by Bethan Holt and Digital fashion editor, The Telegraph, June 2, 2017
You probably thought you'd heard enough when it comes to ingenious packing tips from models and fashion insiders. After all, there are only so many times you can be told that it's just so easy to roll up a few silk dresses in a tiny carry-on and waft around effortlessly on your holiday when the reality often couldn't be further from the truth.
Enter 95 year-old fashion designer and style star Iris Apfel who has a rather more refreshing recommendation. "I don’t pack light," she quips, which is perhaps unsurprising as she is renowned for her extravagantly maximalist jewellery and colourful, experimental and texture-rich wardrobe. "That’s why I love to travel by ship... no luggage restrictions! I mean, if you have beautiful clothes you want to take them with you."
Luckily for Apfel, one of her next big trips will be a crossing from Southampton to New York on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 in September. She will be taking part in the second Transatlantic Fashion Week, an event which sees the luxury ocean liner transformed into a glorious style destination with a packed itinerary of fashion shows, dinners and exhibitions.
This year, Julien MacDonald, fashion commentator Colin MacDowell and a host of fashion students are set to join Apfel for the crossing, during which she will host dinners, cocktail parties and Q&A sessions.
So what will Apfel be piling into her trunks for the voyage? "Elegant jackets are a great for formal occasions," she advises, pointing out that these are brilliant options for the dressed-up dinners and events which will be taking place during the cruise and which she is particularly looking forward to- any excuse to dress up. "I have a collection of elegant jackets that I pair with slim pants. And of course, accessories help create a variety of looks," she adds.
If you can't join Apfel for seven days at sea soaking up her style nous, then she has plenty of sage pointers. "Learn who you are and stay true to yourself," she says, a mantra which she has adopted wholeheartedly and has seen her become a world-famous arbiter of individuality, and led to collaborations with MAC Cosmetics, J Crew and Kate Spade, plus an documentary- Iris- about her unique life and look by Albert Maysles.
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"Don’t follow trends. Buy clothes that work for you, not because they are trendy, and you will have them a lifetime and always look great," is another of Apfel's liberatingly sensible guidelines.
She may be held up as an icon of ageless style, but like many of the world's best-dressed women, Apfel insists that age is something to be embraced, rather than avoided. "I don’t have any secrets but if you know what is appropriate for you, then you will look great at any age," she says. "Nothing makes a woman look older than trying to dress younger."
Transatlantic Fashion Week takes place from 2nd-9th September on Cunard's Queen Mary 2. For more information, click here or call on 0843 374 2224
This article was written by Bethan Holt and Digital fashion editor from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.