Credits: MiamiFilmFestival / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0.
Iris Apfel, an eccentric and esteemed figure in American fashion, passed away on Friday, March 1, at the age of 102.
A native of a Jewish family from the Queens, Iris Barrel began her career in fashion as an editor for Women’s Wear Daily before moving into interior design and cofounding Old World Weavers with her husband Carl Apfel. Together, they left their mark on the White House parlors, working for nine U.S. presidents!
Known for her bold approach to fashion, Iris fearlessly mixed massive, whimsical costume jewelry with high jewelry pieces, refusing to conform to traditional expectations tied to age. Her unique style earned her recognition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in 2005, in an exhibition celebrating her personal collection titled Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection.
Always on the move, she collaborated with prestigious brands such as MAC Cosmetics, Kate Spade and H&M, continually surprising fashion lovers of all generations. Her influence extended well beyond fashion, with Iris Apfel sharing her life and style advice with her 2.9 million Instagram followers, where she remained very active until the day before her death.
Iris Apfel leaves us with a powerful message: “Dare to be different.” With a life marked by creativity, love and a passion for color, she proved that you can live by your own rules at any age. Lenny Kravitz, among other celebrities, paid tribute to her unique “art of living,” noting how Iris mastered it until her last breath.
She will long be remembered for her strong, original, and singular style, now unforgettable to millions of admirers around the world.