Meet Izaura Demari: A Q and A with Brazil's Oldest Fashion Influencer

by Madison Paloski

Izaura Demari knows how to live life to the fullest. At 79 years old with an upward of 72k followers on Instagram to date, the fashionista influencer can be seen traveling all across the world and even strutting her stuff on the catwalk at São Paulo Fashion Week.

Although her journey started with splashes of color, a few pairs of high heels, necklaces, and large sunglasses, she now feels that after 50+ years she is finally living the life she's been destined to live. With years of wisdom under her belt, we caught up with Izaura and asked her a few questions:

Q: Hi Izaura! Please introduce yourself.

A : My name is Izaura Demari, I am 79 years old, and I consider myself to be one of the greatest Brazilian fashionistas of today and the elderly.

How did your love of fashion start? What gave you the inspiration to start to express yourself through your clothes?

A: I discovered my love for fashion with the help of my youngest son, Marcio Demari, after my husband's death. I discovered life, I discovered breathing new air, I discovered love in fashion in a very significant way in my life that transformed it.

My inspiration comes from the soul and the heart. I love colors, brightness and I have a lot of creativity to demonstrate in my fashion, in my trend, my inspirations.

Q: What was your living before becoming an Instagram icon?

A: I am the seventh daughter of a nine-siblings family. I was born and raised in a farm in rural Londrina, Paraná, where I took care of pigs, collected firewood and cooked. At 17, I moved with my parents to the city. I got married, gave birth to three children, I have five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Thus, I describe my marriage: “I lived 42 years in jail. My husband was so jealous that he wouldn't even let me go to the gate.” After the death of my husband, 17 years ago, I started to travel with my son Marcio Demari and he started taking photos and showing me on social networks.

I am considered the most famous Brazilian grandma of the current social networks and, I discovered my passion for fashion with the help of my youngest son, Marcio Demari. Together, we traveled the world panning, with perfect clothes and hats to sign my posts and rehearsals, one more iconic than the other and that make me one of the greatest fashion influencers in the world, making me a role model for many ladies.

However, it was on Instagram, with more than 63 thousand followers (@voizaurademari), with stunning looks and my sturdy hats that I continued working with more than 25 brands, among them, 2Rios, Comfortflex, Döhler, Joulik, and Reinaldo Lourenço, I participated in several TV shows, I was featured in more than 300 national and 80 international magazines and portals, among them, I made news in Italy, France, China, and the USA, and paraded in SPFW by the Free Free Institute.

Q: If you could describe your sense of style in any three words, what would it be?

A: Own style with originality.

Q: What are your favorite current trends, colors, etc that you love to wear?

A: As my trademark, the use of hats in looks and compositions of my daily life. At 79 years old, I set the trend, researching and mining different pieces for my collection, which currently reaches 720 hats. They are spread out, in my room and in the closet. Some hats were bought on trips around the world, mined at thrift stores that work with renowned brands and, many times, places that nobody cares about; others hats were made and decorated by my son, Marcio Demari.

There is no need to dress like everyone else. It is much more fun to create my look.

Much of my clothes, I have them made, others I buy on trips or earn from big brands and from my son. We love to dig to find different fabrics with vibrant colors and different accessories.

Q: What’s your biggest piece of fashion advice for any age?

A: I think the main component for feeling good is being well: health, balanced diet, daily physical activities, being with people who make me feel good, and not worrying about tomorrow, living today. And, not forgetting the main thing: Traveling makes me happy! It makes your life exceptional. Stop whining. Live now, stop worrying about tomorrow, or regret yesterday. Make friends, adopt an animal, donate kindness, smile more, take more trips, more walks, go shopping and say yes to life

Q: If you could go back and talk to your 20-year-old self, what’s one thing you would tell her?

A: If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to take life more lightly. I lost count of the number of times I blew things out of proportion and I would also beg not to take myself so seriously.

Don't worry about the future, don't stop studying, don't rush to get married, save money, move on, you're important, give thanks, enjoy, have courage! These would be the points I would make myself listen to in our conversation.

Live with much more lightness!

You can find more of Izaura on her Instagram, @voizaurademari,