. I've been collecting since I was 11 years old," she says. "My mother worshipped at the altar of the accessory. I caught the bug from her. I think accessories have great transformative powers. By changing your accessories throughout the day you can easily get three outfits out of one. It costs less and is very practical when travelling."

To date she has sold more than 1000 pieces on Yoox and through museum exhibitions (including one at The Met) and confesses she doesn't miss them because she has so much.

Her tastes are across the board, from large graphic pieces to beautiful bling.

"My two constants are large and bold. I don't like itsy-bitsy. Cool for other people, but not for me. Everybody should have their own thing. You have to know who you are and what suits you. I'm very happy with 20 bracelets on my arm, and on other people it looks ridiculous."

Apfel was "thrilled, flattered and surprised" when MAC invited her to design a makeup range. Feedback from the fashion-week circuit is that designers are "taken with the colours".

"I like bright red, orange and hot pink the best. I like heavy lipstick. Sheer lips are not for me. It's OK if you have a little rosebud mouth, but if you have a larger mouth, like me, you seem to need something stronger and more opaque. I think there are a lot of women who feel the same way, or at least I hope so," she says.

MAC's Fix Plus finishing spray, Comfort Cream moisturiser and new Lightful Marine Bright range, which the makeup artist used on Iris for the shoot, impressed her. The latter launches in New Zealand next month.

"They give the skin a luminous quality. Even if you are an old saggy baggy, it makes a big difference."

The Iris Apfel MAC range includes a lip pencil, eye shadow, mascara, brow pencil, beauty powder and nail lacquers, as well as lipsticks, and it's not age specific.

"I think my makeup is generally acceptable. Older people can wear it as well as younger. I like things that are not trendy but more timeless. Tradition with an edge, shall we say."

Apfel does, however, believe that older women should be careful not to "over make- up". "I don't wear much makeup, usually just foundation and lipstick, though I did when I was younger. As you age your eyelids wrinkle, so unless you're a makeup expert you end up looking like a turtle," says Apfel. "I think too heavy a makeup is a disaster and too much loose powder is not good either, because it tends to go into your wrinkles. It's nice not to look like an old fuddy duddy, but, as Chanel said, 'older women should not try to look like spring chickens. Dressing younger when you are older makes you look older. Know where you are in life and makeup accordingly.' I think she said that, if she didn't say it she should have."

Anna Hesp has worked at Avid Gallery since 1993 and likes to look smart.

The 70-year-old is a fan of contemporary jewellery, smocks, military high collars and Oriental styles. For this shoot she wore a Japanese kimono, greywacke and silver pendant by Alan Brown, a kabuki theatre mask brooch, rings by Dunedin jewellers Ann Culy and Blair Smith, and Warrick Freeman earrings.

Her signature pixie-style fringe comes to a point at the centre of her forehead.

Hesp's unique style has seen her singled out by stylists over the years, including Lorraine Downes, as an example of "how to style yourself when you are older, and not give up".

It's a philosophy she follows, particularly when shopping for clothing. She looks at "everything from the bottom up". "I think it's important to keep looking. Keep your eyes open and never shut yourself off to possibilities and opportunities. People close themselves off to opportunities as they get older and you should never do that."

She paints her fingernails and toenails, and spends 15 minutes every morning doing her makeup: Foundation, powder, eye makeup and lippy.

"I slapped it on in the early days because all I wore was Nivea cream, powder and lipstick. The older you get, the more time you have to take. I've got quite a thin mouth so it needs a bit of definition, so I like strong colours."

Hesp says she went grey quite early but loves it. "I don't want to get that raddled look that older people get when they wear too much makeup and persist in dyeing their hair. It's better not to keep on with the dye pot and heavy rouge."

Lipstick is part of Barbara Brinsley's daily routine, along with Jean Paul Gaultier perfume. "I wear very little - concealer on my cheeks, mascara, eye shadow, and I always wear lipstick, " the 73-year-old says.

Her wardrobe heaves with designer labels: Gaultier, Issey Miyake (which she is pictured wearing), Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Martin Margiela, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons, Dries Van Noten, Zambesi, World, NOM*d and daughter-in-law Claire Brinsley's label, Claire Bloom. "It's rather an extensive wardrobe but I don't really get rid of much because the quality of the garments is so good, " Brinsley says.

She has a talent for spotting stuff at 20 paces, too. She picked up her Cutler and Gross London glasses from a second- hand shop in Dunedin for $40 and had script lenses put in. She later saw the same pair in British Vogue for 280 pounds (NZ$540).

Brinsley describes her style as "intuitive". "I feel very well in myself. I have a great positive attitude towards my life and where I am, so it comes out as a genuine feeling of wellbeing. I don't mind being near the edge of fashion. I don't mind standing out in a crowd because I feel comfortable within myself as to how I look."

Since retiring from nursing in 2003, Brinsley has been on the Dunedin Public Hospital art advisory committee. She is also the aesthetic ("not anaesthetic") co- ordinator for the hospital. "It's really exciting to be making a visual and very important difference to an area where people feel very stressed and require visual stimulation from blank walls and blood and pain."

A widow of 23 years, Brinsley has worked through her own pain, but considers herself extremely blessed. She believes it's important to be able to stand on one's own and carry one's own bag "but not have too much baggage" - though hers are very good bags (Louis Vuitton).

"I think part of what you see in my dress comes from within. The feeling of how good it is to be alive. One of my favourite sayings is carpe diem - seize the moment, seize the day. It's the quality I see in my life that goes into what I wear, too, and I hope it's something I've learned in my life that can be passed on to those around me."

Janey Grocott has a penchant for chunky jewellery and delights in shocking people with her stoat-skull pendant, by Wellington accessory brand Boho. The skull "still has its dental records" (teeth).

"I adore it. People either love it or hate it. Some can't cope with it at all. I get quite extreme reactions to the piece, " the 63-year-old says.

Grocott wasn't always into statement pieces. She used to be a "pearl girl" but since having a gastric bypass and losing 37 kilograms, she's developed her personal, eclectic style that's also mostly black.

Her wardrobe contains Zambesi, World, Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto, mostly bought on sale or from vintage stores. The challenge now is restraining herself from buying too much. "I've always loved clothes, even when I was bigger, but most things I put on look really good now. Before it was very restricted and I'm not used to having the choices available to me."

She wears a lot of makeup because "I really like it" and favours bright lipstick.

"I've always enjoyed wearing makeup and I don't mind spending the time on it. I hate to go out without it. It psychologically makes a girl feel sparkly, inspired and invigorated."

- © Fairfax NZ News