Last night Zelda Kaplan danced the night away at her 95th birthday party hosted by The King Collective at The Gramercy Park Hotel.Zelda is an inspiration to us all and a great reminder that age is just a state of mind. A few months back,I talked to Zelda about the secret to staying youthful and vital, she answered, ” One must be interested in the world not in own’s self.” I can’t wait to celebrate with her on her 96th!

Ilona moderating a drawing class in Provincetown

Ilona waving to neighbors from her seaside balcony

Lina shooting some footage for the Advanced Style Documentary

At 91 everything Ilona Royce Smithkin does is accompanied by a great sense of freedom. She lives in the present and enjoys every moment as it comes.When it comes to thinking about the future Ilona says,” I just don’t buy green bananas anymore, and I only buy small tubes of tooth paste.” Ilona is very inspired by the sea, from her turquoise jewelry which reminds her of moving water, to her mermaid paintings which you can see in the video below.

I spent the weekend with Ilona in Provincetown, a magical seaside town where she resides all Summer long. We had a wonderful time sitting by the beach and Lina and I got some great footage for our documentary. I will post some more shots tomorrow, but I hope you enjoy these photos of Ilona and I on the beach for now. Ilona’s latest fashion advice on wearing the color black,”If its black its got to have lots of diamonds.”

Ilona says regarding clothing,”If its black its got to have lots of diamonds.”