After years working in the fashion industry, Ari Seth Cohen, 31, moved to New York City where, struck by how great older women looked, he started a blog to capture ‘the sartorial savvy of the senior set.’ The blog became a hit and led to the at times uplifting and interesting, but generally disappointing documentary, Advanced Style, co-directed with Lina Plioplyte.
The film purports to examine the lives of seven New York women between 62 and 95 whose unique approaches to style, and whose creativity and spirit, challenge society’s traditional view of ageing. All of the women come from different backgrounds but are united by their love of style and their awareness of how it defines them.
The statuesque Jackie ‘Tajah’ Murdock is, at 81, one of the last living dancers from the Apollo theatre, and, although legally blind, still dreams of becoming a fashion model. Lynn Dell Cohen, 80, owns an eclectic boutique that her late husband bought for her upon their marriage, and fulfils an ambition by appearing on the Ricky Lake Show in Culver City, Los Angeles. Ilona Royce Smithkin is a 93-year-old artist and teacher whose portrait of Ayn Rand adorns a book jacket.
Joyce Carpati, 80, has the understated chic and looks that befit a retired trailblazer who worked her way up in Hearst Publishing’s fashion magazines. Her background, and her signature long pearls, white braid and gorgeous ebony skin make her one of the most elegant of the fashionistas. Zelda Kaplan, a good natured lady dressed in custom made co-ordinated outfits, worries about losing her memory at 95, but goes out in style, dying of a heart attack at a fashion show.
While many of the women look great, a few do not, and their unbecoming and/or ostentatious outfits and make-up are gawked at rather than admired. Particularly hard to take are Royce Smithkin’s gaudy outfits and orange false eye-lashes that are longer than her tiny head.
While the film, shot on a shoe-string budget, purports to follow the ladies’ daily adventures, it hardly lives up to that claim, and we are left with very superficial knowledge of any of them. Ari Seth Cohen’s presence in the film is more annoying than functional or humorous, and one wishes he had been guided and grounded by a more professional and experienced director
While it is great that Cohen’s blog is turning attention to senior style, there is little in the documentary to show that the ladies featured are benefiting financially from their creativity and looks or that their examples will impact on fashion trends. What is lacking are interviews with fashion designers, fashion magazine editors and retail managers. Will Top Shop cash in on the untapped potential and why has M & S failed to produce anything these seven women would wear
Nor does the film address whether or not this phenomenon blog will benefit the average senior who lack the time, resources and perhaps the creativity to put together outfits. For most of us in the UK at least, there are few outlets offering affordable style for those of an advanced age.
Joyce Glasser – MT film review
