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Renowned American interior designer and fashion icon Iris Apfel has passed away at the remarkable age of 102.
Known as the “geriatric starlet,” Apfel spent many years in the textile industry before rising to prominence in her eighties due to her distinctive and eccentric sense of style.
Apfel’s iconic look was characterized by her oversized eyeglasses, layers of bold jewelry, and vibrant, eclectic clothing choices, often complemented by her trademark bob-cut white hair.
The news of Apfel’s passing was confirmed by her agent, Lori Sale, although the cause of death was not disclosed. Reports suggest she passed away at her residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
The announcement was made on Apfel’s verified Instagram page, which had recently celebrated her 102nd-and-a-half birthday just a day prior.
Iris Apfel was born on August 29, 1921, into a Jewish family in New York. She initially pursued studies in art history and later focused on interior design, developing a keen expertise in textiles and antique fabrics.
Together with her husband Carl Apfel, Iris co-owned a textile manufacturing firm called Old World Weavers. The couple specialized in restoration projects, which notably included assignments at the White House spanning across six different administrations. Among Apfel’s notable clients were prominent figures such as Estee Lauder and Greta Garbo.
In 2005, Iris Apfel’s public recognition surged when the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City curated a dedicated exhibition titled “Rara Avis,” meaning “rare bird” in Latin, in her honor.
The exhibition celebrated Apfel’s distinctive style, lauding it as “both witty and exuberantly idiosyncratic.” It came about unexpectedly when the museum sought a last-minute replacement but instead found a resounding success, garnering substantial publicity.
Apfel gained a substantial following on social media platforms, amassing nearly 3 million followers on Instagram. Her profile proudly declares, “More is more & Less is a Bore.” On TikTok, she attracted 215,000 followers, sharing fashion insights and promoting her recent collaborations.
In one TikTok video, she remarked, “Being stylish and being fashionable are two entirely different things. You can easily buy your way into being fashionable. Style, I think, is in your DNA. It implies originality and courage.”
In 2011, Iris Apfel shared with The New York Times: “When you don’t dress like everybody else, you don’t have to think like everybody else.”
Subsequently, she became the focus of the documentary “Iris,” a production by Albert Maysles, which premiered in 2014. It was released for audiences in America and Britain a year later.
Critics praised the documentary, with Manohla Dargis of The New York Times describing it as “an insistent rejection of monocultural conformity” and “a delightful eye-opener about life, love, statement eyeglasses, bracelets the size of tricycle tires and the art of making the grandest of entrances.”
In 2016, Iris Apfel expanded her presence by appearing in a television commercial for the French car DS 3, assuming the role of ambassador for the Australian brand Blue Illusion, and embarking on a collaboration with the start-up WiseWear. The following year, Mattel created a unique Barbie doll in her likeness, although it was not made available for sale.
She coined the term “accidental icon” to describe herself, a phrase later adopted as the title of her autobiography published in 2018, filled with her personal mementos and reflections on style.
When asked for fashion advice in 2017 by the Associated Press, she emphasized the importance of individuality, stating, “Everybody should find her own way. I’m a great one for individuality. I don’t like trends. If you get to learn who you are and what you look like and what you can handle, you’ll know what to do.”