LYN'S WORDS. OUR SHOES.

LYN TALKS FASHION, INFLUENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE AND WHY AGE IS IRRELEVANT

AGEISM IS THE ISSUE — I WANT WOMEN TO KNOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE BOX THAT SOCIETY PUTS YOU IN, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

The day that I got 100% confident was when I accepted the things about me that weren’t so great, because when I owned them I took away everybody else’s power to use them against me. There is the physical reality, and I’m not in denial about it, but then there is my internal experience, and I must say I’m very privileged, and I’m blessed to have good health, so for me, age is not something that I think about every day.

I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LIVE IN THE TIME WE ARE LIVING IN.

If you want to be relevant then you need to use the technology and language that people are working with today. If I have a problem, I’m asking how am I going to solve this? It was my way of inserting myself into the conversation that was happening in fashion and social media, that was really excluding older people. I think that goes back to being able to tolerate two different perspectives and points of view. I don’t think that’s happening enough today, I actually think that’s the root of our problem that we’re experiencing in society right now.

THE AGE INSIDE OF ME IS VERY FLUID

I think it goes back to being able to tolerate two different perspectives and points of view. I don’t compartmentalize my age into spiritual, emotional, etc because I think what people need to understand about the experience of being older is that you have every age you ever were inside of you. What I want people to see is that if you live a life where you have accepted who you are, a life where you’re constantly learning and evolving, that you have no regrets, you have a life that is well-lived.

GROWING UP IN THE SEVENTIES I’VE ALWAYS RESISTED EXPECTATIONS THAT SOCIETY WANTS TO PUT ON ME

When someone says, “Dress your age” — I actually think to myself, that’s very sad for the person saying that, because it’s really about oppression, it’s about society trying to control you. It goes in reverse, too. A lot of people my age discount young people, and that’s not OK either. I have always kept learning, and embraced technology really, really early on, and because of that no one is dismissing me. No one is saying, you can’t be an influencer. I personally have not had that experience, but again, I am not a person who puts myself in that role.

I USE MY PERSONAL STYLE TO CONVEY WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT ME

The reason I’ve become associated with sunglasses is that I’m actually a person who does not like to be photographed, so when I first started being photographed, sunglasses helped me to feel safe and more comfortable. I was in London and was doing an interview on air for BBC, it was the early days, before I had practice doing this. I was literally frozen. My agent came over and said, “Here, let her wear sunglasses.” The minute I put them on I became relaxed, so they kind of became a signature for that reason.

My style is my story, really. I was a professor for 20-years, teaching social policy and social work and the law. Five years ago, I was beginning to be very frustrated with academia. It was feeling controlling, and I felt the need to express myself in a different way. I started to take classes at some fashion schools in New York City, and everyone said to me in class, you have such great style, you should start a blog. So, I did a lot of research and I couldn’t find a blog that spoke to someone like me. It started as a passion project, I had no agenda, I knew no one in fashion, I just started taking photos and writing and putting myself out there and leaving myself open to whatever opportunities came my way. The message I want people to come away with is that it’s never too late for you to have a passion, to do something new, to reinvent your life if you’re wanting adventure or not happy with it.

TODAY WE WILL IS A VERY AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT

For me, Today We Will is accepting myself, and accepting ourselves. What does purpose mean to me? Purpose is why we get up in the morning, and I think for me it has always given my life a lot of meaning because I’ve always had one. So “Today We Will Keep Learning” comes from my belief that you should be a lifelong learner.

We’re living in interesting times because they’re an in between time. A lot of the old ways, the old institutions that used to keep us safe and keep us together are not working anymore. That’s because change is happening at an exponential rate, and we as humans have not had time to respond to it. That’s where the optimism comes in because I think that when old things break down there’s a lot of excitement and possibility, because you can make new things. So I’m very passionate about creating spaces and working with all generations where we can just allow ourselves to not know for a moment and then think of amazing things we can do to make a change.