Tertuliando Con...

The Art of Ageing with Style

✍🏼 Germán Malaver [german_malaver]

📸 Personal photo

📍 Brighton, United Kingdom

Escribe Germador [@germador_] since its inception has wanted to be a cultural platform, where its main objective is to make visible the positive of life, through people who leave their mark on their journey and let the soul speaks, as our guest today, a woman that everyday she feels blissful for her years, showing that age is only a number, but every second of life is an adventure that needs to be lived, with you from Brighton (United Kingdom), Nikki Redcliffe.

✅ G.M. Thanks so much Mrs. Redcliffe, for me it’s a real pleasure to have you here at Escribe Germador, I’m a big fan of yours, because thou use thy social networks as a virtual museum, sharing your daily anecdotes and that’s wonderful at this time, because currently what’s pitifully more’s seen, is the ego.

✅ N.R. Thanks Germán! What wonderful words to me! I’m very pleased that you invited me.

✅ G.M It’s a pleasure ma’am! Let’s start this conversation, I’m intrigued!

Who’s Nikki Redcliffe?

✅ N.R. Nikki Redcliffe’s 65 years old woman, mother to three wonderful daughters: Natasha (33), Alexandra (31) and Victoria (28), and grandmother to Atticus who’s 4 years old, he’s the son of my middle daughter and I’m delighted to say that later this year there’ll be two more grandchildren because Natasha‘s expecting her first baby in late September and Alex will produce a sibling for Atticus in October.

I’m single but I live with my partner of six years in beautiful Brighton on the south coast of England. I also have a small house in Andalucía is southern Spain where I love to escape.

I still run my small business but I’m looking forward to retirement so I can spend more time with my children and grandchild.

I love art, music, dancing, reading, playing bridge (cards), gardening, travelling and skiing. I’m also a vintage car enthusiast and I have a 1947 Triumph Roadster which’s always in the workshop. Hope to get her on the road the next summer.

I have lived in many different places, including France, Switzerland, Morocco, and Spain but England will always be home to me.

✅ G.M. Oh, how stunning! Congrats again granny, what a blessing!

✅ N.R. (Laughter) you are very kind Germán!

✅ G.M. It’s an honour madame! And thanks again for opening the doors of your heart and your home, to know a little about you.

✅ N.R. I’m flushed at your comments, you’re very gentleman.

✅ G.M. It’s truth! But let’s continue so you don’t feel sorry.

Thou told me earlier that you like vintage, why do you also like the fashion of the 40’s, 50’s and early 60’s?

✅ N.R. So, I love vintage fashion from the 1940’s and 1950’s because it’s unique, timeless, elegant and feminine. True vintage garments are beautifully constructed and feel very especial to wear. I like searching for new items, it makes shopping an exciting treasure hunt. I also enjoy building outfits piece by piece, which can take months or even years until the perfect accessories are all tracked down. Wearing vintage clothes is like having a hobby that can be enjoyed every day and getting dressed is always a pleasure.

✅ G.M. The brightness of your eyes says it all.

✅ N.R (Laughter).

✅ G.M. (Laughter).

So, does your family support you in your adventures?

✅ N.R. My daughters are also interested in vintage fashion, but they don’t wear it every day. They love my wardrobe and often borrow items from me. They also think it’s funny that their mother has so many Instagram followers and gets photographed in the street. My whole family are supportive of my passion for vintage fashion because they know it brings me a lot of joy.

✅ G.M. I am one of those who likes each post, I think that your Instagram account’s nice

✅ N.R. I know, I see your likes or comments, that are so generous to me.

✅ G.M. Now the blushing it’s me, (Laughter).

✅ N.R. (Laughter).

✅ G.M. So, I’m intrigued to know, What thy profession is?

✅ N.R. I now have a small property rental and renovations business, but fashion was always my main interest. I originally studied history at university before going on to work in PR and then marketing / new product development in the cosmetics industry. I spent some time in the early 1980s working in fashion forecasting, spotting new trends. My best ever job was when I was 17 years old and worked on Saturdays in the legendary Biba store in London.

✅ G.M. Oh my Goodness! Really? You are a very cultured woman.

✅ N.R. (Laughter), you’re very funny, you are also very cultured man, I read your post and I say: «how a young man can thing that way?”, you read a lot, it also shows you like good music like: Rock music, Blues and Pop, and the truth was one of the reasons that I accepted the interview.

✅ G.M. Thank you Mrs. Redcliffe! I blushed again. What a beautiful word, I’m very grateful with you.

Changing the subject, what does the concept of fashion means to you?

✅ N.R. When I was younger, I was a dedicated follower of fashion and wanted to wear every new trend. As I’ve become older, I have come to see fashion as an expression of individual style. It’s something that should evolve and improve with ages so that our personal style becomes more defined with each passing year. Now, I never pay attention to new fashion looks because I feel I’ve found my own style.

✅ G.M. I loved thy answer!

✅ N.R. Thanks so much!

✅ G.M. It’s a pleasure madame!

And tell me, how do you become one of the biggest fashion influencers in the U.K.?

✅ N.R. I’m astonished to find myself considered a fashion influencer! I’ve been buying and wearing true vintage clothes for about eleven years and I was following lots of other vintage enthusiasts on Instagram when I decided to post some pictures of my own wardrobe. That was for years ago and now I have more than 35.000 followers.

I think my post have been popular because I’m an older lady who doesn’t conform to the stereotypical image of a grandmother. I receive so many kind and supportive comments from other woman, thanking me for inspiring them to be braver in the way they dress and giving them the message that there´s no reason to be scared of getting older.

✅ G.M. Awesome! Congratulations ma’am! You’re incredible!

✅ N.R. Thanks boy!

✅ G.M. It’s an honour!

And, what do you think of the new concepts of fashion?

✅ N.R. I still glance at fashion magazines although I’m not tempted to wear the latest fashions, I prefer the timeless and classic vintage styles. However, I think that mass market fashion today moves too fast in an effort to make consumers buy more. This in turn leads to so much waste in a world that needs to conserve resources and recycle more. Vintage clothes are very eco-friendly and the garments are of such high quality that they’re still wearable more than 60 years after they were made. Fast fashion is generally poor quality and ends up being quickly thrown away.

When I was young clothes were relatively expensive so we bought less and valued them more. While I recognise the economic importance of the fashion industry, I’d like to see a return to slow fashion with more emphasis on individual style rather than mass trends.

✅ G.M. What a great perspective you’ve! I’m overwhelmed with every answer you give; I am really grateful that you have accepted this conversation!

✅ N.R. Thanks to you! I’m very comfortable in this meeting!

✅ G.M. What a joy!

So, in your own words define your style, please!

✅ N.R. My favourite fashion decade starts with Christian Dior’s new look in 1947. Tiny waists, huge swirling skirts, neatly fitted jackets, elegant hats, beautiful accessories and gorgeous colours (those are all my favourite things).

I admire feminine, elegant styles that have a touch of glamour and you’ll never find me wearing tracksuits of trainers. I love dressing up, even if I’m not going anywhere especial, and I really like to wear hats. So sad that nobody wears hats any more because they’re the perfect finishing touch to an outfit.

✅ G.M. You’re definitely an icon in fashion and a great influencer!

✅ N.R. Thank you for your compliments!

✅ G.M. It’s an honour!

Madame! How do you see fashion in the United Kingdom?

– N.R. Fashion in the U.K. is generally rather dull. When walking around any town I notice that everyone is wearing black, grey, navy or other somber colours. Also, people seem to dress purely for comfort in stretchy or baggy clothes, which I don’t find attractive. I admit that my own clothes are sometimes not very practical or comfortable but even if wear jeans I still want to look well-groomed and stylish. I respect the fact that many people´s lifestyle doesn’t allow them to wear the sort of styles, I admire and I’m very grateful that I do have the opportunity to wear exactly what I like most of the time.

✅ G.M. Wise words! I’m fascinated with your answers, thou always have the exact words.

✅ N.R. (Laughter), you’re very exaggerated with your comments.

✅ G.M. (Laughter).

Almost to culminate this interview, what has been your greatest artistic influences?

✅ N.R. My greatest style influence has been fashion and films of the past. The great designers: Dior, Schiaparelli, Fath, Balmain, Givenchy, etc. And also, the costume designers for Hollywood films of the 40’s and 50’s.

I’ve also been influenced by music, particularly David Bowie who was endlessly stylish.

My greatest fashion icons are Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly who epitomised grace, elegance, femininity and ageless beauty.

✅ G.M. You’ve great references, and you are right; Bowie was a great, in addition to his music, his intelligence was unique.

✅ N.R. That’s right! His music and style won’t go out of style.

✅ G.M. You’re right!

And to finish this time, have you considered writing a book?

✅ N.R. We already finished? Time passes very fast, I’m blissful here sharing with you, but well, I hope you invite me again.

Answering your question, I’m very much doubt that I will ever write a book, but I’ve appeared in Advanced Style by Ari Seth Cohen, who features stylish over 60’s. I enjoy photographing and writing about my wardrobe on Instagram and I’ve participated in lots of interviews like this one. Instead of writing a book I prefer to read, mainly literary fiction of the past century, and look at books of photographs from my favourite fashion eras.

✅ G.M. It’s a shame! But it is your decision.

Of course, Ari’s a great photographer and an excellent human being. I’ve had the opportunity to interview women with whom he has worked as for example: Beatrix Ost, The Contessa, Tziporah Salamon, Suzi Grant, you. Which you can read here on the website.

✅ N.R. How interesting! I’ll read it!

✅ G.M. Thank you Mrs. Redcliffe! For your time, I had an amazing conversation, I learned a lot and had fun!

✅ N.R. Thanks to you Germán for your invitation! I’ll leave a few words

I’m sending you my very best wished and hope your project. «The Art Of Ageing With Style«, is successful and rewarding for you and inspiring for others. Thank you for all your kind support and encouragement, which’s very much appreciated. Greetings to Colombia.

✅ G.M. Thanks so much Mrs, Redcliffe!

Follow her on Instagram: nikkiredcliffe.