Iris Apfel, a beloved fashion matriarch with the most larger-than-life eclectic style, has passed away. She was found in her home at Palm Beach, Florida. She was 102 years old. She was an unmistakable force in the fashion industry, breathing to life an electric wardrobe filled with everything from flea market finds to haute couture.
5 Things You Need to Know About Iris Apfel
1. She was an interior designer and textile expert before become a staple name in fashion columns.
After marrying Carl Apfel, the pair founded Old World Weavers, one of the most respected luxury textile brands in the industry. Inspired by their travels, they sought to provide the well-traveled aesthetic they had witnessed during their time abroad. Iris was particularly interested in the study of textiles, and this showed in her work.
2. After the Metropolitan Museum of Art mounted an exhibit of her personal items, she became an overnight sensation.
The theme of the Met in 2005 was Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection. The museum had approached her with the intention of exhibiting her extensive collection of clothes. From Dior haute couture flea market finds to 19th-century religious vestments, Iris had cultivated a personal collection that spoke volumes about her knowledge on color, shapes, and prints. What's more, the collection was displayed and styled exactly as Iris had worn them in real life.
3. In 2014, Albert Maysles made Iris, a documentary about the fashionable life of Iris Apfel.
Iris was 93-years-old at the time, and the film focused on her free-spirited approach to fashion.
4. She wrote a book called, Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon.
In 2018, Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon was published. The book collected Iris' musings, written with her own brand of wit and candor. She wrote a few personal essays and sandwiched them in between visually arresting photos and illustrations that reflect Iris' bold life.
5. At 97-years-old, she was signed with IMG.
Proving age is nothing but a number, Iris was signed with modeling agency IMG. Since then she's done work with brands like Kate Spade, MAC, and many more.
Rest in peace, Iris. You will forever be an icon.
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