It's not often a grandmother and university professor becomes an icon of style with a growing online Instagram and blog following of all ages. But that's exactly what Lyn Slater did, because she was, "having trouble finding a fashion blog or magazine that offered an urban, modern, intellectual aesthetic but also spoke to women who live what I call 'interesting but ordinary lives' in cities." And Lyn has a message to everyone who thinks they want fame and to be special: the real secret is to just be okay being you.

Lyn Slater is a professor of social work, a cultural influencer, a model, a writer, partner, mother and grandmother. She started her blog, Accidental Icon, in September 2014 because she could not find a fashion blog or magazine that offered an urban, modern, intellectual aesthetic and also spoke to people who live “interesting but ordinary lives” in cities.

People (like Lyn) who are not famous or celebrities but are smart, creative, thoughtful, engaged, socially responsible and most importantly clear and comfortable with who they are and reflect this in how they dress are who this talk is about. At the age when many people retire, Lyn Slater has reinvented herself as an influencer of popular culture, fashion model, and global icon. Lyn’s rejection of age as a variable to be considered in how one dresses has resonated and her blog has fans from around the world. Her Instagram has over 250,000 followers, most of whom are young.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx