Style is not a question of age: no one confirmed this rule better during her lifetime than New Yorker Iris Apfel. She was always seen in wildly patterned outfits, which she combined with lavish jewelry and her trademark large owl-eye glasses. Trends and catwalk news? The 102-year-old wasn’t interested in them. She preferred to follow her own sense of style and mix clothes and accessories as she liked. Last year she announced on Instagram: “Getting old – but not boring!”
Iris Apfel: Became a fashion star by chance at 84
Although Apfel was considered the best-known best-ager, it wasn’t until she was 84 that she became a fashion star by chance. It was 2005 when an exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art was canceled. The curator Harold Koda asked the then 84-year-old to open her wardrobe and show her collection of precious vintage clothes and accessories. At that time she put together 40 outfits. The exhibition called “Rara Avis” became a hit – and Apfel became a star. “That was a godsend,” she said looking back. At that time she was already retired. “It was wonderful that in my old age people made such a fuss about me again.”
Thanks to her distinctive style, she became known worldwide. There have long been books, exhibitions and documentation about her fashion and life. Iris Apfel, who died on March 1, 2024, will be remembered forever.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
