I recently watched the film IRIS which is a documentary about the New York fashion icon Iris Apfel. An amazing story of an interior designer, turned fabric designer/fabric manufacturer and fashion icon.
Iris was certainly ahead of her time and with her husband Carl created an amazing business and travelled extensively. Whilst that may sound common place today, remember this was the 1950s when commercial air travel was rare.
Throughout their travels they collected the wildest assortment of treasures, some rare, some not and some downright weird! So much in fact she had to store a lot of her collection in a separate storage shed! How our organising team would love to get stuck into that!
I digress…..
What I found so interesting about this film and was her attitudes toward managing work / leisure balance in her 80’s are no different to what business women are seeking today.
“You can’t do everything. Sometimes it’s impossible and something has to give and sometimes that’s you”. Iris Apfel
Wise words.
Whilst we are often in the quest to have it all, sometimes it’s just not possible to have it all at once and there has to be a compromise and as Iris states often that compromise starts with you.
I remember Quentin Bryce offering similar advice a number of years ago
“For a very long time now, I’ve been saying to young women, you can have it all, but not all at the same time. How important it is to take very good care of yourself, of your mental and physical and spiritual wellbeing, it’s hard to do. It’s easier to be a workaholic than to have a truly balanced life. It’s very tough for a lot of women teetering on that tight rope of balance and balancing too many responsibilities. – At her 7:30 interview, September 2008.
Sage words of advice from incredibly wise women; who are we to ignore such advice?
At The Concierge Collective, we are of the view that you can have it all but you don’t necessarily have to do it all; that’s where we come in.
IRIS pairs the 87-year-old Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even at Iris’ advanced age, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. IRIS portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art and people are life’s sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression. I feel lucky to be working. If you’re lucky enough to do something you love, everything else follows.