Iris

#IrisPBS
PBS Premiere: Aug. 1, 2016Check the broadcast schedule »

Take Action

  • In an afterschool program for middle school girls, lead a discussion on the pressure to wear (or not wear) certain types of clothes or brands. Investigate the source of those messages. Invite everyone to talk about Iris's unique style and imagine what they might wear if no one was judging them. Consider posting comments on fashion blogs, social media sites or retailers' websites about the messages they are sending about "proper" or "fashionable" attire.
  • Celebrate the accomplishments of older women in your community.
  • Host a screening for a local women-in-business group. Discuss how to encourage women to take chances and believe in their own visions as Iris did and does.
  • Put together your own museum retrospective by gathering fashions from people in your community. Include explanations about time periods and cultures that are represented in the exhibit.
  • Iris says, "All the great handcrafted trades are going down the tubes. Some have already gone. And then there's nobody left to teach them. And you'll have all kinds of machine-made junk." Find craftspeople working in the fields of textiles and/or fashion in your community and help them publicize their work. Create opportunities for them to teach their crafts to others.