The Never Too Late series tells the story of people who decide to pursue their dreams on their own terms (Instagram star).
Lynn Slater will be the first to tell you that her life has been a series of happy accidents and purposeful turns.
“My life is always full of surprises because I’m constantly reinventing myself. I’m an improviser. I don’t plan. “I’m enjoying the moment,” said Ms. Slater, 70, a former New York Ford Professor of Social Work at Ham University. “This idea has been very helpful to me. It creates endless adventures, surprises, incredible friendships, and profound learning. “
In 2014, she took some creative courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. Her professor suggested she start a fashion blog during a course on how to open a vintage clothing store. Originally from suburban Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County, Ms. Slater moved to New York City in the mid-1990s and thought, “Why not.” She has always had a passion and talent for fashion, and was often mistaken for it a member of the world. She thought she would focus on the blog and that topic.
“I dress in a way that people don’t expect. I dress edgy and wear simple black and white looks. I wear Japanese designer brands from consignment shops, like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto ),” she explained. “I dress how I feel and convey an identity.”
After a classmate in her class suggested she call herself an “accidental icon,” Ms. Slater accepted the title and obtained a website and blog domain using the name. She posts content three times a week, often writing introspective articles about clothing and designers, and the integral role both subjects have played in her life. She said she would often wear a piece of clothing and write an essay “about the designer’s inspiration and how I felt wearing it.”
The accompanying photo was taken by her long-term partner, Calvin Lom, 66, a retired cyclotron engineer. (Today, the two live in Peekskill, N.Y.) Five years as a sought-after fashion influencer — @iconaccidental on Instagram — was her next big shot.
Then comes the identity crisis and loss of self.
Her successes, transformations and troubles, not to mention her truths, are told in her book, How to Age: Lessons for Living Courageously from Accidental Icons, which will be published by Penguin Random House in March Published by Plume, a division of Bookstore.
“This book is a compilation of my essays from when I turned 60 in 2013 until now,” Ms. Slater said. “This is a book about reinvention and what I learned. How I accidentally became an icon, and what happened to me. This crisis came to a head when I had a crisis of values.”
(The following interview has been edited and condensed.)
How did you go from a full-time social worker to an accidental icon?
In 2014, I did very heavy lifting focused on trauma, child and sexual abuse, and the child welfare system. I need to do something creative because, for me, it saves lives. Professors and people tell me that I have great style. When a blog suggestion comes up, I like to dig into it. I have always been interested in clothes and fashion. Clothes always reflect who I want to be. I thought: “Okay. I can do this. I know how to make a website. I can make this happen.”
How do you know what to focus on?
This is a big hole for women my age who, like me, are urban, intellectual, invested in their lives and careers. The blog I want to write doesn’t exist. I wanted to connect with a group of women who wanted to think and talk about fashion as a way to express their identity. I never had a target market.
You quickly gained a lot of attention, amassing nearly a million followers on social media platforms. How did this happen?
My writing is my authenticity. Blogging was really my impulse to become a writer. I became more visible in the world. I transitioned from blogging to doing mostly Instagram and doing sponsored posts. I worked on a campaign for Valentino and then an international campaign with Mango, a Spanish brand targeting young consumers. The fact that they featured me as the main character was groundbreaking. Then I got followers from all over the world. I signed with a modeling agency and found a literary agent. I was seen by fashion editors and started shooting for magazines, music videos, modeling, campaigns, and working with emerging designers.
Come 2019, you have a crisis. what happened?
I lost myself. I realized I was unhappy. Everything becomes very controlled. People tell you what they want you to post, how they want you to take photos, what they want you to say. That’s not why I started this. I wanted a new adventure, meet new people, explore new areas and express myself creatively. I lost the close community of real engagement. I am creating a space where people who feel invisible and invisible feel seen through me. Young women who are afraid of growing old say I’m helping them stop being afraid of growing old.
What did you learn through this experience?
You need as much of your analog life as your digital life. In the beginning, blogging introduced seniors into the world of fashion. But after a while, it just put me in a box and it made me feel depressed. I learned how digital life can change you. I got sucked into it and started compromising my values. I learned how easy and tempting it is to lose yourself in it all.
How do you get back to your core self?
I went back to writing. I no longer spend a lot of time on social media. I don’t do things for money anymore. I now do it the way I originally did it, which is through writing. I have a substack I’m involved in more than just social media. I have strong priorities, like putting my family, my home, and my health first. I continue to post because I have a group of people who interact with me and for whom my words matter to them, inspire them, comfort them, and make them feel good about themselves.
How does it feel to be 70?
I don’t think advancing age reflects accurately. Aging is a journey. What one sees is an old man who doesn’t care about getting older. My age doesn’t matter. Aging has many benefits. You have a lot of life experiences. So when something happens, you don’t lose your temper. You know what to do. You’ve done it before. You’re more confident, you’re not so dependent on anyone else’s ideas, which is huge.
What’s your best advice?
The key to life is to throw yourself into life without a plan and live it with an open mind. It is a philosophy of hope because it foresees that there is always a future and there will always be something exciting, different and new.
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