Advanced Style

[Photos Ari Seth Cohen/Text Maayan Zilberman]

One of the things we love most about living in New York is meeting gems like 90 year old Ilona Royce Smithkin while going about our day. Ari met this beautiful lady on the street recently and insisted I meet her to discuss our mutual interests in painting, dancing, and making our own lingerie.What most first notice about Ilona are her long eyelashes that she crafts out of her own flashy red hair. With a youthful figure and delightful ease in conversation, its obvious she is also a performer with plenty to tell.
I’ll be sitting down with Ilona this weekend to discuss it in detail.

Stay tuned for tips on making your own clothes, how to balance careers, and who should wear false eyelashes..

When Smilla first sent me photos of Helga, ” The Queen of Charm” I was awe struck by her beauty and style. I couldn’t wait til she’d have the opportunity to interview and visit the home of this fascinating lady.

Smilla writes,”On Friday I visited her; The lady of the block. Planned since a long time it finally came true, and I definitely can say that one visit won’t be enough to explore the world of this extraordinary women. She told me many things and showed me quite a lot. We talked about this and that and the other, and than we came back to the beginning.

Please check out Smilla’s Post for some more information on Helga:

http://anders-anziehen.blogspot.com/2010/04/im-salon-von-lady-helga.html

Debra Rapoport
Upper East Side Your style would stand out even on Madison Avenue. What’s going on with this outfit?
This is made with bits and pieces from my supply closet, things I’ve been collecting for 30 to 40 years, including ribbons, fabrics, old candles, zippers … I’ve always dressed up, but as an older person I’m certainly not going to start dressing down, because it feeds me. You must get all sorts of reactions on the street.
Oh, yes, and since I have pink hair, then, you know, a lot of kids look at me and point, and a lot of older women look at me and smile. I use style as an art form, and also as a healing form, because I believe that when you’re creative with your Self—capital S—then you are very fulfilled.My dear friend Debra Rapoport, who has been appeared on Advanced Style, was featured in today’s issue of New York Magazine check out the article below and remember you can email her at Debrathenutritionista@gmail.com !

My grandma Bluma and her sister Pearl were best friends. They would chat on the phone for hours on end and always lend a helping hand to one another. My grandmother even had a box with Pearl’s curls from when she was a little girl and she’d talk about about how her sister was a wonderful piano player. I always admired their relationship and how they would recall the good old days while cooking or visiting the library(Bluma’s favorite place).

When I saw the two women above they immediately reminded me of my grandma and her sister. They walked arm in arm to the bus stop and when I asked for a photo, The lady in white proudly exclaimed ” My sister is 91 and she has always been the fashionable one.” You could tell how proud she was of her sister for aging with so much vitality, which I’m sure was enriched by their special bond. They also reminded me of the Steinberg Sisters who I met in Brighton beach last Summer, best friends who share a love for fashion and design and live in the same building one above the other.