A woman who transcends time and trends, Iris Apfel is a true original, one of the most dynamic personalities in the worlds of fashion, textiles, and interior design.
As the cofounder with her husband, Carl Apfel, of Old World Weavers, an international textile manufacturing company that specialized in reproducing antique fabrics, her prestigious clientele has included Greta Garbo, Estee Lauder, Montgomery Clift, and Joan Rivers. She also acted as a restoration consultant and replicated fabric for the White House over nine presidential administrations. Iris’s travels worldwide and a passion for flea markets of all sorts inspired her work and fueled her passion for collecting fashion and accessories.
In 2005, she was the first living person who was not a designer to have her clothing and accessories exhibited at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a blockbuster show that catapulted her to fame and a career as a supermodel, muse, and collaborator for renowned brands, from Citroen to Tag Heuer, and global gigs at Bon Marché in Paris and the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong. In 2015, acclaimed director Albert Maysles released Iris, his last film—now an Emmy Award nominee—to a global audience.
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LATEST PROJECTS
The Barbie
Barbie unveiled Apfel's Barbie, dressed in the punchy green Gucci suit that Apfel sports on the cover of her new book, "Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon."
The doll is one-of-a-kind, but there's good news for fans of Apfel's style. This fall, Barbie will release a "Styled By" Barbie inspired by Apfel, wearing her signature oversized glasses and layers of chunky beaded necklaces from Apfel's own Rara Avis collection. We love the outfit, of course, but we're also really digging the Apfel-inspired bob on Barbie.
Both Apfel and Barbie hit up the Carlyle Hotel — one of her favorite spots — to snap a photo for the popular Barbie Style Instagram account. And get ready to take notes: Barbie will also be touring Apfel's favorite NYC spots on @BarbieStyle.
THE BOOK
Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon, contains an eclectic mix of musings and 180 full-color and black-and-white photos and illustrations—presented in the same improvisational, multifaceted style that have made Iris a contemporary fashion icon. Astute maxims, witty anecdotes from childhood to the present, essays on style and various subjects, from the decline of manners to the importance of taking risks, fill the book as do lists, both proclamatory, revelatory, and advisory.
All are paired with a bold, color-filled, exciting design that varies from page to page. Here, too, is a treasure trove of never-before-published personal photographs and mementos, mixed with images from top international fashion photographers and illustrators with enchanting, surprising novelties such as Disney cartoons, vintage postcards, the Iris Apfel Halloween costume for children, and more.
