fashion icoon iris apfel

Iris Apfel age 93

Celebrity came late to the model and fashion-world personality
Iris Apfel
While the “geriatric starlet,” as she calls herself, may be advanced in years, her fame is quite young. In 2005, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art had a sudden and unexpected hole to fill for its fall show. Curator Harold Koda asked the relatively unknown fashion maven if she would contribute pieces from her incredible collection of jewelry and clothing acquired throughout her life. The resulting show, Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection, was a spectacular success.

“Life is grey and dull. You may as well have a little fun when you dress and amuse people,” Iris is seen telling an enthralled crowd of museum goers who stand surrounded by her outrageous and enchanting stylings. Previously, Apfel had enjoyed a modest amount of renown in the design world. She was a long-time interior designer, and, with her beloved late husband Carl, had founded a textile company, Old World Weavers. They even collaborated on the White House restorations.